Serial Output ADC from Linear Technology

Serial data communications offers simplified layout, and requires less board area for routing, while providing the flexibility to route across analog and digital boundaries. In noise sensitive applications, the serial interface provides an effective isolation barrier between digital and analog circuitry and serves to eliminate coupling between digital outputs to reduce digital feedback.



The LTC2274 output data is serialized according to the JEDEC serial interface specification for data converters (JESD204) using 8b10b encoding, and is compatible with many FPGA high speed interfaces including Xilinx's Rocket IO, Altera's Stratix II GX I/O and Lattice's ECP2M I/O. At 2.1Gbps, the LTC2274 offers the fastest high speed serial interface of any ADC on the market today. Applications such as leading edge communications equipment, multi-channel systems, space-constrained designs, and instrumentation all benefit from the LTC2274's unique interface and feature set.



The LTC2274 offers several unique features to improve overall system design. For high-sensitivity receiver applications, the LTC2274 provides an internal transparent dither circuit that improves the ADC's SFDR response well beyond 100dBc for low level input signals. To avoid any interference from the serial digital outputs, an optional data scrambler is available to randomize the spectrum of the serial link. Serial test patterns are also incorporated to facilitate testing of the serial interface. While the LTC2274 may be operated at a maximum sampling rate of 105Msps, the internal PLL may be configured to lock at one of three different sample rate ranges. An on-chip clock duty cycle stabilizer circuit has been implemented to facilitate non-50% clock duty cycles. Separate shutdown pins for the analog and digital sections are provided to conserve power.



The LTC2274 maintains Linear's high performance advantages, offering excellent signal to noise ratio (SNR) performance of 77.5dB and spurious free dynamic range (SFDR) of 100dB at baseband. Ultra-low jitter of 80fs RMS enables undersampling of input frequencies up to 500MHz with excellent noise performance. The LTC2274 consumes 1.3W from a 3.3V analog supply.



The LTC2274's serial output allows it to fit in a 6mm x 6mm QFN-40 package, less than half the size of similar 16-bit ADCs with parallel outputs. In addition to the 16-bit, 105Msps LTC2274, pin-compatible 80Msps and 65Msps versions will be released soon. Production quantities of the LTC2274 are available in both commercial and industrial temperature grades.