Building on the performance of its true-single-core high bandwidth family of ADCs with direct RF sampling, e2v has launched a demonstration kit for its 12 bit 1.5 GSps analogue to digital converter. This Demo Kit (DK) allows for faster ADC performance evaluation. It also significantly reduces the R&D costs, design time and design risks for GSPS-speed data acquisition systems.
The EV12AS200 enables further innovation in many applications, including high verticality oscilloscopes, spectrum analysers, high dynamic range point-to-point microwave data links, electronic warfare systems and data acquisition COTS boards.
e2v is able to provide a demonstration unit, using this advanced ADC, for system evaluation. The e2v DK board is a ‘plug & play’ data acquisition evaluation and development tool. The board includes a full clocking capability, multi-output voltage regulation and multi-option ADC input driver solutions, all optimally implemented for premium ADC performance.
The ADC’s digital interface is provided by a high performance FPGA, incorporated on the same PCB, which can also be programmed with user code to demonstrate proof of concept in prototype systems. Schematics, board layout and acquisition VHDL code are provided to reduce system design time and design risks. A PC based user interface and USB bus allow for quick changes in configuration while using the Demo Kit for ADC evaluation purposes.
The ADC itself (EV12AS200) features a full power input bandwidth of 2.3 GHz with a roll-off pattern optimised for operation in the L-Band area. It also features the lowest input voltage range in the 12 bit GSPS class with only 500 mVp-p without sacrificing performance in direct RF-Sampling.
EV12AS200 is also claimed to be the only 12 bit ADC operating at up to 1.5 GSps without the use of any form of internal interleaving. This is key for e2v’s EV12AS200 to achieve both a calibration-free stable dynamic performance versus temperature, and nominal dynamic performance that is available immediately at power-up following supply voltage stabilisation, without the need to wait for multi-second silicon warm-up and calibration.
Fine adjustment of input gain and offset, as well as clock skew, are possible using the PC user interface. These facilitate interleaving of multiple converters to achieve even higher sample rates. A separate SYNC input is provided which can be used to synchronize multiple boards and also demonstrate the trigger capability of the component.
“The Demo Kit enables systems designers to quickly evaluate the performance of the ADC and hardware engineers to rapidly integrate the ADC into their designs, saving months of effort.” said Nicolas Chantier, Product Marketer for e2v’s Broadband Data Conversion product line.