EDN's 19th Annual Innovation Awards Finalists

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Category: ADCs and DACs
Finalist: SAM1610/05/00 12-bit ADCs (Samplify Systems)

Samplify Systems’ SAM1600 family comprise the world’s first analog to digital converters (ADCs) with integrated signal compression. This novel technology dramatically reduces ADC pin count and I/O power consumption by up to 75 percent for high-channel density applications such as ultrasound, 4G wireless base stations, automated test equipment (ATE), and RADAR/SONAR receivers. The part incorporates low-latency compression algorithm. It enables a loss-less mode, as well as two near-loss-less modes: one tracking a user-selected compression ratio for systems with fixed bandwidth links, and the other preserving a user-selected dynamic range in fine increments of 0.5dB. The SAM1600 family has a low power consumption of just 44 mW per channel. By using compression, designers significantly reduce I/O count, memory sizes, wires in cables, and PCB traces. With the speed and bit width of converters going up, there are significant data handling challenges. By putting the compression early in the signal chain this part provides an innovative solution to a tough problem.