Designing with delta-sigma ADCs: system design considerations to optimize performance

Delta-sigma analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) are oversampling converters typically used in applications requiring higher resolution. However, ADCs do not work by themselves. In fact, they require several key components around them, including a front-end amplifier, a voltage reference, a clock source, power supplies, and a good layout. Many devices integrate these features together with the ADC to offer a complete system solution, which simplifies the design for customers and minimizes board space.The level of integration varies depending on the target application and market segment. For the system blocks which are integrated with the ADC, most of the design choices have been made for you. This is great for applications that place a premium on board space. However, some applications have very specific and specialized criteria, forcing customers to find a high-performance ADC that offers them the most flexibility.In this training series, you will how delta-sigma ADCs sample, how signals alias and understand which design parameters are most important in each facet of the ADC subsystem. You will also learn how to scale delta-sigma ADC performance to meet system budgets, how to debug system performance shortcomings and how to optimize the design of your delta-sigma ADC system.