ADC's Conversion Chains Tag-Team To Boost Throughput

Rather than waste months of engineering time on tricky applications with low to moderate production volumes—like digital X-ray equipment, digital telescopes, military imaging, and sonar and radar—try an off-the shelf analog-to-digital converter (ADC). Datel's ADSD-1410 dual, 14-bit, 10-MHz, sampling ADC features buffered outputs as well as two 30-MHz sample-and-hold amplifiers and two independently clocked, 14-bit, 10-Msample/s ADCs.

An ASIC provides timing and control logic so each converter can operate from a single, edge-triggered, start-convert pulse. This lets the two ADCs run independently at 10 MHz each, with alternating blocks of data continuously being clocked from the three-state output buffer at 20 MHz. Noise levels are 150 mV_RMS, resulting in a 78-dB signal-to-noise ratio. Total harmonic distortion is ­80 dB. The module operates from ±5- and +15-V rails and consumes 1.7 W.

In lots of 500, pricing is $482 for the commercial temperature range and $732 for the military temperature range. The 1410 comes in a ceramic, 28-pin double DIP.