Dr. N.G.P.

Institute of Technology - Coimbatore-48

(An Autonomous Institution)

Analog and Digital Integrated Circuits

Unit- II – Analog to Digital Converter

S.DIVYA
Assistant Professor
BioMedical Engineering
 Analog Switches

• An Analog switch is a switching device capable of switching or

routing analog signals
• Signals that can have any level within a specified legal range
based on the level of a digital control signal
 Types of Analog Switches
• Series switch
• Shunt Switch

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 High Speed Sample and Hold Circuits
• Sample-and-hold (S/H) is an
important analog building block
with many applications, including
analog-to-digital converters (ADCs)
and switched-capacitor filters.
• The function of the S/H circuit is to
sample an analog input signal and
hold this value over a certain
length of time for subsequent
processing.

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 Cond..
• When ck is high, the MOS switch
is on, which in turn allows Vout
to track Vin.

• When ck is low, the MOS switch

is off, Vout equal to the value of
Vin

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 Analog Signal
• Any continuous signal that a
time varying variable of the
signal is a representation of
some other time varying
quantity

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 Digital Signal
• A digital signal is a function in
which the time and amplitude
are quantized
• A digital signal is always
represented by sequence of
words, where each word can
contain a finite number of bits.
(binary digits)

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 Need for Data Converters
• The data converters convert one form of data to another form.
• Real world processes produce analog signals which carry information
pertaining to process variables such as voltage, current, charge,
temperature and pressure.
• It is difficult to
store
manipulate
compare
calculate
retrieve such data with good accuracy using analog technology.
 Contd..
• Computers can perform these operation quickly and efficiently using digital
techniques.
• Therefore it is necessary to convert analog signals into equivalent digital
data.
• Thus the converting of analog signal to digital data emerged.
• The computers need to communicate with people and physical processes
through the use of analog signals, which emerged the process of digital to
analog conversion.

A/D converter (ADC) Data Converters

D/A converter (DAC)
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Data Converter

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 A/D and D/A Functional Block

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 ADC
Analog to Digital Conversion is the process by which analog signals are
converted to their digitized forms.
• ADC occurs via three steps:
Sampling.
Quantization.
Encoding.

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 Sampling
• The analog signal is sampled at regular intervals of time.

• The sampling rate must be at least twice the highest frequency of the
signal ( Nyquist Criterion).

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 Quantization
• Quantization is defined as the process of converting the continuous sample
amplitude into a discrete amplitude. Thus by then, the signal will be discrete
in both; time and amplitude.

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 Quantization Error
• The difference between the actual analog value and quantized digital
value.

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 Encoding
• Encoding is the process which assigns ones and zeros (stream of bits)
for every quantization level.

• The number of bits assigned for each level (n) depends on the levels’
number (L) ; such that L= 2^n.

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 Types of ADC
1. Counter type -It uses N bit counter .
2. Successive Approximation- Successive approximation has shorter
conversion time of the order of µsec
3. Dual Slope- Dual slope integrator has good noise immunity
4. Flash Type - Flash converter or parallel A/D converter is fastest of all
but requires a complex hardware

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 Counter type ADC
• Counter type ADC is the basic type of ADC
• It is also called as digital ramp type ADC or stair case approximation
ADC.
• Basic components :
N bit counter,
DAC
Op-amp comparator

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 Block Diagram of Counter type ADC

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 Operation of counter type ADC
• N bit counter generates N bit binary number , which is applied as an
input to the DAC.
• DAC output is compared with the input analog voltage using an Opamp
comparator.
• Opamp compares the two voltages and if the generated DAC voltage is
less, it generates a high pulse to the counter to increment the counter
value
• If the DAC output voltage is equal to the input analog voltage, then it
generates low clock pulse to clear the counter value.
• Also load signal is given to storage register to load the results
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 Pros and Cons
Pros Cons
• Simple to understand • Speed is less
• Less cost

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 Successive Approximation type ADC
• The major draw of digital ramp ADC is the counter.
• The counter has to be reset for every new analog samples. So delay
will be more.
• Successive approximation ADC is the advanced version of Digital ramp
type ADC
• It is designed to reduce the conversion time and to increase speed of
counter type ADC.
• In successive approximation ADC the normal counter is replaced with
successive approximation register

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 Block Diagram of SAC

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 OPERATION OF SAR
• The output of SAR is converted to analog by the DAC and this analog output is
compared with the input analog sampled value in the Opamp comparator.
• This Opamp provides an high or low clock pulse based on the difference through the
logic circuit.
• Consider 3 bit SAR enables its MSB bit as high i.e. ‘1’ and the result will be “100”.
• This digital output is converted to analog value and compared with input sampled
voltage (Vin).
• If the difference is positive i.e. if the sampled input is high then the SAR enables the
next bit from MSB and result will be “110”.
• If the output is negative i.e. if the input will definitely approximately equal to the input
analog value sampled voltage is less than the SAR resets the last set bit and sets the
next bit and resultant bits will be “101”
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 Flow chart

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 Pros and Cons
Pros Cons
• It has high accuracy • Design complexity
• low power consumption • Cost of production
• easy to use
• low latency time. 

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 Dual Slope ADC
• In dual slope type ADC, the integrator generates two different ramps,
one with the known analog input voltage VA and another with a
known reference voltage –Vref. Hence it is called a s dual slope A to D
converter.

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 Pros and Cons
Pros Cons
• The conversion result is • Slow
insensitive to errors in the • Accuracy is dependent on the use
component values. of precision external components
• Fewer adverse effects from • Costly
“noise”
• High Accuracy

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 Flash (parallel) converter
• Since Flash ADCs (FADCs) is simple-structured, they are fast.
• A string of resistors between two voltage references supplies a set of
uniformly spaced voltages that span the input range, one for each
comparator.
• The input voltage is compared with all of these voltages simultaneously.
• Comparator outputs = 1 for all voltages below the input voltage
• Comparator outputs = 0 for all the voltages above the input voltage
• The resulting collection of digital outputs is called a “thermometer
code”.

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 Flash ADC

A flash converter has 2 n-1 comparators operating in parallel.

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 Pros and Cons
Pros Cons
• It is the fastest type of ADC • It is not suitable for higher
because the conversion is number of bits.
performed simultaneously
through a set of comparators
• Typical conversion time is 100ns or
less.
• The construction is simple and
easier to design

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 A/D Converter Specification
• Resolution
• Accuracy
• Quantization Error
• Analog Error
• Linearity Error

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 Resolution
The resolution refers to the finest minimum change in the signal which is
accepted for conversion, and it is decided with respect to the number of
bits.
It is defined as resolution = 1/2 n, where n is the number of digital word
bits.
The ratio of the full-scale input voltage VFS to the resolution gives the
minimum change of input voltage which can cause a change of 1LSB at
the output.
vi for 1LSB=VFS/ 2 n

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 For Example
• If an 8 bit word is used and maximum analog signal amplitude of 1V is
used, then
resolution= 1V =3.9mV
28

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 Formative Assessment 1
Q1
In a flash analog to digital converter, the output of each comparator is
connected to an input of a
1.Decoder
2.Priority Encoder
3.Multiplexer
4.Demultiplexer

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 Q2
Which is not an ADC converter error
1. Differential non linearity
2. Missing Code
3. Incorrect Error
4. Offset

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 READING & DISCUSSION

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 SUMMARY
Data Conversion
• Need for Conversion
• ADC
• DAC
• Types of ADC
• Flash ADC
• Dual Slope ADC
• SAR ADC
• Pros and Cons of ADC
• Application of ADC

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