TI intros lowest power 250-MSPS 14-bit ADC

DALLAS, USA: Texas Instruments Inc. (TI) today introduced the first in a new class of high-speed analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) delivering ultra-low power consumption and excellent dynamic performance across wide signal bandwidths from DC up to 550 MHz.

At the maximum sample rate of 250 mega samples per second (MSPS), the 14-bit ADS4149 consumes 30 percent less power, while delivering 3-dB greater signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) than the nearest low-power ADC. This combination of power and performance enables greater efficiency and density while enhancing range and sensitivity in defense, test and measurement, and communications applications.

"Designers of wide-bandwidth applications are challenged to deliver smaller, more portable systems with increased efficiency, while still meeting the highest performance specifications," said Art George, senior vice president of TI's High-Performance Analog business unit.

"This new class of ADCs sets low power benchmarks and allows designers to create denser and more compact systems that extend battery life in radios and test equipment."

Key features and benefits of ADS4149
* ADS4149 consumes as little as 275 mW per channel at 250 MSPS, while offering 72.5-dB SNR at 100-MHz input frequency. Dynamic power scaling reduces power consumption to 215 mW at 160 MSPS.
* Optional buffered analog input provides constant input impedance across time and frequency and eliminates sample-and-hold kickback, simplifying input matching for passive and active analog front ends, while reducing pass band ripple.
* A 1- to 6-dB programmable gain option gives customers flexibility to trade off between SNR and spurious free dynamic range (SFDR) with lowered input voltage swing.
* ADS4149 family includes pin-compatible 12- and 14-bit options at 160 and 250 MSPS and buffered devices to enable customers to easily move to lower resolutions and samples rates without altering their core design.
* Migration path from the ADS6149 allows customers to shift to lower power options.
* TI's TSW1200 digital capture tool facilitates rapid analysis of the ADS4149 evaluation module (EVM). Available high-speed mezzanine connector (HSMC) and FPGA mezzanine connector (FMC) allow ADS4149 EVMs to mate to FPGA EVMs for system-level prototyping to speed development time.

Customers can further speed time-to-market with a complete signal chain for software defined radio and test equipment: dual, 16-bit, 1-GSPS digital-to-analog converter (DAC) (DAC5682Z); wideband, fully differential amplifier (THS4509); programmable digital up and down converter (GC5016); digital pre-distortion solution with crest factor reduction (GC5325); direct quadrature modulator (TRF3703); frequency synthesizer (TRF3761); low-jitter clock generator and synchronizer (CDCE62005, CDCE72010); and high-performance digital signal processors (DSP) (TMS320C6472).

The ADS4149 and companion single configuration parts are available today in a 48-pin QFN package. The ADS4149 is priced at $89 in 1,000-unit quantities. Multi-channel options will be available in 1H2010.