Engineering Resources

As discussed in Part 1 of our ADC Topology Series, Analog-to-Digital converters (ADCs) are used as an interface element between the analog and digital worlds to convert an analog input into a corresponding digital output.

Some examples of situations where ADCs are necessary include:

• When data from the analog domain, through sensors or transducers, should be digitally processed.
• When transmitting data between chips through long range wireless radio links in high speed wireline transceivers between chips either on the same printed circuit board (PCB) or in a multi-die module.
• When used in analog test equipment (ATE) testing.

There is a continuing trend in the industry toward achieving higher data throughput in both wired and wireless digital communication systems. This trend results in increasingly more demanding requirements from ADCs in terms of sampling rate and conversion accuracy. Meeting these specifications requires the use of different ADC topologies. One such topology is the Flash ADC.

[Read more…] about Analog-to-Digital Converter Topologies, Part 2: Flash ADCs

Analog-to-Digital converters (ADCs) are used as an interface element between the analog and digital worlds to convert an analog input into a corresponding digital output. ADCs are currently used in many application fields to improve digital systems, which can achieve superior performance compared to analog solutions.

[Read more…] about Analog-to-Digital Converter Topologies, Part 1: SAR ADCs

Application-Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs) are systems that are designed for specific applications and can be fully customized and optimized for specific tasks. Contrary to general-purpose integrated circuits such as microprocessors or random-access memories (RAM) in a computer, an ASIC is implemented for a particular application such as automotive, mobile, medical, home automation, industrial, IoT, and others. Complex versions of an ASIC that include multiple functions, such as microprocessors, peripheral functions, and interfaces, result in a System-on-a-Chip (SoC).

[Read more…] about A Brief Introduction to Analog Integration in ASICS and SoCs

There are two types of voltage regulators most often used to supply the different voltage rails on a system on a chip  (SoC): linear regulators, like low dropout (LDO) regulators, and switching regulators, like the DC-DC converter.

[Read more…] about Introduction to DC-DC Converters

A low dropout (LDO) voltage regulator is often used in complex SoC systems to provide a stable and highly accurate low-noise output voltage. To obtain acceptable transient response, power supply noise rejection (PSR), and stability of the LDO, LDO voltage regulators normally require an external capacitor. Traditional LDO voltage regulators use off-chip output capacitors in the range of a few microfarads. The external capacitor, however, has four major concerns that must be considered when selecting one for applications where they are required.

[Read more…] about 4 Practical Concerns When Using an External Capacitor with Your LDO

Vidatronic is a leader in analog Intellectual Property (IP) for integration into systems on a chip (SoCs), including integrated power management unit (PMU), CMOS radio-frequency (RF), and LED lighting solutions. Vidatronic was co-founded in 2010 by Moises Robinson, Ph.D. and Edgar Sanchez-Sinencio, Ph.D.

Get to know Vidatronic, Inc. through this message from our President and Co-Founder, Moises Robinson.

[Read more…] about VIDEO: A Message from Our Company Co-Founder & President

All high-performance applications require a specific, regulated, and stable power supply voltage. This cannot be guaranteed, however, by conventional battery technology and requires an intermediate voltage regulator circuit to generate the required supply. Voltage regulators not only provide supply regulation, they also maintain noise isolation between different blocks sharing the same supply. Regulating a power supply to meet the minimum requirement of a specific application extends the battery life, which is crucial in all portable applications.

[Read more…] about An Introduction to Evaluating DC-DC Converter Features and Parameters

Companies entering the market for Internet of Things (IoT) and Narrowband IoT (NB-IoT) applications will begin to see that in order to remain competitive, they must implement their SoC designs with the highest levels of integration.

[Read more…] about VIDEO: Introduction to Power Management for IoT SoC Design