ANALOG TO DIGITAL CONVERTER

In A/D converter the analog signal is converted into equivalent digital signal. When it is necessary to process the physical phenomenon, to store or to display, the data should be in the digital form only. So it is first to convert the analog into digital form. So A/D converts are used in digital processing equipment, computer, communication, instrumentation and process control, etc.

BLOCK DIAGRAM OF A/D CONVERTER

In this the input is the Analog signal. Clock pulses are also given to the input. Output is in the digital form. Number of output bits are according to the type of converter.

TYPES OF A/D CONVERTERS

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.
Parallel comparator A/D converter.
Successive approximation A/D converter. Counter or Staircase type A/D Converter.

A/D Converter using voltage to time conversion.

Dual slope integrating A/D Converter. Voltage to Frequency A/D Converter. Continuous null balance A/D Converter.

PARALLEL COMPARATOER A/D CONVERTER

In this comparator, latch and decoded are used.
Number of comparators depend upon the required numbers bits of the digital output. 8 resistors are used in this circuit. Value of the top most and bottom most resistor is R/2 , while value of middle resistor are R . V V = + 6 + /2 7 2 The voltage drop across the bottom most resistor will be . V R 1 = 7 2 14 Inverting input of second comparator is
V ( 7

R ) 2

3 14

ADVANTEGES.
1. Method is simple. 2.Method is quick.

DISADVANTEGES.
1. 2. Decoder circuit also becomes complicates when the
number of bits increases.
Number of comparators increase rapidly with increase in number of bits.

SUCCESSIVE APPROXIMATION A/D CONVERTER

In this type of A/D converter, voltage comparator, logic programmer, clock, D/A converter are used. Output of D/A converter is given to the inverting input of the comparator.

Output bit of logic programmer is set or reset bt the comparator output.

Output of logic programmer is in the binary form.

It is converted into analog form with the help of D/A converter.

This analog signal is given to the inverting input of the voltage comparator.

Suppose the analog voltage Va is given to the comparator.

Programmer sets the MSB to 1 and other bits to 0.

This is converted into analog signal Vi by D/A converter. Comparator compares this signal with analog input signal Va. If Va Vi , then the output voltage Vo of the comparator becomes high and vice versa. N Clock pulses are needed for N bit converter and is lower than parallel comparator type A/D converter.

COUNTER OR STAIRCASE TYPE A/D CONVERTER

In this type of A/D converter voltage comparator, counter, AND gate, clock, register and decoder and display are used.

Output of the comparator is one input of the AND gate. To other input of the AND gate clock pulses are applied. When the output of comparator is HIGH, AND gate is enabled and clock pulses are available at the output of the AND gate. This clock pulses are given to the counter. When the output of comparator is LOW, AND gate is disabled and clock pulses are not available at the output of the AND gate counting stops.

The analog voltage Va to be converted is give to non inverting input of the comparator. Reset pulse is given to the counter and counter resets.

Output Vo is HIGH because Vi is 0.

So the AND gate is enabled and clock pulses are applied to the counter. Counter starts counting. This process continuous until value of Vi becomes equal to Va. As soon as the value of Vi becomes more than Va output of the comparator becomes LOW, the AND gate is disabled and counting stops. This method is simple and less costly but it is slow.

A/D CONVERTER USING VOLTAGE TO TIME CONVERSION

In this type of A/D converter, the analog voltage to be converted in to digital is converted into pulse width. This pulse width is proportional to the magnitude of the analog voltage. Frequency of the source is kept according to the numbers of bits for which the converter is designed . In this a ramp generator, comparator, clock, AND gate & N-bit counter are used. The analog voltage to be converted in to digital is given to the non inverting input of the comparator.

Ramp voltage is generated by the ramp generator.

Output of the comparator is given to the AND gate.

Clock pulses are given to the other input of the AND gate.
Output of AND gate is given to N-bit binary counter. The time when the ramp voltage begins output Vc of the comparator becomes HIGH. So the AND gate is enabled.

When the value Vo of the ramp voltage becomes equal to the analog voltage Va output of the comparator becomes LOW.

So the AND gate is disabled and pulses reaching to the counter stop.
If the value of the analog voltage Va is less, pulse width becomes less and when its value is more, pulse width is more. And accordingly the digital output becomes less or more.

ADVANTEGES.
1. This Method is very simple. 2. It can be realised by using less number of components. 3. Waveform of the pulse width can be transmited through
long line.

1. Accuracy is less. 2. Conversion process is slow. 3. There is error due to noise.

DISADVANTEGES.