Signal Conversion

On this page:

Application Notes
Evaluation Boards/Tools
Evaluation Kits
IBIS Models

Reference Design
Technical Articles

Conversion and translation of electronic signals from one format to another is a key function for getting disparate systems to communicate. The external environment is analog, so sensor input signals are converted to digital format for storage, manipulation, and transmission. They are then converted back to analog to drive heaters, motors, displays, antennas, and speakers. Some analog signals are more easily converted first in the analog domain prior to digitizing, such as RMS and energy measurement. For ease of transmission, digitizing can also be done to a proportional frequency with a V-F converter.

Signal_Conversions

Application Notes

AN-950 : Calibrating a Single-Phase Energy Meter Based on the ADE71xx/ADE75xx Family
AN-949 : Compensating the ADE71xx/ADE75xx Family RTC for Accurate Timekeeping
AN-935 : Designing an ADC Transformer-Coupled Front End
AN-932 : Power Supply Sequencing
AN-927 : Determining if a Spur is Related to the DDS/DAC or to Some Other Source (For Example, Switching Supplies)
AN-923 : Designing a System Using the ADAU1701/ADAU1702 in Self-Boot Mode
AN-922 : Digital Pulse-Shaping Filter Basics
AN-920 : Gain, LO, and Phase Compensation in a Single Sideband Transmitter Using the AD9788 TxDAC and ADL5372 Quadrature Modulator
AN-908 : Interfacing the HD44780-Based Character LCD to an ADuC702x

AN-908 Companion Code (zip, 45 kB)

AN-900 : Enhancing the Performance of Pedometers Using a Single Accelerometer
AN-880 : 0: ADC Requirements for Temperature Measurement Systems
AN-847 : Measuring a Grounded Impedance Profile Using the AD5933
AN-843 : Measuring a Loudspeaker Impedance Profile Using the AD5933 (Rev. A, 6/07)
AN-835 : Understanding High Speed ADC Testing and Evaluation
AN-826 : A 2.4 GHz WiMAX Direct Conversion Transmitter
AN-758 : Creating a Reactive Energy Pulse Output Based on the ADE7753
AN-756 : Sampled Systems and the Effects of Clock Phase Noise and Jitter
AN-750 : 0: ADE7758 Phase Dropout Detection for VAR Calculation
AN-742 : Frequency Domain Response of Switched-Capacitor ADCs
AN-741 : Little Known Characteristics of Phase Noise
AN-737 : How ADIsimADC Models an ADC
AN-715 : A First Approach to IBIS Models: What They Are and How They Are Generated
AN-713 : The Effect of Long-Term Drift on Voltage References
AN-687 : A Low Cost Tamper-Resistant Energy Meter Based on the ADE7761 with Missing Neutral Function
AN-679 : A Low Cost Watt-Hour Energy Meter Based on the ADE7757
AN-649 : Using the Analog Devices Active Filter Design Tool
AN-641 : A 3-Phase Power Meter Based on the ADE7752
AN-639 : Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) Analog Devices Energy (ADE) Products
AN-624 : Calibration of a 3-Phase Energy Meter Board on the ADE7754
The document describes how to implement the calibration of a polyphase meter based on the ADE7754 energy metering IC.

Software Download (zip, 12533 kB)
This program controls and reads data from the Analog Devices ADE7754 Polyphase energy metering IC to perform the calibration of a three-phase energy meter. It is designed for use with the EVAL-ADE7754EB (evaluation board). Use it in conjunction with Application note AN-624. (zip, 12,834,788 bytes)

AN-607 : 07: Selecting a Low Bandwidth (<15 kSPS) Sigma-Delta ADC
AN-604 : 04: Using the ADXL202 Duty Cycle Output
AN-596 : Using the ADXL202/ADXL210 with the Parallax BASIC Stamp Module® to Speed Algorithm Development
AN-578 : RMS Calculations for Energy Meter Applications Using the ADE7756
The document describes the implementation of an rms signal processing algorithm using the ADE7756 and a Microcontroller (PIC16C63) from Microchip.

Software Download (txt, 88 kB)
This program controls and reads data from The Analog Devices ADE7756 Single Phase, Bi-Directional Power/Energy IC to measure Active Energy, Voltage RMS and Current RMS. Use it in conjunction with Application note AN-578.

AN-574 : A Tamper-Resistant Watt-Hour Energy Meter Based on the AD7751
With a Current Transformer and a Low Resistant Shunt
AN-564 : A Power Meter Reference Design Based on the ADE7756
AN-563 : A Tamper-Resistant Watt-Hour Energy Meter
Based on the ADE7751 and Two Current Sensors

AD7751 Reference Board Design in Gerber Format (zip, 160 kB)
(zip, 164,269 bytes)

AN-559 : A Low Cost Watt-Hour Energy Meter Based on the AD7755 (Chinese Version -5/2000)
AN-559 : A Low Cost Watt-Hour Energy Meter Based on the ADE7755

Electromagnetic Emissions Test Report on Solid State Energy Meter (pdf, 1037 kB)
This report describes electromagnetic immunity testing performed on September 9, 1999 through September 10, 1999 on the Solid State Energy Meter. Testing was performed pursuant to IEC 1036:1996, a standard for alternating static watt-hour meters for active energy.
Electromagnetic Emissions Test Report on the AD7755 (pdf, 678 kB)
This document describes electromagnetic emissions testing performed on the Energy Meter (AD7755) on September 8, 1999, pursuant to EN55022 requirements. It may be used to demonstrate compliance with the European Union emissions requirements pursuant to the EMC directive
ADE7755 Reference Board Design (zip, 172 kB)
In Gerber Format
(zip, 176,278 bytes)

AN-501 : Aperture Uncertainty and ADC System Performance
A Key Concern in IF Sampling is that of Aperture Uncertainty (Jitter)
AN-417 : Fast Rail-to-Rail Operational Amplifiers Ease Design Constraints in Low Voltage High Speed Systems
Movement towards lower power supply voltages is driven by the demand that systems consume less and less power coupled with the desire to reduce the number of power supply voltages in the system. The following applications are discussed: Single-Ended and Differential Input ADC Input Circuits, Video Line Driver, Active Filter, HDSL Transceiver, and Transformer Drive Circuits.
AN-411 : Acceleration to Frequency Circuits
AN-410 : 0: Overcoming Converter Nonlinearities with Dither
AN-402 : 02: Replacing Output Clamping Op Amps with Input Clamping Amps
So far most clamping amplifiers have relied upon an output clamping architecture and are called output clamp amps (OCAs). A new architecture called an input clamp amp (ICA) offers superior clamping accuracy and lower distortion.
AN-359 : Settling Time of Operational Amplifiers
AN-358 : Noise and Operational Amplifier Circuits
AN-357 : Operational Integrators
AN-356 : User's Guide to Applying and Measuring Operational Amplifier Specifications
AN-348 : Avoiding Passive-Component Pitfalls
The Wrong Passive Component Can Derail Even the Best Op Amp or Data Converter. Here Are Some Basic Traps to Watch For.
AN-345 : Grounding for Low-and-High-Frequency Circuits
Know Your Ground and Signal Paths for Effective Designs. Current Flow Seeks Path of Least Impedance-Not Just Resistance....
AN-342 : Analog Signal-Handling for High Speed and Accuracy.
Signal handling techniques for optimizing DAC and ADC performance.
AN-302 : 02: Exploit Digital Advantages in an SSB Receiver
AN-3 : AB-3: Digital Nulling of Precision Op Amps
AN-297 : Test Video A/D Converters Under Dynamic Conditions
AN-282 : Fundamentals of Sampled Data Systems
AN-280 : 0: Mixed Signal Circuit Technologies
Considers problems which arise when reality (& Murphy) intervene in a design which otherwise seems satisfactory in terms of theory and modeling.
AN-256 : Accurately Testing Op Amp Settling Times
AN-253 : Find Op Amp Noise with Spreadsheet
AN-138 : SPICE-Compatible Op Amp Macro-Models
AN-117 : OP-42 Advanced SPICE Macro-Model
AN-113 : AB-113: Precision Ramp Generator
AN-112 : AB-112: Single Resistor Controls Wien Bridge Oscillator Frequency
Frequency control can be added to the conventional Wien Bridge Circuit by adding an op amp inverter.
AN-111 : AB-111: Single-Supply Wien Bridge Oscillator
Wien Bridge Oscillators require only one op amp, important in battery-operation. This circuit operates from a single 9V battery.
AN-109 : AB-109: High Speed Precision Rectifier
The low offsets and excellent load driving capability of the OP-27 are key advantages in this precision rectifier circuit.
AN-108 : 08: JFET-Input Amps are Unrivaled for Speed and Accuracy
AN-106 : 06: A Collection of Amp Applications
Examines Some of the Numerous and Widely Used Applications of the Operational Amplifier
AN-101 : 01: Cross Plot Generator Allows Quick A/D Converter Evaluation
AN-0972 : How the AD7329 Helps Reduce Costs
AN-0 : 0B: CMOS Multiplying DACs and Op Amps Combine to Build Programmable Gain Amplifiers, Part 2
AN-928: Understanding High Speed DAC Testing and Evaluation

Evaluation Boards/Tools

Evaluation Kits

AD9742 Evaluation Board (AD9742-EB)

IBIS Models

AD9288 IBIS Models

AD9288 (All Models, All Speed Grades)

AD7685 IBIS Models

AD7685 (All Models)

AD6645 IBIS Models

AD6645SQ (All Speed Grades)

AD9411 IBIS Models

AD9411BSV (All Speed Grades)

AD9248 IBIS Models

AD9430 IBIS Models

AD9430 (All Speed Grades)

AD9215 IBIS Models

AD9215BRU

AD9245 IBIS Models

AD9245 (Valid for BCP Packages and All Speed Grades)

AD9237 IBIS Models

AD9237BCPZ (Valid for All Speed Grades)

AD9283 IBIS Models

AD9283BRS (All Speed Grades)

AD9057 IBIS Models

AD9057BRS (Valid for All Speed Grades)

AD9480 IBIS Models

AD9480 (Valid for Both ASU and BSU Grades)

AD9229 IBIS Models

AD9229BST (All Speed Grades)

AD9444 IBIS Models

AD9444BSVZ

AD9445 IBIS Models

AD9445BSVZ (Valid for both the -105 and -125 speed grades, supporting both LVDS and CMOS output modes)

AD9235 IBIS Models

AD9235 (Valid for Both BRU and BCP Packages and All Speed Grades)

AD9214 IBIS Model

AD9214BRS (All Speed Grades)

AD9287 IBIS Models

AD9287BCP (All Speeds)

AD9244 IBIS Models

AD9244ST (All Speed Grades)

AD9410 IBIS Models

AD9410BSQ (All Speed Grades)

AD9054A IBIS Models

AD9054ABST (All Speed Grades)

AD9446 IBIS Models

AD9446BSVZ (Valid for both the -80 and -100 speed grades, supporting both LVDS and CMOS output modes)

AD9433 IBIS Models

AD9433BSQ (All Speed Grades)

AD9432 IBIS Model

AD9432BSQ (All Speed Grades)

AD9236 IBIS Models

AD9236 (Valid for Both BRU and BCP Packages and All Speed Grades)

AD9289 IBIS Models

AD9289BBC

AD9216 IBIS Models

AD9216BCPZ (Valid for All Speed Grades)

AD9238 IBIS Models

AD9238BST (All Speed Grades)

AD9218 IBIS Models

AD9218BST (All Speed Grades)

AD9481 IBIS Models

AD9481BSUZ

Reference Design

A Low Cost Watt-Hour Energy Meter Based on the ADE7757
(pdf, 1,794,697 bytes)

Technical Articles

Temperature-measurement Scheme Uses IR Sensor and Sigma-delta ADC
by Albert O'Grady and Mary McCarthy, Analog Devices, Inc. (EDN Design Idea, 4/3/2003)
Charge Your SAR-Converter Inputs
(EDN, 5/11/2006)
iCoupler™: Optokoppler abgehängt (German)
Exceeding 60-Year Life Expectancy from an Electronic Energy Meter
by Natasha Wan and Kevin Manning, Analog Devices, Inc.
(Paper presented at Metering Asia Pacific 2001 on February 20 - 22, 2001 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia)
Integrated Transformer-Coupled Isolation, by Ronn Kliger, (pdf, 544,768 bytes)
Copyright (c) 2003 IEEE. Reprinted from (IEEE Instrumentation & Measurement Magazine Volume: 6, Issue: 1, March 2003). This material is posted here with permission of the IEEE. Such permission of the IEEE does not in any way imply IEEE endorsement of any of Analog Devices's products or services Internal or personal use of this material is permitted.
Designing and Applying Remote Field Instruments
by Albert O' Grady and Jim Ryan, Analog Devices B.V.
...Good things can come in small packages because of on-chip capabilities
(Control Engineering, September 1998)
Optimizing Receiver Performance Through Error Vector Analysis
by Eric Newman, Analog Devices Inc. (Microwave Product Digest, October 2004)
Circuit Measures True-rms and Average Value
(EDN, Design Ideas, 9/26/2002)
Assessing Multicarrier Direct-Conversion Transmitters
By Eamon Nash, Analog Devices,Inc. (Microwaves and RF, Feb 2004)
Building a reliable capacitive-sensor interface
by Wayne Palmer, Analog Devices, Inc. (Planet Analog, 6/29/2006)
Measuring Reactive Power in Energy Meters
(Reprinted with permission from Metering International where it first appeared in Issue 1, 2002)
Theft Resistant Energy Meters
(Reprinted with permission of Metering International, where it first appeared in Issue 2 of 1999)
Analog Devices AD7725 16-Bit Delta-Sigma ADC
... Analog Devices' New 16-Bit Sigma Delta ADC Features On-Chip Programmable Post Processor -- Post processor runs 130 million multiply-accumulate operations per second to free up external processing requirements. (ChipCenter Product Review, Product of the Week)
Nuevos Desarrollos en Sensores de Corriente en Medidores de Estado Solido
... La bobina Rogowski se ha utilizado durante mucho tiempo para mediciones de corriente de alto nivel. Gracias a las numerosas ventajas de esta tecnología, éste podría llegar a ser el sensor preferido en la próxima generación de medidores eléctricos.
Solid State Solutions For Electricity Metrology
Significant changes are taking place in the electric energy industry worldwide. Deregulation of the utilities will produce a tougher competitive environment for the suppliers of electricity. Increased demand for electrical energy will require better management of distribution. Suppliers will need to identify ways of supplying a better level of service at a reduced cost. One way to do this is to install a solid state electricity meter.
How Solid Is Your Solid-State Energy Meter? Not All Ics Are Created Equal.
(Reprinted with permission from Metering International where it was first printed in Issue 4, 2000)
IC Technology and Failure Mechanisms - Understanding Reliability Standards Can Raise Quality of Meters
by Etienne Moulin, Analog Devices, Inc. (Reprinted with permission of India's Power Magazine, PowerLine, where it first appeared in the June 2004 issue)
iCoupler™: Remplacer un photocoupler rapide par un isolator logique micro-usiné (French)
Energy measurement ICs Simplify Meter Design
by Rachel Kaplan, Analog Devices, Inc. ... New ICs reduce design challenges of feature-rich, all-electronic energy meters. (Metering International, January 2003)
Current Sensing for Energy Metering
by William Koon, presented at IIC, China
Isolated Analog I/O Designs Benefit from New Family of iCoupler Devices
Demystifying Auto-Zero Amplifiers Part 2
by Eric Nolan and Reza Moghimi (Analog Dialogue, May 2000)
Design A Clock-Distribution Strategy With Confidence
by Demetrios Efstathiou (Electronic Design, April 27, 2006)
Techniques Simplify Wireless Transmission
... Approaches That Were Once Thought Too Costly To Implement Now Have New Life, Thanks To The Availability Of Integrated Devices. (Wireless Systems Design, January/February 2003)
Digital Energy Meters by the Millions
by Paul Daigle, Analog Devices, Inc.
(Reprinted with permission of Utility Automation, where it was first published in 4/2000)
Analog Feedback - Analog/Linear IC: Filling Important Roles
(Reprinted with permission from Power Electronics Technology where it first appeared in June, 2002)
green-techZONE Reviews the ADE7754
... With the addition of the ADE7754 to Analog Devices' Energy IC (ADE) family, meter manufacturers now have a single chip solution to meet the demands of the high-end three-phase, multi-function electricity metering market.
(green-techZONE, 11/11/2002)
Single Chip Realizes Direct-Conversion Rx
... Direct-conversion Rxs offer advantages in simplicity compared to conventional superheterodyne approaches, although attention must be paid to some of the trade-offs.
(Microwaves & RF, October 2002)
How do ADCs work?
... Analog-to-digital converter architectures offer assorted speeds and resolution in test equipment. (e-Insite, Test & Measurement World)
Capacitive Sensors Can Replace Mechanical Switches for Touch Control
by Wayne Palmer (Mobile Handset DesignLine, 5/1/2006)
Software Calibration Reduces D/A Converter Offset and Gain Errors
by Ken Kavanagh, Analog Devices, Inc. (Planet Analog, 5/18/2006)
Isolation with Waferscale Transformers
By R. Kliger, B. Chen and J. Wynne, Analog Devices, Inc. (Reprinted with permission of Power Electronics Europe, Issue 6, 2003)
Simplifying Direct-Conversion Tx Paths in Wireless Designs
(CommsDesign, 11/6/2002)
Trusting Integrated Circuits in Metering Applications
by Jared Jones, Analog Devices, Inc. (Published by and reprinted with permission of Metering International. The Chinese version of this article is published in the February 2003 Metering International, China Special Edition.)
Circuit Suggestions Using Features and Functionality of New Sigma-Delta ADCs

- Part 1 (pdf, 91 kB)
- Part 2 (pdf, 117 kB)

Tapping The Potential Of Electronic Energy Metering
by Rachel Kaplan, Analog Devices, Inc. ... Today's homes seem more modern than ever, with knobs and dials re-placed by buttons and digital displays. But outside, electricity meters use electromechanical Ferraris technology developed 100 years ago.
(The article originally appeared in Electronic Design's November 25, 2002 Analog & Power Vision Supplement)
Isolation in Medical Applications
by Rich Ghiorse and Steve Ranta, Analog Devices, Inc. (Power Electronics-Europe, 7/2005)
Single-Sideband Upconversion of Quadrature DDS Signals to the 800-to-2500MHz
Reactive Energy Measurement Made Simple
by Natasha Wan, Analog Devices, Inc. Analog Devices' new energy metering Ics now allow utility companies to obtain accurate energy usage measurements more easily than ever before. (Metering International, Issue 4 2003)