High-Accuracy Settling Time Measurements

Methods are described for measuring the settling times and other dynamic characteristics of voltage and current output D/A converters (DAC's), operational amplifiers, and precision voltage step generators. Circuits are described for measuring voltage-output device settling times as short as 1μs to within a settling error of ±2 ppm, and current-output device settling times as short as 40 ns to within a settling error of ±0.012 percent.