Analog-to-Digital Converter (ADC)

Siyumie Wijesinghe
 Background Information
 What is ADC?
 Conversion Process
 Accuracy
 Examples of ADC applications
 Signal Types
Analog Signals
 Any continuous signal that a
time varying variable of the
signal is a representation of
some other time varying
quantity
 Measures one quantity in
terms of some other quantity t

 Examples
• Speedometer needle as
function of speed
• Radio volume as function of
knob movement
 Signal Types
Digital Signals
 Consist of only two states
 Binary States
 On and off 1

 Computers can only

perform processing on
0
digitized signals
 Analog-Digital Converter (ADC)
 An electronic integrated circuit which converts
a signal from analog (continuous) to digital
(discrete) form
 Provides a link between the analog world of
transducers and the digital world of signal
processing and data handling
 Analog-Digital Converter (ADC)
 An electronic integrated circuit which converts
a signal from analog (continuous) to digital
(discrete) form
 Provides a link between the analog world of
transducers and the digital world of signal
processing and data handling
 Analog-Digital Converter (ADC)
 An electronic integrated circuit which converts
a signal from analog (continuous) to digital
(discrete) form
 Provides a link between the analog world of
transducers and the digital world of signal
processing and data handling
 ADC Conversion Process
Two main steps of process
1. Sampling and Holding
2. Quantization and Encoding
Analog-to-Digital Converter

Quantizing
and
Encoding
Sampling and
Hold
t
Input: Analog Signal t
 ADC Process
Sampling & Hold

 Measuring analog signals at

uniform time intervals Continuous Signal
 Ideally twice as fast as what
we are sampling

 Digital system works with

discrete states
 Taking samples from each t
location

 Reflects sampled and hold

signal
 Digital approximation
 ADC Process
Sampling & Hold

 Measuring analog signals at

uniform time intervals
 Ideally twice as fast as what
we are sampling

 Digital system works with

discrete states
 Taking samples from each t
location

 Reflects sampled and hold

signal
 Digital approximation
 ADC Process
Sampling & Hold

 Measuring analog signals at

uniform time intervals
 Ideally twice as fast as what
we are sampling

 Digital system works with

discrete states
 Taking a sample from each t
location

 Reflects sampled and hold

signal
 Digital approximation
 ADC Process
Sampling & Hold

 Measuring analog signals at

uniform time intervals
 Ideally twice as fast as what
we are sampling

 Digital system works with

discrete states
 Taking samples from each t
location

 Reflects sampled and hold

signal
 Digital approximation
 ADC Process
Quantizing Encoding
 Separating the input signal  Assigning a unique digital
into a discrete states with K code to each state for input
increments. into the microprocessor
 K=2N
 N is the number of bits of the
ADC
 Analog quantization size
 Q=(Vmax - Vmin)/2N
 Q is the Resolution
 ADC Process
Quantization & Coding

 Use original analog

signal
 ADC Process
Quantization & Coding

 Use original analog

signal 11

 Apply 2 bit coding 10

01

00
K=22 00 01
10
11
 ADC Process
Quantization & Coding

 Use original analog

signal 11

 Apply 2 bit coding 10

01

00
K=22 00 01
10
11
 ADC Process
Quantization & Coding

 Use original analog

signal
 Apply 3 bit coding

K=23 000 001

010
011
100
101
110
111
 ADC Process
Quantization & Coding

 Use original analog

signal
 Apply 3 bit coding
 Better representation of
input information with
additional bits K=23 000 001
K=16 0000 K=… .
 MCS12 has max of 10 010 .
bits 011
100
.
1111
101
110
111
 ADC Process-Accuracy
The accuracy of an ADC can be improved by increasing:

t t
Sampling Rate, Ts Resolution, Q
 Based on number of steps  Improves accuracy in
required in the conversion measuring amplitude of
process
analog signal
 Increases the maximum
frequency that can be measured
 Limited by the signal-to-
noise ratio (~6dB)
 ADC Process-Accuracy
The accuracy of an ADC can be improved by increasing:

t t
Sampling Rate, Ts Resolution (bit depth), Q
 Based on number of steps
required in the conversion  Improves accuracy in
process measuring amplitude of
 Increases the maximum analog signal
frequency that can be measured
 ADC-Error Possibilities
 Aliasing (sampling)
 Occurs when the input signal is changing much faster than
the sample rate
 Should follow the Nyquist Rule when sampling
• Answers question of what sample rate is required
• Use a sampling frequency at least twice as high as the maximum
frequency in the signal to avoid aliasing
• fsample>2*fsignal
 Quantization Error (resolution)
 Optimize resolution
 Dependent on ADC converter of microcontoller
 ADC Applications
 ADC are used virtually everywhere where an
analog signal has to be processed, stored, or
transported in digital form
 Microphones
 Strain Gages
 Thermocouple
 Digital Multimeters
 Types of ADC

 Successive Approximation A/D Converter

 Flash A/D Converter
 Dual Slope A/D Converter
 Delta-Sigma A/D Converter
 Successive Approximation ADC
 Elements
• DAC = Digital to Analog Converter
• EOC = End of Conversion
• SAR = Successive Approximation Register
• S/H = Sample and Hold Circuit
• Vin = Input Voltage
• Comparator
• Vref = Reference Voltage
 Successive Approximation ADC
 Algorithm
• Uses an n-bit DAC and original analog results
• Performs a binary comparison of VDAC and Vin
• MSB is initialized at 1 for DAC
• If Vin < VDAC (VREF / 2^n=1) then MSB is reset to 0
• If Vin > VDAC (VREF / 2^n) Successive Bits set to 1 otherwise 0
• Algorithm is repeated up to LSB
• At end DAC in = ADC out
• N-bit conversion requires N comparison cycles
 Successive Approximation ADC - Example
DAC bit/voltage
 5-bit ADC, Vin=0.6V, Vref=1V
Bit 4 3 2 1 0
 Cycle 1 => MSB=1
Voltage .5 .25 .125 .0625 .03125
SAR = 1 0 0 0 0
VDAC = Vref/2^1 = .5 Vin > VDAC SAR unchanged = 1 0 0 0 0
 Cycle 2
SAR = 1 1 0 0 0
VDAC = .5 +.25 = .75 Vin < VDAC SAR bit3 reset to 0 = 1 0 0 0 0
 Cycle 3
SAR = 1 0 1 0 0
VDAC = .5 + .125 = .625 Vin < VDAC SAR bit2 reset to 0 = 1 0 0 0 0
 Cycle 4
SAR = 1 0 0 1 0
VDAC = .5+.0625=.5625 Vin > VDAC SAR unchanged = 1 0 0 1 0
 Cycle 5
SAR = 1 0 0 1 1
VDAC = .5+.0625+.03125= .59375
Vin > VDAC SAR unchanged = 1 0 0 1 1
 Flash ADC
 Also known as parallel ADC
 Elements
• Encoder – Converts output
of comparators to binary
• Comparators
 Flash ADC
  Algorithm

 Vin value lies between two comparators
 Resolution ;
 N= Encoder Output bits
 Comparators => 2N-1

 Example: Vref8V, Encoder 3-bit

• Resolution = 1.0V
• Comparators 23-1=7
 1 additional encoder bit -> 2 x # Comparators
 Flash ADC Example
Vin = 5.5V, Vref= 8V
0
Vin lies in between Vcomp5 & Vcomp6
0
Vcomp5 = Vref*5/8 = 5V
Vcomp6 = Vref*6/8 = 6V 1
1

Comparator 1 - 5 => output 1

1
Comparator 6 - 7 => output 0
1
Encoder Octal Input = sum(0011111) = 5 5.5V 1
Encoder Binary Output = 1 0 1
 Dual Slope A/D Converter
 Also known as an Integrating ADC

+
_

Control
Logic
Start Stop
Clock Counter
 Dual-Slope ADC – How It Works
 An unknown input voltage is applied to the input of the integrator and allowed to
ramp for a fixed time period (tu)
 Then, a known reference voltage of opposite polarity is applied to the integrator
and is allowed to ramp until the integrator output returns to zero (t d)
 The input voltage is computed as a function of the reference voltage, the constant
run-up time period, and the measured run-down time period
 The run-down time measurement is usually made in units of the converter's clock,
so longer integration times allow for higher resolutions
 The speed of the converter can be improved by sacrificing resolution

td
Vin  Vref
tu
 Delta-Sigma A/D Converter

Analog Delta-Sigma Low-Pass Digital

Input Modulator Filter Output
 Delta-Sigma ADC – How It Works
 Input over sampled, goes to integrator
 Integration compared with ground
 Iteration drives integration of error to zero
 Output is a stream of serial bits
 Comparison of ADC’s

Type Speed Cost Resolution

(relative) (relative) (bits)
Dual Slope Slow Med 12-16
Flash Very Fast High 4-12
Successive Medium – Low 8-16
Approx Fast

Sigma – Delta Slow Low 12-24