Unambiguous characterization and specification of D/A converter performance

Existing parameters used to characterize the performance of D/A converters are often not rigorously defined or are based upon ambiguous nested definitions. This makes it difficult for the user to determine how a particular D/A will really perform in a specific application and leaves some room for uncertainty when testing D/As. Key performance parameters that affect the static and low frequency performance of Nyquist rate converters are unambiguously defined in this paper. Emphasis is on definitions that realistically predict how a D/A will perform and that make parameter measurements in the laboratory practical.