Which ADC Architecture Is Right for Your Application?

INTRODUCTION Selecting the proper ADC for a particular application appears to be a formidable task, considering the thousands of converters currently on the market. A direct approach is to go right to the selection guides and parametric search engines, such as those available on the Analog Devices website. Enter the sampling rate, resolution, power supply voltage, and other important properties, click the “find” button, and hope for the best. But it’s usually not enough. How does one deal with a multiplicity of apparent “best choices”? Is there a way to approach the task with greater understanding—and better results?