Atmel Corporation has introduced an unusually fast, monolithic 12-bit analog-to-digital converter (ADC) with a sampling rate of 500 million per second. The AT84AS001TP will enable system designers to accurately digitize signals with frequencies up to 250 MHz at sampling rates that could not have been achieved before with 12-bit resolution.

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Because most current 12-bit ADCs are limited to 250 million samples per second, designers are forced to use several down-conversion hardware stages ahead of the ADC and to interleave several ADCs to realize high data rates. The AT84AS001TP will thereby bring about simpler system architectures while at the same time making it possible to sample wider bandwidth signals. This will benefit many applications including high IF broadband digital receivers, high-speed data acquisition, and defense radar and communications systems.

With a band flatness of 0.5 dB band from dc to 250 MHz, the AT84AS001TP exhibits a signal-to-noise ratio of 62 dBc, a spurious free dynamic range of 75 dBc and 10 effective number of bits at 500 million samples per second over the first Nyquist zone with two-tone, intermodulation distortion limited to -70 dB. This performance is achieved while dissipating a moderate 2.3 W with 3.3 V and 5 V power supplies. The required analog input signal amplitude is 1.1 Vp-p and can be ac or dc coupled. An integrated three-wire serial interface enables software control of the ADC gain and offset.

The AT84AS001TP is available in a TBGA192 plastic package in both commercial and industrial temperature ranges. Samples are available, with production quantities to be delivered in the fourth quarter.