ADC Basics

Understanding analog-to-digital conversion fundamentals and architectures.

Analog-to-digital converters bridge the analog sensor world with digital processing. Understanding sampling, quantization, and different ADC architectures is essential for effective data acquisition.

Objectives

  • Understand sampling theorem and aliasing
  • Calculate quantization resolution and error
  • Compare SAR, delta-sigma, and flash ADC architectures
  • Interpret ADC specifications (INL, DNL, ENOB)
  • Interface ADCs with microcontrollers

Key Takeaways

  • Sample rate must be >2× highest signal frequency
  • Resolution determines minimum detectable change
  • SAR: good general-purpose choice
  • Delta-sigma: best for high-resolution, low-speed
  • Flash: fastest but limited resolution