
REV. 0
AD9873
–31–
lower the ac load impedance. The value of this capacitance will
depend on the source resistance and the required signal band-
width. In systems that must use dc coupling, use an op amp to
comply with the input requirements of the AD9873.
Op Amp Selection Guide
Op amp selection for the AD9873 is highly application-dependent.
In general, the performance requirements of any given application
can be characterized by either time domain or frequency domain
constraints. In either case, one should carefully select an op amp
that preserves the performance of the ADC. This task becomes
challenging when one considers the AD9873
’
s high-performance
capabilities, coupled with other system-level requirements such
as power consumption and cost. The ability to select the optimal
op amp may be further complicated either by limited power sup-
ply availability and/or limited acceptable supplies for a desired
op amp. Newer high-performance op amps typically have input
and output range limitations in accordance with their lower supply
voltages. As a result, some op amps will be more appropriate in
systems where ac-coupling is allowed. When dc-coupling is
required, op amps
’
headroom constraints (such as rail-to-rail op
amps) or ones where larger supplies can be used, should be
considered. Analog Devices offers differential output operational
amplifiers like the AD8131 or AD8132. They can be used for
differential or single-ended-to-differential signal conditioning with
8-bit performance to directly drive ADC inputs. The AD8138
is a higher performance version of the AD8132. It provides
12-bit performance and allows different gain settings. Please
contact the factory or local sales office for updates on Analog
Devices
’
latest amplifier product offerings.
ADC Differential Inputs
The AD9873 uses 1 V p-p input span for the 8-bit ADC inputs
and 2 V p-p for the 10- and 12-bit ADCs. Since not all applica-
tions have a signal preconditioned for differential operation, there
is often a need to perform a single-ended-to-differential conver-
sion. In systems that do not need a dc input, an RF transformer
with a center tap is the best method to generate differential inputs
beyond 20 MHz for the AD9873. This provides all the benefits
of operating the ADC in the differential mode without con-
tributing additional noise or distortion. An RF transformer also
has the added benefit of providing electrical isolation between
the signal source and the ADC. An improvement in THD and
SFDR performance can be realized by operating the AD9873
in differential mode. The performance enhancement between
the differential and single-ended mode is most considerable as
the input frequency approaches and goes beyond the Nyquist
frequency (i.e., f
IN
> FS/2).
AINP
AINN
SINGLE-ENDED
ANALOG INPUT
R1
R1
R2
R2
AD9873
AD8131
Figure 21. Single-Ended-to-Differential Input Drive
The AD8131 provides a convenient method of converting a single-
ended signal to a differential signal. This is an ideal method for
generating a direct coupled signal to the AD9873. The AD8131
will accept a signal swinging below 0 V and shift it to an externally
provided common-mode voltage. The AD8131 configuration
is shown in Figure 21.
AINP
AINN
AD9873
R
R1
C
Figure 22. Transformer-Coupled Input
Figure 22 shows the schematic of a suggested transformer circuit.
Transformers with turns ratios (n
2
/n
1
) other than one may be
selected to optimize the performance of a given application. For
example, selecting a transformer with a higher impedance ratio
(e.g., Mini-Circuits T16
–
6T with an impedance ratio of (z
2
/z
1
)
= 16 = (n
2
/n
1
)
2
) effectively
“
steps up
”
the signal amplitude, thus
further reducing the driving requirements of the signal source. In
Figure 22, a resistor, R1, is added between the analog inputs
to match the source impedance R as in the formula R1 4 kV =
(z
2
/z
1
) R.
ADC Voltage References
The AD9873 has three independent internal references for its
8-bit, 10-bit, and 12-bit ADCs. Both 8-bit ADCs have a 1 V p-p
input and share one internal reference source. The 10-bit and
12-bit ADCs, however, are designed for 2 V p-p input voltages with
each of them having their own internal reference. Figure 15 shows
the proper connections of the reference pins REFT and REFB.
External references may be necessary for systems that require high
accuracy gain matching between ADCs or improvements in tem-
perature drift and noise characteristics. External references REFT
and RFB need to be centered at AVDD/2 with offset voltages
as specified:
REFT-8: AVDDIQ/2 + 0.25 V REFB-8: AVDDIQ/2
–
0.25 V
REFT-10, -12: AVDD/2 + 0.5V REFB-10, -12: AVDD/2
–
0.5V
A differential level of 0.5 V between the reference pins results in
a 1 V p-p ADC input level A
IN
. A differential level of 1 V between
the reference pins results in a 2 V p-p ADC input level A
IN
.
Internal reference sources can be powered down when exter-
nal references are used (Register Address 02h).
Video Input
For sampling video-type waveforms, such as NTSC and PAL
signals, the Video Input channel provides black level clamping.
Figure 23 shows the circuit configuration for using the video
channel input (Pin 100). An external blocking capacitor is used
with the on-chip video clamp circuit, to level-shift the input
signal to a desired reference level. The clamp circuit automati-
cally senses the most negative portion of the input signal, and
adjusts the voltage across the input capacitor. This forces the
black level of the input signal to be equal to the value programmed
into the clamp level register (register address 07h).
ADC
CLAMP
LEVEL
LPF
DAC
VIDEO INPUT
CLAMP LEVEL + FS/2
CLAMP LEVEL
12
BUFFER
0.1 F
2 A
OFFSET
AD9873
Figure 23. Video Clamp Circuit Input