Data Converters

Book excerpt: This book is the first graduate-level textbook presenting a comprehensive treatment of Data Converters. The advancement of digital electronics urged the availability of a still missing support for teaching and self-learning analog-digital interfaces at many levels: the specification, the conversion methods and architectures, the circuit design and the testing. This book, after the necessary study of the background theoretical elements, covers aspects and provide elements for a deep and comprehensive knowledge. The breath and the level of details of topics is enhanced by introductory material in each chapter and the use of many examples, most of them in the form of computer behavioral simulations. The examples and the end-of-chapter problems help in understanding and favor self-practice using tools that are effective for training and for design activity. Data Converters is a textbook that is also essential for engineering professionals as it was written for responding to a shortage of organically organized material on the topic. The book assumes a solid background in analog and digital circuits as well as a working knowledge of simulation tools for circuit and behavioral analysis. A background on statistical analysis is also helpful, though not strictly necessary. Coverage of all the basic elements essential for a clear understanding of sampling, quantization, noise in sampled-data systems and mathematical tools for sampled-data linear systems Comprehensive definition of the parameters used to specify data converters and necessary for understanding product data sheets Coverage of all the architectures used in Nyquist-rate data converters and detailed study of features, limits and design techniques Detailed study of oversampled and Sigma-Delta converters with simulation examples and use of spectra and histograms for a clear understanding of features and limit if the noise shaping Coverage of digital correction and calibration techniques for enhancing performances Use of theory and intuitive views to explain circuits and systems operation and limits Coverage of testing methods and description of the data processing used for testing and characterization Extensive use of Simulink and Matlab in examples and problem sets to assist reader comprehension and favor deeper study