A Taxonomy of ADC Architectures for ICT Engineering Curricula

This paper presents the various Analog to Digital Converter (ADC) architectures within a structured frame in order to outline the basic design choices and to point out some additional degrees of freedom beyond the classic ADC circuits. The parameters for a detailed analysis of performance, speed, precision, costs are identified and discussed. Within this frame, the paper identifies variations to the classic ADC structures, which provide additional speed/cost tradeoffs. The aim is to provide students an understanding of various ADC techniques, allowing a motivated choice of the most suitable structure for each specific application at the systems design level. This approach has been used in teaching ADCs for several years, and the paper includes a discussion of results and student feedback.