Analog-to-digital conversion is an electronic

process in which a continuously variable signal is

changed, without altering its essential content,
into a multi-level signal.

Typically, an ADC is an electronic device that converts an

input analog voltage (or current) to a digital number.

An analog-to-digital converter (abbreviated

ADC, A/D or A to D) is an electronic integrated

circuit, which converts continuous signals to
discrete digital numbers.

The reverse operation is performed by a digital-to-analog

converter (DAC).

A device for converting information in the

form of combinations of

discrete (usually binary) states or a signal to

information in the form of the value or magnitude of

some characteristics of a signal,
in relation to a standard or reference.

Most often, it is a device which has electrical inputs

representing a parallel binary number, and an

output in the form of voltage or current.

Numbers in base two are called binary number. Consider

the binary number 10101.

This represents the value 1*24+0*23+1*22+0*21+1*20

The values of the binary number represents the decimal values or total
voltage of the circuit.

 The fundamental circuit of most D/A converters involves a

voltage or current reference; a resistive ladder network

that derives weighted currents or voltages, usually as
discrete fractions of the reference; and

A set of switches, operated by the digital input,

Determines which currents or voltages will be summed to

constitute the output.

 The binary number which is set by the switches is 1000 or

decimal number 8.

the binary ladder is tied to the +15 V supply through the resistors in

parallel.

The largest number that the four switches can express is 1111 or

decimal number 15.

In this case a 1 is +15 V, and a 0 is ground.

Therefore, if the binary number is set by the switch 1111 or

decimal number 15 for a circuit,

the binary ladder is tied to the +15 V supply through all the resistors

in parallel.
This produces a 15 V output voltage. If all the switches are switched
to the 0 position, the output is 0 V or ground,

 The voltage increments in the binary ladder can be computed by using

the following formula,

Vs
2N 1

where, Vs = voltage supply in volt, N=number of bits in the binary

number input
The output voltage of the binary ladder can be computed by the following
formula:

Vout

Vs
BN N

2 1

where, Vout=Output voltage of the binary in volt, and N=No.of bits,

BN=Binary number input.
What is the voltage increment V for an 8 bits binary ladder with 15 volts

as the supply volts.

What is the voltage increment V for an 8 bits 2R binary ladder with 15
volts as the supply volts.

 It is important to remember that the values of

resistors in the binary ladder are divided by 2 for each

binary power increase, that is
2 resistor is 8k,
0
21

resistor is 4k,
22 resistor is 2k, and
23 resistor is 1k.
If a fifth bit is added to the binary ladder, the resistor
value will be 500 and so on.
Therefore, it could be concluded that the larger the

binary number, the smaller the resistor.

Vout
Vout

RB

R A RB
2R

16

2
R

2
R

Vs

The output voltage of this circuit can also be calculated as

follows, Vs
Vout BN

N
2

 Digital comparator can be used to

make a fast analog-to-digital converter.

An analog-to-digital converter produces

a binary number which is in direct

proportion to an analog voltage input.
3bit analog-to-digital converter:
7 LM339 voltage comparators

Negative input of each comparator

is tied to a resistor voltage divider

which divides the 8-volt supply into
1-volt increments.

Each VC has a reference voltage of

1volt greater than the previous

comparator

Positive inputs to the VCs are tied

together so that the input voltage

will increase on all comparators at
the same time.

If input voltage increase to 2.5volt,

the output of the first two

comparators will be logic 1

NAND GATE
-------------------A B C
0 0 1
10 1
0 1 1
1 1 1

 Basic Operation Principle

When all VCs output are at logic 0, the output of their

corresponding NAND gates are 1.

If the analog input voltage rises to 1.5 volts, the first comparators
output goes to logic 1 which will fed to the two-input NAND
gates.
The other input to this NAND gate is from the inverter which
comes off the output of the second comparator.
The output of the second comparator will be 0 because the
analog voltage is 1.5v and is not yet enough to change the state
of the second comparator.
Therefore, the 0 is inverted to a 1 and fed to the input of the
NAND gate for the first comparator.
1 will be the input of the first NAND gate and 0 on its output which is

fed to the 2nd NAND gate.

Produce a logic 1 or binary number 1 on the output of the 2nd
NAND gate.
A binary number 1 or 2^0 or logic 1 means for the 1st output
NAND gate means that the analog input voltage lies between 1-2
volts.

 The successive approximation method is used to determine the correct

binary number by using 4-set of 7406 converter, an LM339 voltage

comparator and a 2R resistor network.
The output of the D-to-A converter is fed to the negative input of a
voltage comparator and the positive input comes from the analog
voltage.
The initial setting of this method is to set the most significant bit of
the D-to-A converter to a logic 1.
Test the output of the A-to-D converter against the input analog
voltage for to identify if the A-to-D output is larger or smaller.
If the voltage generated by the A-to-D converter is smaller
Set the most significant bite (MSB) at a logic 1
If it is larger, bring it LOW
Set the MSB at a logic 0