IEEE 1241

Abstract

The material presented in this standard is intended to provide common terminology and test methods for the testing and evaluation of analog-to-digital converters (ADCs). This standard considers only those ADCs whose output values have discrete values at discrete times, i.e., they are quantized and sampled. In general, this quantization is assumed to be nominally uniform (the input-output transfer curve is approximately a straight line) as discussed further in 1.3, and the sampling is assumed to be at a nominally uniform rate. Some but not all of the test methods in this standard can be used for ADCs that are designed for nonuniform quantization. <br><strong>Purpose</strong> <br>This standard identifies ADC error sources and provides test methods with which to perform the required error measurements. The information in this standard is useful both to manufacturers and to users of ADCs in that it provides a basis for evaluating and comparing existing devices, as well as providing a template for writing specifications for the procurement of new ones. In some applications, the information provided by the tests described in this standard can be used to correct ADC errors, e.g., correction for gain and offset errors. The reader should note that this standard has many similarities to IEEE Std 1057. Many of the tests and terms are nearly the same, since ADCs are a necessary part of digitizing waveform recorders.