2. Data conversion systems

Converters entered the field of consumer electronics on a massive scale over the last decade (1990-2000), driven by changing needs in audio, digital television, digital broadcasting, Internet (modem), mobile telephony... communication and computing. The prerequisites for these developments were, and still are, low cost and capacity (processing speed) to provide services that were strictly analog 15 years ago. They have been made possible by constant progress in integration, which, at ever lower cost, enables computing speeds and memory sizes that make it possible to process acquired data in real time. The evolution of these quantities follows Moore's Law, doubling every 18 months, i.e. by a factor of around 100 in 10 years. This progression is set to continue in the decade 2000-2010: advances in speed, lower power consumption and lower prices will be driven by finer etching technologies,...