History

ADC Characterization Project

The aim of this project is documenting and establishing a routine procedure for characterization of high-speed ADC figures of merit.

It focuses on three main areas:

  1. Pedagogical: collection of relevant documentation on the subject and clarification of the underlying theory
  2. Procedural: specification of standard procedures
  3. Software: production of software aimed at ADC measurement

Work so far

Date Event
01-09-2010 Project start.
14-09-2010 User interface specification start.
20-10-2010 Work on function parameter definitions started

Commented References

  1. A bibliography on ADC testing and its BibTeX source
  2. MT-001: Taking the Mystery out of the Infamous Formula, SNR=6.02N + 1.76dB, and Why You Should Care
    A lucid explanation of the concepts underlying SNR measurement and process gain. Original source here
  3. MT-003: Understand SINAD, ENOB, SNR, THD, THD + N, and SFDR so You Don't Get Lost in the Noise Floor
    A nice discussion of the different figures of merit defining the noise characteristics of an ADC. Original source here
  4. Testing Data Converters
    Chapter 5 of The Data Conversion Handbook edited by Walt Kester and published by Analog Devices. A good starting point.
  5. IEEE Standard for Terminology and Test Methods for Analog-To-Digital Converters
    The absolute reference on the subject.