
Maxim > App Notes > A/D and D/A CONVERSION/SAMPLING CIRCUITS
BASESTATIONS / WIRELESS INFRASTRUCTURE HIGH-SPEED SIGNAL PROCESSING
Keywords: ADCs, analog to digital, analog digital, converter, high-speed ADC, high-speed analog to digital
converters, SNR, SINAD, THD, SFDR, two-tone IMD, multi-tone IMD, VSWR, noise, harmonics, DFT, FFT,
spectral leakage
Feb 13, 2001
APPLICATION NOTE 728
Defining and Testing Dynamic Parameters in High-Speed ADCs, Part
1
Abstract: The first part of this article series discusses commonly known definitions most crucial for high-speed
data converters (in this case analog-to-digital converter or short ADCs) used in communications,
instrumentation and data acquisition applications. The purpose of this article is to help the reader gain a better
understanding of common parameters such as signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), signal-to-noise-and-distortion
(SINAD), total harmonic distortion (THD) and spurious-free dynamic range (SFDR). In the second part of this
article series (see "Dynamic Testing of High-Speed ADCs" for further reading), these parameter definitions are
put to the test by measuring them in real-world test scenarios.
Additional Information: Dynamic Testing of High-Speed ADCs, Part 2
Dynamic specifications for ADCs are very important in high-speed applications such as digital communications,
ultrasound imaging, instrumentation, and IF digitization. The following discussion provides a definition and a
mathematical foundation for each parameter, offers useful techniques for evaluating the dynamic performance of
high-speed ADCs, and explains how the dynamic parameters correlate with ADC performance. Part 1 of this two-
part discussion covers the definition of these specifications:
● Signal-to-noise ratio (SNR)
● Signal-to-noise and distortion ratio (SINAD)
● Effective number of bits (ENOB)
● Total harmonic distortion (THD)
● Spurious-free dynamic range (SFDR)
● Two-tone intermodulation distortion (TTIMD)
● Multi-tone intermodulation distortion (MTIMD)
● Voltage standing-wave ratio (VSWR)
In explaining how to measure these parameters, Part 2 provides insight into the practical aspects of dynamic
performance testing. Note that some specifications allow more than one approach for measurement and even for
definition. Thus, the test techniques of Part 2 represent one method and are not mandatory. Any of the methods
described can be extended or altered as necessary to suit the application at hand.
When testing high-speed A/D converters, one emulates the operation of a spectrum analyzer used to quantify
linearity in analog circuits. For this instrument and for the test procedure, dynamic specifications are usually
expressed in the frequency domain, using the Fast Fourier Transform (FFT). In both cases, the data output
represents the magnitude of this FFT. As an example (Figure 1), consider the FFT plot for an 80Msps, 10-bit
ADC designed and optimized for ultrasound imaging and the digitization of baseband/IF frequencies. Such FFT
plots contain impressive amounts of information and can be generated quickly. However, to make use of an FFT,
one must understand how its parameters are defined.