TI intros new bipolar analog-to-digital converters

BANGALORE, INDIA: Texas Instruments Incorporated today introduced two new bipolar, 12-bit, 1-MSPS successive approximation register (SAR) analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) for programmable logic control (PLC) and data acquisition.

The 4-channel ADS8634 and 8-channel ADS8638 provide the widest temperature range available for demanding industrial measurement applications up to 125 degrees and are fully characterized over the extended industrial temperature range, said a press release.

They also allow an input range of ±12 V, an improvement of 20 per cent over the competition, when used with an external reference.

Key features and benefits of the ADS8634 and ADS8638

Per-channel software-selectable input ranges support ±12 V, ±10 V, ±5 V, ±2.5 V, 0-5 V, and 0-10 V, providing a single-chip solution for a wide range of inputs.

1-MSPS sampling rate is a 4x improvement from the previous generation

Digital interface supports 1.8-V to 5-V hosts without additional level-shifting circuitry

Integrated reference and temperature sensor reduces system cost and complexity.

Tools and support

TI offers a variety of tools and support to speed development with the ADS8634 and ADS8638, including an IBIS model, anti-aliasing filter tool for data converters, and an op amp-to-ADC circuit topography calculator. Engineers can also ask questions and help solve problems in the Precision Data Converter Forum in the TI E2E Community, the release added.

The ADS8638EVM-PDK enables complete ADC performance evaluation via ADCPro, a modular software system for evaluating ADCs without expensive logic analyzers and complex analysis routines. The ADS8638EVM-PDK can be purchased today for a suggested retail price of $199.