AN642 Datasheet, PDF (1/7 Pages) Maxim Integrated Products – Analog-to-Digital Converter Captures 1Gsps

A/D and D/A CONVERSION/SAMPLING CIRCUITS
HIGH-SPEED SIGNAL PROCESSING
Application Note 642: Jan 22, 2001
Analog-to-Digital Converter Captures 1Gsps
One of the industry's first ultra high-speed, 8-bit data converters with highest AC performance and a GHz
input bandwidth, the MAX104/6/8 family of data converters offers both sampling speed and signal
bandwidth for applications where these parameters are of the utmost importance. At their introduction in
1999, this family of high-speed analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) set a new standard for dynamic
performance requirements in high-frequency, wide-bandwidth applications. The following article outlines
the advantages of this family of ADCs and describes their impact and importance on digital
communications, DSOs and fast data acquisition systems.
The MAX104 processes analog input bandwidths that exceed 2.2GHz with 8-bit resolution. It sets a new
standard for performance in high-frequency, high-bandwidth digital communications receivers, digital
oscilloscopes, and high-speed data-acquisition systems.
The MAX104 is a fast silicon monolithic analog-to-digital converter (ADC) that integrates a high-
bandwidth track/hold (T/H) amplifier (Figure 1) with a high-speed quantizer that supports accurate
digitizing of wideband analog input signals from DC to 2.2GHz. It is based on Maxim's GST-2 Giga-Speed
silicon-bipolar process technology. This high-speed, self-aligned double-polysilicon process has been
developed for high-density, high-performance circuits. It employs many of the features, such as trench
isolation, that are incorporated in Maxim's lower performance GST-1 process.
Figure 1. This simplified block diagram shows how the MAX104 integrates a high-bandwidth T/H amplifier
with a high-speed quantizer.
Although many of the outstanding performance parameters of the MAX104 are possible with the
integrated-circuit process (such as a transition frequency of 27GHz for NPN transistors, a three-metal
interconnect system, small geometry, and precision laser-trimmed nickel-chrome (NiCr) thin-film
www.maxim-ic.com/an642
Page 1 of 7