What This Document Is
This document represents Lecture Fifteen from the Introduction to Microelectromechanical Systems (MEMS) course (ELENG 247A) at the University of California, Berkeley. It’s a focused exploration of data converters, specifically Digital-to-Analog Converters (DACs), and an initial introduction to Analog-to-Digital Converters (ADCs). This lecture delves into the practical considerations and design trade-offs inherent in building high-performance DACs, building upon previously established foundational knowledge of converter architectures.
Why This Document Matters
This lecture is crucial for students and engineers working with analog and mixed-signal systems. Understanding DAC design is essential for anyone involved in signal processing, sensor interfaces, control systems, and data acquisition. It’s particularly valuable when you need to translate digital signals into analog representations with precision and accuracy. This material will be beneficial during coursework, project work, and as a reference point for future engineering endeavors.
Topics Covered
* Practical implementation details of current-switched DACs.
* Segmented DAC architectures and their advantages.
* Dynamic non-idealities affecting DAC performance.
* Key design considerations for optimizing DAC circuits.
* Self-calibration techniques to improve DAC accuracy.
* An overview of current copiers and dynamic element matching.
* The role of reconstruction filters in DAC systems.
* Fundamental concepts related to Analog-to-Digital Conversion.
What This Document Provides
* A detailed examination of the relationship between DAC architecture and performance characteristics.
* Insights into the impact of component matching on DAC linearity.
* Discussions on key performance metrics like Integral Non-Linearity (INL) and Differential Non-Linearity (DNL).
* Comparative analysis of unit-element and binary-weighted DAC approaches.
* A look at how different architectural choices affect the number of switched elements and overall complexity.
* A summary of the trade-offs between various DAC designs.
