News

On June 9, Sander Gierkink from Axiom IC gave a presentation about digital amplifiers on the Bits & Chips Conference in ’s-Hertogenbosch, The Netherlands; How the “digital” amplifier becomes more digital. The slides can be downloaded here.

Axiom IC wrote a white paper about ADC architectures “Pipeline versus SAR”. SAR converters do have the potential to operate at low power whereas pipeline ADCs are often associated with high speed data conversion. This white paper describes the pro’s and cons of both architectures. By time-interleaving SARs, very high speed data conversion can be achieved as well, still with the low power advance. This white paper “Pipeline versus SAR” is available under NDA.

Bengt Jonsson (ADMS Design) set up the web-site Converter Passion which is meant for anybody who has an interest in data-converters. Bengt read all published articles on measured ADCs and did statistics on it. The result is a nice overview of FOMs, trends and achievements in the ADC research and development arena. Recently, he added a list of data-converter vendors and challenges everybody to complete the “complete list”.

In cooperation with Axiom IC and Xensor Integration, SRon has developed a read-out ASIC for a seismometer. This device will be used in ESA’s future Exomars-mission. Components used for space applications are judged on dimensions, weight and energy consumption. To achieve an optimal solution the three partners integrated all needed functionality into one chip. Jan-Rutger Schrader, employee of the Dutch space agency Sron, explains how this IC was realized.

Dutch version: Bits & Chips 21 May 2010