Date: 07/12/2009

Low power, high speed 14-bit ADCs from TI for defense and wireless apps

Texas Instruments has introduced the ADS4149, a new high-speed 14-bit analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) with sampling rates up to 250 MSPS that delivers low power consumption and dynamic performance on wide signal bandwidths from DC up to 550 MHz. The ADS4149 ADCs are suitable for defense, test and measurement, and wireless communications applications.

TI claims, at the maximum sample rate of 250 mega samples per second (MSPS), the 14-bit ADS4149 consumes 30 percent less power, while delivering 3-dB greater signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) than the nearest low-power ADC.

The key features and benefits of the ADS4149 ADCs are,

Consumes 275 mW per channel at 250 MSPS, while offering 72.5-dB SNR at 100-MHz input frequency
Optional buffered analog input provides constant input impedance across time and frequency and eliminates sample-and-hold kickback, simplifying input matching for passive and active analog front ends, while reducing pass band ripple.
A 1- to 6-dB programmable gain option gives customers flexibility to trade off between SNR and spurious free dynamic range (SFDR) with lowered input voltage swing.
Migration path from the ADS6149 to shift to lower power options.
Wide-input performance bandwidth

"Designers of wide-bandwidth applications are challenged to deliver smaller, more portable systems with increased efficiency, while still meeting the highest performance specifications," said Art George, senior vice president of TI's High-Performance Analog business unit. "This new class of ADCs sets low power benchmarks and allows designers to create denser and more compact systems that extend battery life in radios and test equipment."

TI's TSW1200 digital capture tool facilitates rapid analysis of the ADS4149 evaluation module (EVM). Available high-speed mezzanine connector (HSMC) and FPGA mezzanine connector (FMC) allow ADS4149 EVMs to mate to FPGA EVMs for system-level prototyping to speed development time.

Operating temperature range: -40°C to +85°C

For more details visit www.ti.com