Comments on: An ADC and DAC Integral Non-Linearity (INL) http://masteringelectronicsdesign.com/an-adc-and-dac-integral-non-linearity-inl/ Electronics Design and Modeling with Emphasis on Analog Design Wed, 21 Jul 2010 05:50:16 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9 hourly 1 By: Adrian S. Nastase http://masteringelectronicsdesign.com/an-adc-and-dac-integral-non-linearity-inl/#comment-414 Adrian S. Nastase Thu, 17 Dec 2009 05:27:54 +0000 http://masteringelectronicsdesign.com/?p=450#comment-414 A DAC, like any other active component, has an offset and a gain error. With calibration, one will determine what digital values should the DAC receive to output the exact absolute voltage level the system needs. If the DAC is linear, a two point calibration would suffice to determine the exact linear transfer function. Once you know the transfer function, the system is calibrated. If the DAC is non-linear, in other words, the INL is high, a two point calibration is not enough. Depending on the DAC transfer function non-linearity, the calibration can be achieved with a few points and then interpolation, or with a look up table and interpolation. More about this in a future article. A DAC, like any other active component, has an offset and a gain error. With calibration, one will determine what digital values should the DAC receive to output the exact absolute voltage level the system needs. If the DAC is linear, a two point calibration would suffice to determine the exact linear transfer function. Once you know the transfer function, the system is calibrated.

If the DAC is non-linear, in other words, the INL is high, a two point calibration is not enough. Depending on the DAC transfer function non-linearity, the calibration can be achieved with a few points and then interpolation, or with a look up table and interpolation.

More about this in a future article.

]]> By: salty23 http://masteringelectronicsdesign.com/an-adc-and-dac-integral-non-linearity-inl/#comment-412 salty23 Wed, 16 Dec 2009 20:32:28 +0000 http://masteringelectronicsdesign.com/?p=450#comment-412 You briefly wrote about the dac calibration. How do you calibrate a DAC? You briefly wrote about the dac calibration. How do you calibrate a DAC?

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