Where and when to use which data converter: A broad shopping list of monolithic, hybrid, and discrete-component devices is available; the author helps select the most appropriate

With the commercial availability of data-converter products — the result of both hybrid (multichip) and monolithic (single-chip) technologies — users of analog-to-digital (A/D) and digital-to-analog (D/A) converters now have an impressive array of designs from which to choose. In addition, the older discrete-component designs still remain a viable choice for many high-performance applications, particularly those where broad operating characteristics and specialized features are important. Unfortunately, rather than helping the users to match the proper products to their needs, data-converter manufacturers confuse the issue by arguments over the relative merits of the different technologies. A closer look at the various types of data converters may help to clear up some of this confusion.