Fast and accurate ADC testing via an enhanced sine wave fitting algorithm

A new sine-wave fitting algorithm for A/D converters (ADC's) testing is presented and discussed. The key feature of the algorithm is the possibility of using test signals with amplitude greater than the full-scale range of the device under test. The new technique, combined with an improved evaluation of the conversion noise via weighted mean square error, gives very accurate and repeatable estimates of the number of effective bits, which cannot be obtained by traditional methodologies. The performance of the new method is proved by means of computer simulations and experimental results as well.