Emerging Relaxation and DDPM D/A Converters: Overview and Perspectives

In this paper, two emerging, digital-intensive, matching-indifferent, bitstream digital-to-analog (D/A) conversion techniques proposed in the last years, namely: the Relaxation D/A Conversion (ReDAC) and the Dyadic Digital Pulse Modulation (DDPM)-based D/A conversion, are reviewed and compared. After the basic concepts are introduced, the main challenges and research achievements over the last years are summarized and the performance of different integrated circuit (IC), field-programmable gate array (FPGA) and microcontroller-based ReDACs and DDPM-DACs are discussed and compared, highlighting advantages and open research questions. Present applications of the two techniques in voltage and current mode A/D conversion, RF modulation, digitally controlled switching-mode power converters, and machine learning accelerators will be discussed, and future application perspectives will be outlined.