AD8138
HIGH PERFORMANCE ADC DRIVING
The circuit in Figure 46 shows a simplified front-end
connection for an AD8138 driving an AD9224, a 12-bit,
40 MSPS ADC. The ADC works best when driven differentially,
which minimizes its distortion. The AD8138 eliminates the
need for a transformer to drive the ADC and performs single-
ended-to-differential conversion, common-mode level-shifting,
and buffering of the driving signal.
The signal generator has a ground-referenced, bipolar output,
that is, it drives symmetrically above and below ground.
Connecting VOCM to the CML pin of the AD9224 sets the output
common-mode of the AD8138 at 2.5 V, which is the midsupply
level for the AD9224. This voltage is bypassed by a 0.1 μF
capacitor.
The full-scale analog input range of the AD9224 is set to
4 V p-p, by shorting the SENSE terminal to AVSS. This has
been determined to be the scaling to provide minimum
harmonic distortion.
The positive and negative outputs of the AD8138 are connected
to the respective differential inputs of the AD9224 via a pair of
49.9 Ω resistors to minimize the effects of the switched-capacitor
front end of the AD9224. For best distortion performance, it
runs from supplies of 5 V.
For the AD8138 to swing at 4 V p-p, each output swings 2 V p-p
while providing signals that are 180° out of phase. With a
common-mode voltage at the output of 2.5 V, each AD8138
output swings between 1.5 V and 3.5 V.
The AD8138 is configured with unity gain for a single-ended,
input-to-differential output. The additional 23 Ω, 523 Ω total, at
the input to −IN is to balance the parallel impedance of the
50 Ω source and its 50 Ω termination that drives the
noninverting input.
A ground-referenced 4 V p-p, 5 MHz signal at DIN+ was used to
test the circuit in Figure 46. When the combined-device circuit
was run with a sampling rate of 20 MSPS, the spurious-free
dynamic range (SFDR) was measured at −85 dBc.
+5V
+5V
0.1pF
0.1pF
499Ω
15 26
28
3
49.9Ω
49.9Ω
499Ω
AVDD DRVDD
AD9224
5
8
2
+
24
23
VINB
DIGITAL
OUTPUTS
V
OCM
50Ω
SOURCE
49.9Ω
AD8138
523Ω
1
4
VINA
AVSS SENSE CML DRVSS
16 25
6
17
22
27
0.1pF
499Ω
–5V
Figure 46. AD8138 Driving an AD9224, a 12-Bit, 40 MSPS ADC
Rev. F | Page 21 of 24
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