The MAX101A ECL-compatible, 500Msps, 8-bit analogto-digital converter (ADC) allows accurate digitizing of
analog signals from DC to 250MHz (Nyquist frequency). Dual monolithic converters, driven by the track/hold
(T/H), operate on opposite clock edges (time interleaved). Designed with Maxim’s proprietary advanced
bipolar processes, the MAX101A contains a high-performance T/H amplifier and two quantizers in an 84-pin
ceramic flat pack.
The innovative design of the internal T/H ensures an
exceptionally wide 1.2GHz input bandwidth and aperture delay uncertainty of less than 2ps, resulting in a
high 7.0 effective bits at the Nyquist frequency. Special
comparator output design and decoding circuitry
reduce out-of-sequence code errors. The probability of
erroneous codes due to metastable states is reduced to
less than 1 error per 1015clock cycles. And, unlike other
ADCs that can have errors resulting in false full-scale or
zero-scale outputs, the MAX101A keeps the error magnitude to less than 1LSB.
The analog input is designed for either differential or
single-ended use with a ±250mV range. Sense pins for
the reference input allow full-scale calibration of the
____________________________Features
♦ 500Msps Conversion Rate
♦ 7.0 Effective Bits Typical at 250MHz
♦ 1.2GHz Analog Input Bandwidth
♦ Less than ±1/2LSB INL
♦ 50Ω Differential or Single-Ended Inputs
♦ ±250mV Input Signal Range
♦ Ratiometric Reference Inputs
♦ Dual Latched Output Data Paths
-15
♦ Low Error Rate, Less than 10
Metastable States
♦ 84-Pin Ceramic Flat Pack
________________________Applications
High-Speed Digital Instrumentation
High-Speed Signal Processing
Medical Systems
Radar/Signal Processing
High-Energy Physics
Communications
input range or facilitate ratiometric use.
Phase adjustment is available to adjust the relative
sampling of the converter halves for optimizing converter performance. Input clock phasing is also available
for interleaving several MAX101As for higher effective
sampling rates.
______________Ordering Information
PART
MAX101ACFR*0°C to +70°C
*Contact factory for 84-pin ceramic flat pack without heatsink.
Analog Input Voltage.............................................................±2V
Reference Voltage (VA
Reference Voltage (VA
Clock Input Voltage (V
MAX101A
Note 1: The digital control inputs are diode protected. However, limited protection is provided on other pins. Permanent damage
, VBRT)...........................-0.3V to +1.5V
RT
, VBRB)..........................-1.5V to +0.3V
RB
, VIL).....................................-2.3V to 0V
IH
may occur on unconnected units under high-energy electrostatic fields. Keep unused units in supplied conductive carrier or
shunt the terminals together.
Note 2: Typical thermal resistance, junction-to-case R
=12°C/W, if 200 lineal ft/min airflow is provided. See
R
θJA
Stresses beyond those listed under “Absolute Maximum Ratings” may cause permanent damage to the device. These are stress ratings only, and functional
operation of the device at these or any other conditions beyond those indicated in the operational sections of the specifications is not implied. Exposure to
absolute maximum rating conditions for extended periods may affect device reliability.
= 5°C/W and thermal resistance, junction to ambient (MAX101ACFR)
Clock Pulse Width Low
Clock Pulse Width High
CLK to DCLK
Propagation Delay
DCLK to A/BData
MAX101A
Propagation Delay
Rise Time
Fall Time
Note 3: All devices are 100% production tested at +25°C and are guaranteed by design for T
Note 4: Deviation from best-fit straight line. See
Note 5: See the
Signal-to-Noise Ratio and Effective Bits
Note 6: SNR calculated from effective bits performance using the following equation: SNR(dB) = 1.76 + 6.02 x effective bits.
Note 7: Clock pulse width minimum requirements t
Note 8: Outputs terminated through 100Ω to -2.0V.
Complementary Differential Clock Inputs. Can be driven from standard 10KH ECL with the following
considerations: Internally, pins 2, 62 and 3, 61 are the ends of a 50Ω transmission line. Either end
can be driven with the other end terminated with 50Ω to -2V. See
GNDPower-Supply Ground
Phasing inputs (normally left open). See
V
DIV10Divide by 10 mode. Leave open for normal operation. Selects test mode when grounded.
A7–A0
B7–B0
Positive Power Supply, +5V ±5% nominal
CC
“B” side negative reference voltage input (Note 9)
RB
“B” side negative reference voltage sense (Note 9)
RBS
Internal connection, leave pin open.
“B” side positive reference voltage sense (Note 9)
RTS
“B” side positive reference voltage input (Note 9)
RT
No Connect—no internal connection to these pins.
Circuit Substrate contact. This pin must be connected to VEE.
Complementary Differential Clock Outputs. Used to synchronize following circuitry: Outputs A0–A7
are valid after DCLK’s rising edge. B0–B7 output data are valid after DCLK’s falling edge (see Figure 1
for output timing information).
Negative Power Supply, -5.2V ±5% nominal
EE
AData and BData Outputs. A0 and B0 are the LSBs, and A7 and B7 are the MSBs. AData and BData
outputs conform to ECL logic swings and drive 100Ω transmission lines. Terminate with 100Ω to -2V
(120Ω for Tj > +100°C). See Figures 1–3.
Note 9: VART, VARB, VBRT, and VBRBshould be adjusted separately from a well bypassed reference circuit to ensure proper
amplitude and offset matching. The sense connections to each of these terminals allows precision setting of the reference
voltage. The reference ladder is similar for both converter halves (check electrical section for values). Any noise on these
terminals will severely reduce overall performance.
Note 10: Good results are obtained by connecting the PH
±1.25V to this input. The time that the “A” T/H bridge samples relative to the time that the “B” T/H bridge samples can be
varied through a ±18ps range.
“A” side positive reference voltage input (Note 9)
RT
“A” side positive reference voltage sense (Note 9)
RTS
“A” side negative reference voltage sense (Note 9)
RBS
“A” side negative reference voltage input (Note 9)
RB
Analog Inputs, internally terminated with 50Ω to ground. Full-scale linear input range is approximately
±250mV. Drive AIN+ and AIN- differentially for best high-frequency performance.
Phase adjustment for T/H. Normally connected to ground. A phase adjustment of approximately ±18ps
ADJ
can be made by varying this pin’s bias point to optimize interleaving between sides A and B (Note 10).
input to ground. Improve performance by applying a voltage between
ADJ
CLK
CLK
DCLK
DCLK
ADATA
BDATA
t
PD2
t
t
PWH
t
PD1
t
PWL
PD2
Figure 1. Output Timing, Normal Mode (DIV10 = OPEN)
Signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) is the ratio between the RMS
amplitude of the fundamental input frequency to the
RMS amplitude of all other analog-to-digital (A/D) output signals. The theoretical minimum A/D noise is
caused by quantization error and is a direct result of
the ADC’s resolution: SNR = (6.02N + 1.76)dB, where N
MAX101A
is the number of effective bits of resolution. Therefore, a
perfect 8-bit ADC can do no better than 50dB. The FFT
plots in the
Typical Operating Characteristics
output level in various spectral bands.
Effective bits is calculated from a digital record taken
from the ADC under test. The quantization error of the
ideal converter equals the total error of the device. In
addition to ideal quantization error, other sources of
error include all DC and AC nonlinearities, clock and
aperture jitter, missing output codes, and noise. Noise
on references and supplies also degrades effective bits
performance.
The ADC’s input is sine-wave filtered with an anti-aliasing filter to remove any harmonic content. The digital
record taken from this signal is compared against a
mathematically generated sine wave. DC offsets,
phase, and amplitudes of the mathematical model are
adjusted until a best-fit sine wave is found. After subtracting this sine wave from the digital record, the residual error remains. The RMS value of the error is applied
in the following equation to yield the ADC’s effective
bits.
Effective bits = N - log2—————————-
measured RMS error
ideal RMS error
where N is the resolution of the converter. In this case,
N = 8.
The worst-case error for any device will be at the converter’s maximum clock rate with the analog input near
the Nyquist rate (one-half the input clock rate).
Aperture Width and Jitter
Aperture width is the time the T/H circuit takes to disconnect the hold capacitor from the input circuit (i.e., to
turn off the sampling bridge and put the T/H in hold
mode). Aperture jitter is the sample-to-sample variation
in aperture delay (Figure 4).
Error Rates
Errors resulting from metastable states may occur when
the analog input voltage, at the time the sample is
taken, falls close to the decision point for any one of the
input comparators. The resulting output code for many
show the
CLK
CLK
ANALOG
INPUT
t
AD
SAMPLED
DATA (T/H)
TRACK
T/H
Figure 4. T/H Aperture Timing
typical converters can be incorrect, including false full- or
zero-scale output. The MAX101A’s unique design
reduces the magnitude of this type of error to 1LSB, and
reduces the probability of the error occurring to less than
one in every 10
15
operated at 500MHz, 24 hours a day, this would translate
to less than one metastable state error every 46 days.
Integral nonlinearity is the deviation of the transfer function from a reference line measured in fractions of 1LSB
using a “best straight line” determined by a least
square curve fit.
Differential nonlinearity (DNL) is the difference between
the measured LSB step and an ideal LSB step size
between adjacent code transitions. DNL is expressed
in LSBs and is calculated using the following equation:
DNL(LSB) = ——————————————-
where V
MEAS - 1
is the measured value of the previous
code.
A DNL specification of less than 1LSB guarantees no
The parallel or “flash” architecture used by the MAX101A
provides the fastest multibit conversion of all common
integrated ADC designs. The basic element of a flash, as
with all other ADC architectures, is the comparator, which
has a positive input, a negative input, and an output. If
the voltage at the positive input is higher than the negative input (connected to a reference), the output will be
high. If the positive input voltage is lower than the reference, the output will be low. A typical n-bit flash consists
of 2n- 1 comparators with negative inputs evenly spaced
at 1LSB increments from the bottom to the top of the reference ladder. For n = 8, there are 255 comparators.
For any input voltage, all the comparators with negative
inputs connected to the reference ladder below the
input voltage will have outputs of 1 and all comparators
with negative inputs above the input voltage will have
outputs of 0. Decode logic is provided to convert this
information into a parallel n-bit digital word (the output)
corresponding to the number of LSBs (minus 1) that the
input voltage is above the bottom of the ladder.
The comparators contain latch circuitry and are
clocked. This allows the comparators to function as
described previously when, for example, clock is low.
When clock goes high (samples) the comparator will
latch and hold its state until the clock goes low again.
The MAX101A uses a monolithic, dual-interleaved parallel quantizer chip with two separate 8-bit converters.
These converters deliver results to the A and B output
latches on alternate negative edges of the input clock.
Track/Hold
As with all ADCs, if the input waveform is changing
rapidly during the conversion, the effective bits and
SNR will decrease. The MAX101A has an internal
track/hold (T/H) that increases attainable effective-bits
performance and allows more accurate capture of analog data at high conversion rates.
The internal T/H circuit provides two important circuit
functions for the MAX101A:
1) Its nominal voltage gain of 4 reduces the input driving signal to ±250mV differential (assuming a
±0.95V reference).
2) It provides a differential 50Ω input that allows easy
interface to the MAX101A.
Table 1. Output Mode Control
DCLK*
DIV10
* Input clocks (CLK, CLK) = 500MHz for all above combinations. In
(MHz)
OPEN250
GND50
all modes, the output clock DCLK will be a 50% duty-cycle signal.
MODE
Normal
Divide
by 2
Test
Divide
by 10
DESCRIPTION
AData and BData valid on opposite DCLK edges (AData on rise,
BData on fall).
AData and BData valid on opposite DCLK edges (AData on rise,
BData on fall). Data sampled at
input CLK rate but 4 out of every
5 samples discarded.
Data Flow
The MAX101A’s internal T/H amplifier samples the analog input voltage for the ADC to convert. The T/H is split
into two sections that operate on alternate negative
clock edges. The input clock, CLK, is conditioned by
the T/H and fed to the A/D section. The output clock,
DCLK, used for output data timing, will be divided by 2
or 10 from the input clock (Table 1). This results in an
output data rate of 250Mbps on each output port in normal mode and 50Mbps in test mode. The differential
inputs, AIN+ and AIN-, are tracked continuously
between data samples. When a negative strobe edge is
sensed, one-half of the T/H goes into hold mode (Figure
4). When the strobe is low, the just-acquired sample is
presented to the ADC’s input comparators. Internal processing of the sampled data takes an additional 15
clock cycles before it is available at the outputs, AData
and BData. See Figures 1–3 for timing.
__________Applications Information
Although the normal operating range is ±250mV, the
MAX101A can be operated with up to ±500mV on each
input with respect to ground. This extended input level
includes the analog signal and any DC common-mode
voltage.
To obtain full-scale digital output with differential
input drive, a nominal +250mV must be applied
between AIN+ and AIN-. That is, AIN+ = +125mV and
AIN- = -125mV (with no DC offset). Mid-scale digital
output code occurs when there is no voltage difference
across the analog inputs. Zero-scale digital output
code, with differential -250mV drive, occurs when AIN+
= -125mV and AIN- = +125mV. Table 2 shows how the
output of the converter stays at all ones (full scale)
when over-ranged or all zeros (zero scale) when underranged.
* An offset VIO, as specified in the DC electrical parameters, will
be present at the input. Compensate for this offset by adjusting
the reference voltage. Offsets may be different between side A
and side B.
AIN+
(mV)
+125-1251 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 full scale
-125+1250 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 zero scale
+25001 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 full scale
-25000 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 zero scale
For single-ended operation:
1) Apply a DC offset to one of the analog inputs, or
leave one input open. (Both AIN+ and AIN- are terminated internally with 50Ω to analog ground.)
2) Drive the other input with a ±250mV + offset to
obtain either full- or zero-scale digital output. If a DC
common-mode offset is used, the total voltage swing
allowed is ±500mV (analog signal plus offset with
respect to ground).
The ADC’s reference resistor is a Kelvin-sensed, resistor string that sets the ADC’s LSB size and dynamic
operating range. Normally, the top and bottom of this
string are driven with an external buffer amplifier. It will
need to supply approximately 19mA due to the 100Ω
minimum resistor string impedance. A ±0.95V reference voltage is normally applied to inputs VART, VBRT,
VARB, and VBRB. The reference inputs VA
VB
, and VB
RTS
RBS
voltages to increase precision.
An RC network at the ADC’s reference terminals is
needed for best performance. This network consists of
a 33Ω resistor connected in series with the buffer output that drives the reference. A 0.47µF capacitor must
be connected near the resistor at the buffer’s output
(see
Typical Operating Circuit
capacitor combination should be located within 0.5
inches of the MAX101A package. Any noise on these
pins will directly affect the code uncertainty and
degrade the ADC’s effective-bits performance.
All input and output clock signals are differential. The
input clocks, CLK and CLK, are the primary timing signals for the MAX101A. CLK (pins 2, 62) and CLK (pins
3, 61) are fed to the internal circuitry through an internal
50Ω transmission line. One set of CLK, CLK inputs
should be driven and the other pair terminated by 50Ω
to -2V. Either set of inputs can be used as the driven
inputs (input lines are balanced) for easy circuit connection. A minimum pulse width (t
CLK and CLK (Figures 1–3).
For best performance and consistent results, use a lowphase-jitter clock source for CLK and CLK. Phase jitter
larger than 2ps from the input clock source reduces the
converter’s effective bits performance and causes
inconsistent results. The clock supplied to the
MAX101A is internally divided by two, reshaped, and
buffered. This divided clock becomes the internal signal used as strobes for the converters.
DCLK and DCLK are output clock signals derived from
the input clocks and are used for external timing of the
AData and BData outputs. (AData is valid after the rising edge of DCLK, and BData is valid after the falling
edge.) They are fixed at one-half the rate of the input
clocks in normal mode (Table 1). The MAX101A is
characterized to work with 500MHz maximum input
clock frequencies. See
Typical Operating Circuit
) is required for
PWL
.
Output Mode Control (DIV10)
When DIV10 is grounded, it enables the test mode,
where the input incoming clock is divided by ten. This
reduces the output data and clock rates by a factor of
5, allowing the output clock duty cycle to remain at
50%. The clock to output phasing remains the same
and four out of every five sampled input values are discarded.
When left open, this input (DIV10) is pulled low by internal circuitry and the converter functions in its normal
mode.
CLK and DCLK
Layout, Grounding, and Power Supplies
A +5V ±5% supply as well as a -5.2V ±5% supply is
needed for proper operation. Bypass the VEEand V
supply pins to GND with high-quality 0.1µF and 0.001µF
ceramic capacitors located as close to the package as
possible. Connect all ground pins to a ground plane to
optimize noise immunity and device accuracy. Turn on
the fan before connecting the power supplies. See
Package Information
for the required airflow.
CC
Phase Adjust
This control pin affects the point in time that one-half of
the converter samples the input signal relative to the
other half. PH
but can be adjusted over a ±1.25V range that typically
provides a ±18ps adjustment between the “A” side T/H
bridge strobe and the “B” side T/H bridge strobe.
is normally connected to ground (0V),
ADJ
Interleaving (Input Clock Phasing)
To interleave two MAX101As it is necessary to know on
which positive edge of the input clock data will change.
At power-up, the clock edge from which AData and
BData are synchronized is undetermined. The converter can work from a specific input clock edge, as
described in the following paragraph.
TRK1 and TRK1 are differential inputs that are used in
addition to the normal input clock (CLK) to set data
phasing. A signal at one-half the input clock rate with
the proper setup and hold times (setup and hold typically 300ps) is applied to these inputs. Choose AData
by applying a logic “1” to TRK1 (“0” to TRK1) before
CLK’s negative transition. Choose BData by applying a
logic “0” to TRK1 before CLK’s negative edge (“1” to
TRK1). Voltages at the TRK1 input between ±50mV are
interpreted as logic “1” and voltages between -350mV
and -500mV are interpreted as logic “0”.
________________________________________________________Package Information
PIN FIN HEATSINK
FORCED CONVECTION PARAMETERS
23
21
MAX101A
19
17
15
(°C/W)
JA
θ
13
11
45° Angle*
9
7
0100200300400500
*DIRECTION OF AIRFLOW ACROSS HEATSINK
0° Angle*
VELOCITY (ft /min)
MAX100-insertB
E1
E
E2
e
PIN #1
C
5°–6°
Maxim cannot assume responsibility for use of any circuitry other than circuitry entirely embodied in a Maxim product. No circuit patent licenses are
implied. Maxim reserves the right to change the circuitry and specifications without notice at any time.
16
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