ADCDACladdorinspired

ADCDACladdorinspired is a term used in discussions of mixed-signal circuit design to describe a class of architectures that fuse principles from digital-to-analog converter DAC ladder topologies with analog-to-digital converter ADC processes. The concept envisions arranging a resistor or capacitor ladder, commonly used to generate precise analog references in DACs, within the signal path or calibration loop of an ADC to improve linearity, monotonicity, and calibration efficiency. The term is not widely standardized and appears mainly in theoretical or exploratory design notes rather than as a formal standard.

Conceptually, the approach adapts ladder networks to provide shared references or code-to-analog mapping for ADC segments, or to implement a reference ladder that is digitally programmable. This can take the form of a segmented ladder used as a DAC inside a feedback or calibration loop of a successive-approximation or sigma-delta ADC, or as a capacitive ladder used to generate precise sampling capacitors with matched code transitions. The shared ladder can enable digital correction, reduced component count, or improved matching across channels.

Potential benefits include improved integral nonlinearity (INL) and differential nonlinearity (DNL), better thermal tracking, and simplified calibration across temperature and supply variations. Trade-offs include added design complexity, potential noise coupling between DAC-like and ADC-like sections, and stricter layout requirements to preserve matching. Adoption remains limited and often experimental, with real-world use primarily in specialized high-precision instrumentation or research prototypes.

It relates to broader topics such as mixed-signal co-design, time-interleaved ADCs, and digital calibration methods, and shares goals with other ladder-based calibration schemes. It is distinct from conventional resistor-string and R-2R ladder DACs placed solely in DACs and from standard ADC architectures without ladder-inspired calibration.