Digital-data-output sample rate is a key parameter of an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) signal chain for any application. However, varied requirements on the sample rate are different for each application. This article introduces a novel on-chip sample-rate conversion technique used on a core ADC’s output, allowing signal-chain designers to process the ADC digital output data at the desired sample rate for their application.
The job of an ADC is to sample the analog input signal and convert it into an equivalent digitized format. The sample rate at which an application requires the digital data for further processing needn’t be the sample rate at which the ADC samples the analog signal. Each application requires a unique digital-output sample rate. A sample-rate converter maps the ADC data at the input sample rate to the desired output sample rate.