Digital to Analog Converters

Analog-to-digital (A/D) and digital-to-analog (D/A) converters provide the link between the analog world of transducers and the digital world of signal processing, computing and other digital data collection or data processing systems. Several types of converters have been designed, each using the best available technology at a given time for a given application.

Analog-to-digital (A/D) and digital-to-analog (D/A) converters provide the link between the analog world of transducers and the digital world of signal processing, computing and other digital data collection or data processing systems. Several types of converters have been designed, each using the best available technology at a given time for a given application.

CMOS Integrated Analog-to-Digital and Digital-to-Analog Converters describes in depth converter specifications like Effective Number of Bits (ENOB), Spurious Free Dynamic Range (SFDR), Integral Non-Linearity (INL), Differential Non-Linearity (DNL) and sampling clock jitter requirements. Relations between these specifications and practical issues like matching of components and offset parameters of differential pairs are derived.

This book offers students and those new to the topic of analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) a broad introduction, before going into details of the state-of-the-art design techniques for SAR and DS converters, including the latest research topics, which are valuable for IC design engineers as well as users of ADCs in applications. The book then addresses important topics, such as correct connectivity of ADCs in an application, the verification, characterization and testing of ADCs that ensure high-quality end products.

The design of an analog-to-digital converter or digital-to-analog converter is one of the most fascinating tasks in micro-electronics. In a converter the analog world with all its intricacies meets the realm of the formal digital abstraction. Both disciplines must be understood for an optimum conversion solution. In a converter also system challenges meet technology opportunities. Modern systems rely on analog-to-digital converters as an essential part of the complex chain to access the physical world. And processors need the ultimate performance of digital-to-analog converters to present the results of their complex algorithms.

CMOS Telecom Data Converters compiles the latest achievements regarding the design of high-speed and high-resolution data converters in deep submicron CMOS technologies. The four types of analog-to-digital converter architectures commonly found in this arena are covered, namely sigma-delta, pipeline, folding/interpolating and flash. For all these types, latest achievements regarding the solution of critical architectural and circuital issues are presented, and illustrated through IC prototypes with measured state-of-the-art performances. Some of these prototypes are conceived to be employed at the chipset of newest generation wireline modems (ADSL and ADSL+). Others are intended for wireless transceivers. Besides analog-to-digital converters, the book also covers other functions needed for communication systems, such as digital-to-analog converters, analog filters, programmable gain amplifiers, digital filters, and line drivers.

In the first part the AMGIE analog synthesis system is described. AMGIE is the first analog synthesis system that automates the full design process from specifications down to verified layout. It is targeted to the design of moderate-complexity circuits. It relies on design and circuit knowledge stored in the tool's libraries and can be used by both novice and experienced analog designers as well as system-level designers. The inner workings are explained in detail, with (practical) examples to demonstrate how the implemented algorithms and techniques work. Experimental results obtained with the AMGIE system are reported, including actual fabricated and measured circuits.