5. Using NACs and NACs

Between the continuous (analog) and discrete (digital) domains, the potential user of ADCs and DACs is usually faced with three main problems: firstly, he or she must be able to interpret the specifications correctly; secondly, he or she must make the right choice; and thirdly, whether for evaluation or control purposes, he or she may have to test the converter.

In the case of data conversion products, these three tasks are particularly delicate, especially in the case of high speeds and/or high resolutions.

Specifications are not easy to interpret, because manufacturers often specify their products for simple cases, such as pure sine, whereas they are actually used for complex and/or transient signals. But even well-specified converters present difficulties, since they require mastery of both analog and digital technical domains. For these...