Tiny ADC pushes data-acquisition performance
A tiny 24-bit wideband analogue-to-digital converter (ADC), in a 3-mm-by-3-mm quad flat no-lead package, that delivers signal-measurement precision at wide bandwidths has been brought to market by Texas Instruments. The ADS127L11 joins TI’s portfolio of precision wideband ADCs and is said by the company to achieve ultra-precise data acquisition in a 50 per cent smaller package than competing ADCs, significantly optimising power consumption, resolution and measurement bandwidth for a wide range of industrial systems.
“There is a clear trend toward smaller solution size and lower power consumption in applications such as test and measurement equipment and portable medical devices, where improved battery life is imperative,” said Noman Akhtar, senior research analyst, Omdia. “There is an urgency to provide increased data throughput, higher bandwidth and lower power, all in a smaller footprint.”
Designers can use wideband mode to improve AC measurement resolution with 50 per cent wider bandwidth, data rates up to 400 kSPS, and a 30 per cent higher signal-to-noise ratio than competing data converters while minimising noise at high frequencies, says TI. In low-latency mode, the ADS12711 can deliver 25 per cent lower latency at up to 1,067 kSPS and 83.3 per cent lower offset drift – 50 nV/degrees C – to help designers improve DC measurement resolution, data throughput and response times in data acquisition and condition-monitoring applications. This new ADC increases system functionality by enabling designers to pack additional channels into a compact design.
The ADS127L11 consumes half the power of other ADCs, says TI, enabling designs such as portable electroencephalogram machines and power-quality analysers to better optimise power consumption against bandwidth requirements using the device’s power-scalable modes. Power consumption can be down to 3.3mW with sampling rates up to 50 kSPS, which helps improve signal resolution and battery life.
This converter comes in the 20-pin, 3mm x 3mm WQFN package or a 20-pin, 6.5mm by 4.4mm thin shrink small-outline package and is available to buy on the company’s website. Pricing starts at US$5.75 in 1,000-unit quantities. Evaluation modules are available for US$149.
