Incidence of the resolution and the differential nonlinearity of a A/D converter on high dynamic signal measurement experimental characterization

Accurate measurement of highly dynamic signals is considered. A method for characterizing analog-to-digital converter (ADC) input noise and threshold is presented. Its application allows the theoretical effect of ADC nonlinearity and resolution errors to be identified. Two methods of improving ADC resolution and differential nonlinearity correction are proposed. With these methods, an 8-b ADC can measure highly dynamic signals with an accuracy as great as that of a 10-b ADC and the sampling rate limit is improved. The correction methods enable the resolution limit to be increased for repetitive high-frequency signals. The efficiency of these methods is only limited by the apparatus drift. >