Table 15. Design Parameters

9.2.2.1 Analog Input

The analog input pins have analog buffers (running from the AVDD3V supply) that internally drive the differential sampling circuit. As a result of the analog buffer, the input pins present high input impedance to the external driving source (10-kΩ dc resistance and 4-pF input capacitance). The buffer helps isolate the external driving source from the switching currents of the sampling circuit. This buffering makes driving the buffered inputs easier than when compared to an ADC without the buffer.

The input common-mode is set internally using a 5-kΩ resistor from each input pin to VCM so the input signal can be ac-coupled to the pins. Each input pin (INP, INM) must swing symmetrically between (VCM + 0.5 V) and (VCM – 0.5 V), resulting in a 2-V _PP differential input swing. When programmed for a 2.5-V _PP full-scale, each input pin must swing symmetrically between (VCM + 0.625 V) and (VCM – 0.625 V).

The input sampling circuit has a high 3-dB bandwidth that extends up to 900 MHz (measured with a 50-Ω source driving a 50-Ω termination between INP and INM). The dynamic offset of the first-stage sub-ADC limits the maximum analog input frequency to approximately 250 MHz (with a 2.5-V_PP full-scale amplitude) and to approximately 400 MHz (with a 2-V_PP full-scale amplitude). This 3-dB bandwidth is different than the analog bandwidth of 900 MHz, which is only an indicator of signal amplitude versus frequency.

9.2.2.1.1 Drive Circuit Requirements

For optimum performance, the analog inputs must be driven differentially. This technique improves the common-mode noise immunity and even-order harmonic rejection. A small resistor (5 Ω to 10 Ω) in series with each input pin is recommended to damp out ringing caused by package parasitics.

Figure 76, Figure 77, and Figure 78 show the differential impedance (Z_IN = R_IN || C_IN) at the ADC input pins. The presence of the analog input buffer results in an almost constant input capacitance up to 1 GHz.

1. X = A or B.

2. Z_IN = R_IN || (1 / jωC_IN).

Figure 76. ADC Equivalent Input Impedance

Figure 77. ADC Analog Input Resistance (R_IN) Across Frequency

Figure 78. ADC Analog Input Capacitance (C_IN) Across Frequency

9.2.2.1.2 Driving Circuit

An example driving circuit configuration is shown in Figure 79. To optimize even-harmonic performance at high input frequencies (greater than the first Nyquist), the use of back-to-back transformers is recommended, as shown in Figure 79. Note that the drive circuit is terminated by 50 Ω near the ADC side. The ac-coupling capacitors allow the analog inputs to self-bias around the required common-mode voltage. An additional R-C-R (39 Ω – 6.8 pF – 39 Ω) circuit placed near the device pins helps further improve HD3.

Figure 79. Drive Circuit for Input Frequencies up to 250 MHz

The mismatch in the transformer parasitic capacitance (between the windings) results in degraded even-order harmonic performance. Connecting two identical RF transformers back-to-back helps minimize this mismatch and good performance is obtained for high-frequency input signals. An additional termination resistor pair may be required between the two transformers, as shown in Figure 79. The center point of this termination is connected to ground to improve the balance between the P (positive) and M (negative) sides. The values of the terminations between the transformers and on the secondary side must be chosen to obtain an effective 50 Ω (for a 50-Ω source impedance). For high input frequencies (> 250 MHz), the R-C-R circuit can be removed, as indicated in Figure 80.

Figure 80. Drive Circuit for Input Frequencies > 250 MHz

9.2.2.2 Clock Input

The device clock inputs can be driven differentially (sine, LVPECL, or LVDS) or single-ended (LVCMOS), with little or no difference in performance between them. The common-mode voltage of the clock inputs is set to 1.4 V using internal 5-kΩ resistors. The self-bias clock inputs of the device can be driven by the transformer-coupled, sine-wave clock source or by the ac-coupled, LVPECL and LVDS clock sources, as shown in Figure 81, Figure 82, and Figure 83. Figure 84 details the internal clock buffer.

NOTE:

R_T = termination resistor, if necessary.

Figure 81. Differential Sine-Wave Clock Driving Circuit

Figure 82. LVDS Clock Driving Circuit

Figure 83. LVPECL Clock Driving Circuit

NOTE:

C_EQ is 1 pF to 3 pF and is the equivalent input capacitance of the clock buffer.

Figure 84. Internal Clock Buffer

A single-ended CMOS clock can be ac-coupled to the CLKP input, with CLKM connected to ground with a 0.1-μF capacitor, as shown in Figure 85. However, for best performance, the clock inputs must be driven differentially, thereby reducing susceptibility to common-mode noise. For high input frequency sampling, TI recommends using a clock source with very low jitter. Band-pass filtering of the clock source can help reduce the effects of jitter. There is no change in performance with a non-50% duty cycle clock input.

Figure 85. Single-Ended Clock Driving Circuit

9.2.2.3 SNR and Clock Jitter

The signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the ADC is limited by three different factors, as shown in Equation 3. Quantization noise is typically not noticeable in pipeline converters and is 96 dBFS for a 16-bit ADC. Thermal noise limits SNR at low input frequencies and clock jitter sets SNR for higher input frequencies.

Equation 3.

SNR limitation is a result of sample clock jitter and can be calculated by Equation 4:

Equation 4.

The total clock jitter (T_Jitter) has three components: the internal aperture jitter (85 f_S for the device) is set by the noise of the clock input buffer, the external clock jitter, and the jitter from the analog input signal. T_Jitter can be calculated by Equation 5:

Equation 5.

External clock jitter can be minimized by using high-quality clock sources and jitter cleaners as well as band-pass filters at the clock input while a faster clock slew rate improves ADC aperture jitter. The device has a 74.1-dBFS thermal noise and an 85-f_S internal aperture jitter. The SNR value depends on the amount of external jitter for different input frequencies, as shown in Figure 86.

Figure 86. SNR versus Input Frequency and External Clock Jitter