ADC, short for Analog to Digital Converter, is one of the most important electronic components at the disposal of any electronic engineer. These circuits, as the name suggests, are used to convert data from analog form to digital form.
ADCs are being used all around us. They are in the devices we use and the electronic systems we rely on to communicate. They’re virtually everywhere; from communication systems to sound processing.
So without further ado, let’s talk about some of the applications of an Analog to Digital converter!
Cell Phones
For this generation and the one before it, it’s hard to imagine what life used to be like before cell phones. What started as a way to communicate has gradually become one of the most powerful tools at our disposal.
Use of analog to digital converters in cell phones is perhaps its most significant and common application. The mobile phones we use every day to make calls rely on radio transmission to facilitate communication.
Not many people know this, but when we speak into the microphone of our cell phone, our voice is in analog form. This analog data is then sampled at high frequencies, converted into digital form and then transmitted thanks to the communication channel that is your network carrier.
Once your voice—in the form of digital data—reaches the receiver, it’s converted back to its original analog form. Furthermore, ADCs are also employed in music playback and recording, following the same principle.
So apart from cell phones, ADCs are used in everything that has to do with sound recording, processing, and playback.
Thermocouples
This may be a surprising one because thermocouple is an electrical device used to sense the temperature. It’s commonplace in thermal sensing systems but how can an ADC be used in such a device?
Well, thermocouples work on the principle of thermal expansion. This means that different temperatures lead to voltage generation. ADCs are used to make the entire operation of thermocouples fast and accurate.
ADCs have low noise levels, which mean that they can register minute changes in the voltage accurately.
Voltmeters
If you’ve ever studied electronics or anything remotely related to it, you’ve come across a voltmeter, and hopefully a digital one. Digital voltmeters are much more accurate as compared to analog ones and utilize ADCs to record the voltage.
There’s no shortage of applications when it comes to ADCs, and like we said, they are virtually everywhere. If you’re looking for a high-speed analog to digital converter, ADSANTEC can be of help!
We offer a library of all the essential electronic components such as a PRBS generator, clock splitter, and fanout buffer so get in touch with us now!