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Reference / Paper · 2018

ADC Voltage Reference Buffer Optimization Reference Design for High-Performance DAQ Systems

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This Texas Instruments reference design (TIDA-01055, document TIDUDE2A) presents an optimized two-stage composite voltage reference buffer for driving the REF pin of an 18-bit, 2-MSPS SAR ADC (ADS9110) in high-performance DAQ systems. The design uses a REF5040 4.096 V reference combined with an OPA378 precision op-amp and an OPA837 high-speed op-amp in a composite configuration, achieving a system ENOB of 15.77 bits at 1.94 W total power—a 22% power improvement over the conventional OPA625-based approach. The document covers stability, noise, power, and transient analysis via TINA-TI simulation, hardware jumper configuration, PCB layout recommendations (thick versus thin trace comparison), and measured performance results across multiple buffer and reference options.

Manufacturer
Texas Instruments
System
TIDA-01055
Author
Dylan Hubbard; Taras Dudar
Year
2018
Type
Reference / Paper
Language
English
Learning track
specific applications
Pages
19
Credit
Texas Instruments Incorporated. TIDUDE2A, originally published September 2017, revised January 2018.
  • TIDA-01055
  • Texas Instruments
  • voltage reference buffer
  • ADC reference driver
  • data acquisition
  • op-amp composite buffer

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ADC Voltage Reference Buffer Optimization Reference Design for High-Performance DAQ Systems

TI Designs: TIDA-01055 ADC Voltage Reference Buffer Optimization Reference Design for High-Performance DAQ Systems Description This reference design for high-performance DAQ systems optimizes the ADC reference buffer to improve SNR performance and reduce power consumption with the TI OPA837 high-speed op amp. This device is used in a composite buffer configuration and provides a 22% power improvement over traditional op amps. Voltage reference sources with an integrated buffer often lack the drive strength required to achieve optimal performance in a high-channel count systems. This reference design is capable of driving several ADCs and achieves a system ENOB of 15.77 bits using an 18-bit, 2-MSPS SAR ADC. Features • Two-Stage Buffer Design for Reducing Noise Generated From Voltage Reference • Implements New Low-Power Reference Driver With Slew Rate Capability to Drive a 2-MSPS SAR ADC Applications • Data Acquisition (DAQ) • Semiconductor Test Equipment • LCD Test Equipment • Lab Instrumentation • Battery Test Resources TIDA-01055 LM53635-Q1 LM5574, LM46001, TPS7A3001 TPS7A47, LM7705 SN74AHC1G04, SN74AUP1G80 LMK61E2, LMK00804B OPA827, OPA625, THS4551, OPA837, OPA378 REF6041, REF5040 Design Folder Product Folder Product Folder Product Folder Product Folder Product Folder Product Folder Product Folder ASK Our E2E™ Experts ADS9110 1.8V 1.8V AVDD DVDD #CS #CS SCLK SCLK 18.0 V OPA827 + IN+ SDO_SE (0 ± 3) SDO 0 - 3 VIN+ RVS_SE (READY/CLK)RVS 5V -18.0 V Vocm 18.0 V + _ THS4551 + _ 18-Bit 2 MSPS SAR ADC PHI Connector CONVST D Q SN74AUP1G80 Flip-Flop -0.2 V _ SYSCLK SYSCLK VIN- OPA827 + IN- SDI SDI _ CONVST -18.0 V I2C SMA Connector 18.0 V VREF Vocm OPA376 REF5040 Reference 4.096 V OPA378 OPA837 LMK61E2 OSC TPS7A4700 LDO 18.5 V LM53635M DC -DC Buck 3.8 V LM53635M DC -DC Buck LMK00804B CLK DIST EEPROM -0.2 V LM7705 Negative Bias Generator 3.3 V TPS7A4700 LDO 1.8 V TPS70918D LDO 5.0 V TPS7A4700 LDO -18.0 V TPS7A3001 LDO I2C SYSCLK VREF ADS9110 SYSCLK CONVST 5.0 V -18.0 V Vocm OPA OPA625 + -0.2 V 5.0 V 18.0 V _ OPA827 + IN- -18.0 V CONVST _ OPA827 + IN+ I2C Q SN74AUP1G80 Flip-Flop D 18.0 V _ + OPA625 _ 24 V DC 5.5 V LM53635M DC -DC Buck -18.5 V LM46001 DC -DC Buck/Boost VIN+ 18-Bit 2 MSPS SAR ADC PHI Connector PHI Connector RVS_DIF (READY/CLK)RVS SDO_DIF (0 ± 3) VIN- SDO 0 - 3 SDI -0.2 V SDI SCLK SCLK #CS SMA Connector DVDD AVDD 1.8V #CS 1.8V Copyright © 2017, Texas Instruments Incorporated TIDUDE2A – September 2017 – Revised January 2018 Submit Documentation Feedback ADC Voltage Reference Buffer Optimization Reference Design for HighPerformance DAQ Systems Copyright © 2017–2018, Texas Instruments Incorporated 1 System Description www.ti.com An IMPORTANT NOTICE at the end of this TI reference design addresses authorized use, intellectual property matters and other important disclaimers and information. 1 System Description Multi-input systems requiring the simultaneous or parallel sampling of many data channels present many design challenges to engineers developing data acquisition (DAQ) modules and automatic testers for applications such as semiconductor tests, memory tests, LCD tests, and battery tests. In these systems, sometimes hundreds or even thousands of data channels are required and thus maximizing SNR performance while minimizing power, component count, and cost are all key design criteria. One of the critical parts of these systems is the reference voltage circuit for the analog-to-digital converter (ADC). The reference pin of the ADC needs to be adequately driven to a precise voltage as to not add more noise to the system. Advanced buffering circuits are created to do this, but more components consume more power. +VCC +VCC AVDD DVDD LPF IN+ ADC Driver AMP -VEE ADC IN- -VEE TIDA-01055 REF5040 VCOM OPA378 OPA837 VREF REF Figure 1. Generic Analog Front End 1.1 Key System Specifications Table 1. Key System Specifications PARAMETER Number of channels MEASURED Dual Dual Input type Differential Differential Input range 8-VPP fully differential 8-VPP fully differential Resolution 18 bits 18 bits SNR > 96 dB 96.70 dB THD < –118 dB –119.76 dB ENOB > 15 bit 15.77 bits System power Form factor (L × W) 2 SPECIFICATIONS < 2.5 W 1.94 W 120 × 100 mm 112.98 × 99.82 mm ADC Voltage Reference Buffer Optimization Reference Design for HighPerformance DAQ Systems TIDUDE2A – September 2017 – Revised January 2018 Submit Documentation Feedback Copyright © 2017–2018, Texas Instruments Incorporated System Overview www.ti.com 2 System Overview 2.1 Block Diagram ADS9110 1.8V 1.8V AVDD DVDD #CS #CS SCLK SCLK 18.0 V SDO_SE (0 ± 3) SDO 0 - 3 VIN+ RVS_SE (READY/CLK)RVS 5V -18.0 V Vocm 18.0 V + _ THS4551 + _ 18-Bit 2 MSPS SAR ADC PHI Connector CONVST D Q SN74AUP1G80 Flip-Flop -0.2 V _ SYSCLK SYSCLK VIN- OPA827 + IN- SDI SDI _ OPA827 + IN+ CONVST -18.0 V I2C SMA Connector 18.0 V VREF Vocm OPA376 REF5040 Reference 4.096 V OPA378 OPA837 LMK61E2 OSC TPS7A4700 LDO 18.5 V LM53635M DC -DC Buck 3.8 V LM53635M DC -DC Buck LMK00804B CLK DIST EEPROM -0.2 V LM7705 Negative Bias Generator 3.3 V TPS7A4700 LDO 1.8 V TPS70918D LDO 5.0 V TPS7A4700 LDO -18.0 V TPS7A3001 LDO I2C SYSCLK VREF ADS9110 SYSCLK CONVST 5.0 V -18.0 V Vocm OPA OPA625 + -0.2 V 5.0 V 18.0 V _ OPA827 + IN- -18.0 V CONVST _ OPA827 + IN+ Q SN74AUP1G80 Flip-Flop D 18.0 V _ + OPA625 _ 24 V DC I2C 5.5 V LM53635M DC -DC Buck -18.5 V LM46001 DC -DC Buck/Boost VIN+ 18-Bit 2 MSPS SAR ADC PHI Connector PHI Connector RVS_DIF (READY/CLK)RVS SDO_DIF (0 ± 3) VIN- SDO 0 - 3 SDI -0.2 V SDI SCLK SCLK #CS SMA Connector DVDD AVDD 1.8V #CS 1.8V Copyright © 2017, Texas Instruments Incorporated Figure 2. System Block Diagram This reference design focuses on the voltage reference for the ADS9110 ADC. This design has two reference options: the REF6041 and REF5040. The REF5040 requires an external reference buffer whereas the REF6041 has one integrated in the device. With the external buffer, there are two op-amp options: the OPA625 and OPA837. The OPA625 is currently a popular op amp for this application, but the new OPA837 can match the same great performance at a much lower power. The ideal setup for this reference design uses the REF5040 with the dual-stage composite reference buffer containing the OPA837. This composite buffer also includes the OPA378, which is a high-precision op amp that accounts for offset and drift error, which combined with the high-speed OPA837 provides a low-offset, low-drift, wide bandwidth and low-output impedance solution to drive the reference. For more information on the benefits of the composite buffer design, see Section 3.2.2 of the TIPD113 reference guide and Section 3.5 of the TIPD115 reference guide. TIDUDE2A – September 2017 – Revised January 2018 Submit Documentation Feedback ADC Voltage Reference Buffer Optimization Reference Design for HighPerformance DAQ Systems Copyright © 2017–2018, Texas Instruments Incorporated 3 System Overview www.ti.com 2.2 System Design Theory 2.2.1 Stability Analysis Both the OPA837 and the OPA625 are used in the reference buffer. To make sure that the devices function properly, a loop gain analysis is setup in TINA-TI™ to verify stability. Figure 3 and Figure 4 show the circuits set up in TINA-TI for both devices. Figure 3. OPA625 Stability Circuit Figure 4. OPA837 Stability Circuit Figure 3 shows the OPA625 circuit created to test stability. Figure 4 shows the same setup with the OPA837 to test stability. Both devices are pin-to-pin compatible with the exception of the Mode and PD pin. This compatibility makes it easy to swap out each op amp during testing by using a 0-Ω resistor. An AC analysis is performed to verify stability with the results illustrated in Figure 5. Figure 5. AC Analysis Results for Both Op Amps The rule of thumb for op-amp stability is to have a phase margin of at least 45 degrees or above. The OPA625 has a phase margin of 46.57 degrees, and the OPA837 has a phase margin of 54.10 degrees. Both op amps are stable in the same configuration, which is important as to not create additional variables for performance comparison. 4 ADC Voltage Reference Buffer Optimization Reference Design for HighPerformance DAQ Systems TIDUDE2A – September 2017 – Revised January 2018 Submit Documentation Feedback Copyright © 2017–2018, Texas Instruments Incorporated System Overview www.ti.com With the stability for each op amp individually verified, the full dual-stage buffer system is created in TINATI to test the stability of the overall system. These circuits can be seen in Figure 6 and Figure 7. Figure 6. OPA625 Full-Loop Stability Circuit Figure 7. OPA837 Full-Loop Stability Circuit Both circuits are now simulated with the OPA378 added to the front end. The overall circuit is simulated with a 4.1-V input that emulates the output of the REF5040. Again, an AC analysis is performed for these two circuits to verify the stability. The results are illustrated in Figure 8. Figure 8. Full-Loop AC Analysis Results for Both Op Amps Both circuits have identical phase margin of 67.26 degrees, making both op amps stable in the whole buffer system. With circuit stability verified, more simulations are made to observe the noise and power performance of the buffer system. TIDUDE2A – September 2017 – Revised January 2018 Submit Documentation Feedback ADC Voltage Reference Buffer Optimization Reference Design for HighPerformance DAQ Systems Copyright © 2017–2018, Texas Instruments Incorporated 5 System Overview 2.2.2 www.ti.com Power and Noise Analysis The main benefit of the OPA837 comes from its lower power consumption compared to the OPA625. A simulation is created in TINA-TI to verify that the overall power consumption of the buffer system implementing the OPA837 is indeed lower than that of the system implementing the OPA625. Two circuits are made in TINA-TI: one containing the OPA625 (see Figure 9) and the other containing the OPA837 (see Figure 10). Figure 9. OPA625 Power and Noise Optimization Circuit Figure 10. OPA837 Power and Noise Optimization Circuit Both circuits contain current probes to observe the amount of current being drawn from the power source. A DC analysis is performed on both circuits in Figure 9 (containing the OPA625) and Figure 10 (containing the OPA837). The results are displayed in Figure 11 and Figure 12, respectively. Figure 11. OPA625 DC Analysis Results Figure 12. OPA837 DC Analysis Results The current drawn for the OPA837 circuit is 1.37 mA less than that of the OPA625. This equates to a 6.85 mW power improvement. This result is expected by comparing the quiescent current values from the device datasheets. 6 ADC Voltage Reference Buffer Optimization Reference Design for HighPerformance DAQ Systems TIDUDE2A – September 2017 – Revised January 2018 Submit Documentation Feedback Copyright © 2017–2018, Texas Instruments Incorporated System Overview www.ti.com The OPA837 is the better device when it comes to power efficiency, but it is also important to verify that the total noise on the output is comparable to the OPA625. To do this, the same two circuits are used from the power simulations to perform a noise analysis. The results of that analysis are illustrated in Figure 13. Figure 13. Noise Analysis Results for Both Op Amps The total noise performance is similar with both op amps. The OPA625 has 300 nV less noise than the OPA837. To verify if the noise affects the performance of the ADC, it needs to be compared to the LSB value of the ADC. The value of 1 LSB for an 18-bit ADC with a 4.096-V reference voltage is 15.625 µV. The results show that the noise reaches 10.3 µV, which is not ideal because it exceeds half an LSB; however, this is done to achieve lowest power. 2.2.3 Transient Analysis The ADS9110 is a high-performance successive approximation register (SAR) ADC with a sampling rate of 2 MSPS. With that, it takes a fast slew rate to charge the sampling capacitors before each sample occurs. To verify that the slew rates of both op amps are fast enough to recover after each sample of the ADC, a transient simulation is set up in TINA-TI. Both circuits for the OPA625 and OPA837 created in TINA-TI are shown in Figure 14 and Figure 15, respectively. Figure 14. OPA625 Transient Circuit TIDUDE2A – September 2017 – Revised January 2018 Submit Documentation Feedback Figure 15. OPA837 Transient Circuit ADC Voltage Reference Buffer Optimization Reference Design for HighPerformance DAQ Systems Copyright © 2017–2018, Texas Instruments Incorporated 7 System Overview www.ti.com The ADS9110 is simulated to mirror the physical test setup. A 10-µs transient analysis is performed on both circuits, and the results are displayed in Figure 16 and Figure 17. Figure 16. OPA625 Transient Analysis Results Figure 17. OPA837 Transient Analysis Results The top waveform named "Sample" is the simulated 2 MSPS for the ADS9110. Each sample occurs on the falling edge of the square wave. The waveform named "VREF" is the input of the REF pin of the ADS9110. Markers are placed at the beginning of two samples on the VREF waveform to measure the difference in voltage between them. The OPA625 has a voltage difference between samples of about 7.68 µV, which is slightly above the 7.59 µV of the OPA837. The transient performance for each op amp is very comparable. 2.3 2.3.1 Highlighted Products OPA837 The OPA837 unity-gain stable, voltage feedback op amp provides among the highest MHz/mW of bandwidth versus power. Using only 600 μA on a single 5-V supply, this 3.0-mW device delivers 105 MHz of bandwidth at a gain of 1 V/V. The very low-trimmed offset voltage of ±120 μV maximum comes with a typical drift of ±0.4 μV/°C. The OPA837 provides one of the lowest input noise levels at 4.7 nV for its 3mW quiescent power. The very high 50-MHz gain bandwidth product provides the low output impedance to high frequencies required to supply the fast charging currents in SAR driver application. This low dynamic output impedance also makes this a great reference buffer as it is used in this reference design. 2.3.2 REF5040 The REF5040 is a low-noise, low-drift, very high-precision voltage reference. This reference is capable of both sinking and sourcing current and has excellent line and load regulation. Excellent temperature drift (3 ppm/°C) and high accuracy (0.05%) are achieved using proprietary design techniques. Combined with very low noise, these features make the REF5040 reference ideal for use in high-precision DAQ systems. 2.3.3 ADS9110 The ADS9110 is an 18-bit, 2-MSPS, SAR ADC with enhanced performance features. The high throughput enables developers to oversample the input signal to improve dynamic range and accuracy of the measurement. The ADS9120 is a pin-compatible, 16-bit, 2.5-MSPS variant of the ADS9110. The ADS9110 boosts analog performance while maintaining high-resolution data transfer by using TI’s enhanced SPI feature. Enhanced SPI enables the ADS9110 to achieve high throughput at lower clock speeds, thereby simplifying board layout and lowering system cost. 8 ADC Voltage Reference Buffer Optimization Reference Design for HighPerformance DAQ Systems TIDUDE2A – September 2017 – Revised January 2018 Submit Documentation Feedback Copyright © 2017–2018, Texas Instruments Incorporated System Overview www.ti.com 2.3.4 OPA378 The OPA378 is a unity-gain stable, precision operational amplifier that is free from phase reversal. The use of proprietary Zero-Drift circuitry gives the benefit of low input offset voltage over time and temperature as well as lowering the 1/f noise component. These miniature, high-precision, low quiescent current amplifiers offer high-impedance inputs that have a common-mode range 100 mV beyond the supplies, excellent CMRR, and a rail-to-rail output that swings within 10 mV of the supplies. This design results in superior performance for driving ADCs without degradation of differential linearity. TIDUDE2A – September 2017 – Revised January 2018 Submit Documentation Feedback ADC Voltage Reference Buffer Optimization Reference Design for HighPerformance DAQ Systems Copyright © 2017–2018, Texas Instruments Incorporated 9 Hardware, Testing Requirements, and Test Results 3 Hardware, Testing Requirements, and Test Results 3.1 Required Hardware www.ti.com The ensuing section outlines the information for getting the board up and running as fast as possible. To learn about the PHI board or the onboard clocking and jitter cleaner, see the TIDA-01052 reference design. Take care when moving jumper pins to avoid possible damage to the components. ADC Voltage Reference Figure 18. TIDA-01055 Hardware 10 ADC Voltage Reference Buffer Optimization Reference Design for HighPerformance DAQ Systems TIDUDE2A – September 2017 – Revised January 2018 Submit Documentation Feedback Copyright © 2017–2018, Texas Instruments Incorporated Hardware, Testing Requirements, and Test Results www.ti.com 3.1.1 Jumper Configuration This system has several configurable power options. These options are selectable through the use of three-pin jumpers and two-pin jumpers. Table 2 highlights the purpose of each jumper and will assist in changing the configuration to fit the user’s needs. Table 2. Jumper Configuration JUMPER NAME SHORT PINS 1 AND 2 SHORT PINS 2 AND 3 DEFAULT CONFIGURATION JSI_18V Power to LM53635 18-V rail — Short JTI_18V Connects LM53635 to TPS7A700 for 18-V rail Connects LMZ14201 to TPS7A700 for 18-V rail Short pins 1 and 2 JSI_5V Power to LM53635 5-V rail — Short JTI_5V Connects LM53635 to TPS7A700 for 5-V rail Connects LMZ14203 to TPS7A700 for 5-V rail Short pins 1 and 2 JSI_3.3V Power to LM53635 3.3-V rail — Short JTI_3.3V Connects LM53635 to TPS7A700 for 3.3-V rail Connects LMZ14202 to TPS7A700 for 3.3-V rail Short pins 1 and 2 JPRI_-18V Power to LM46001 –18-V rail — Short JTI_18V Connects LM46001 to TPS7A3001 for –18-V rail Connects LM5574 to TPS7A3001 for –18-V rail Short pins 1 and 2 JMTI_-18V Power to LM5574 –18-V rail — Open JZI_18V Power to LMZ14201 18-V rail — Open JZI_3.3V Power to LMZ14202 3.3-V rail — Open JZI_5V Power to LMZ14203 5-V rail — Open J39 Connects –0.2-V rail to OPA625 and THS4551 Shorts –0.2-V rail to ground Short pins 1 and 2 TIDUDE2A – September 2017 – Revised January 2018 Submit Documentation Feedback ADC Voltage Reference Buffer Optimization Reference Design for HighPerformance DAQ Systems Copyright © 2017–2018, Texas Instruments Incorporated 11 Hardware, Testing Requirements, and Test Results 3.2 www.ti.com Testing and Results An Audio Precision 2700 series signal generator is used as the signal source to test the AFE and ADC performance. The noise and THD of the AP2700 have adequate performance and do not limit measurements or the systems performance. A generic DC power supply generates the 24-V DC input voltage. A PHI controller board is used to connect the TIDA-01055 board to the host PC running the ADS9110 EVM GUI. This software allows for measuring SNR, THD, SFDR, SINAD, and ENOB for the ADC by running a spectral analysis. The AP2700 is set to output a 2-kHz 8-Vpk-pk sinusoid. 2 kHz is chosen because it is the standard frequency when measuring noise and THD, and 8-Vpk-pk grants the full range on the THS4551 or OPA625, thus granting the full range of 0 to VREF for the ADC. 3.2.1 OPA625 versus OPA837 Results Both the OPA625 and OPA837 are used in the dual-stage composite buffer to drive the REF pin of the ADS9110. Both op amps are exceptional devices when used as buffers, but the newer OPA837 provides the same great performance with lower power consumption. This test is performed to compare system performance when using the OPA625 and then replacing it with the OPA837. Figure 19. OPA625 With Buffer Spectral Analysis Figure 20. OPA837 With Buffer Spectral Analysis Figure 19 shows the performance of the system when using the OPA625. It is very similar to Figure 20, which is the system performance when the OPA625 is replaced with the OPA837. The system performance of each op amp is comparable, which is expected due to the simulations. The OPA837 provides the same great performance as the commonly used OPA625, and coupled with its improved power efficiency makes this device a better option. Some applications require the DAQ to capture data in bursts. The ADC needs to have sufficient precision for the first few samples when burst sampling. This requirement makes the settling time and voltage droop of the reference critical because it limits the accuracy of the first few samples. These specifications are measured for both of the op amps and the waveforms are combined for comparison. 12 ADC Voltage Reference Buffer Optimization Reference Design for HighPerformance DAQ Systems TIDUDE2A – September 2017 – Revised January 2018 Submit Documentation Feedback Copyright © 2017–2018, Texas Instruments Incorporated Hardware, Testing Requirements, and Test Results www.ti.com Figure 21 shows the reference settling analysis for both op amps. From the comparison, the OPA837 outperforms the OPA625 with its smaller voltage droop and quicker settling time. This helps solidify the OPA837 as the better option for the composite buffer. Figure 21. Reference Settling Analysis 3.2.2 Thick Trace versus Thin Trace Results This design has two different trace options that connect the reference voltage to the REF pin of the ADS9110. This is to illustrate how a non-ideal layout can impact the system performance of a highperformance ADC. One of the traces is thick with a short length, and the other trace is thin with a long length. The long thin trace is not ideal because it has more resistance than the thick trace. Figure 22 and Figure 23 compare the performances of the thick trace and thin trace using the OPA837 in the buffer system. Figure 22. Spectral Analysis Using Thick Trace Figure 23. Spectral Analysis Using Thin Trace From the comparison, the thin trace causes a large amount of performance degradation compared to the thick trace. Most of that degradation is attributed to the trace length, causing it to function as an antenna and coupling with the EMI from the power supplies. The higher resistance of the thin trace causes variations in the sampling capacitor charging time, which causes distortion adding to the THD. To see how the traces are laid out, see Section 4.3. TIDUDE2A – September 2017 – Revised January 2018 Submit Documentation Feedback ADC Voltage Reference Buffer Optimization Reference Design for HighPerformance DAQ Systems Copyright © 2017–2018, Texas Instruments Incorporated 13 Hardware, Testing Requirements, and Test Results 3.2.3 www.ti.com REF6041 Results The REF6041 is another option for the ADC reference voltage that is included in this reference design. This device is put through the same simulations as the REF5040 and the dual stage composite buffer. In these simulations, the REF6041 performed similar to both op amps used in the buffer. Figure 24. REF6041 Noise Analysis Results Figure 25. REF6041 DC Analysis The noise performance of the REF6041 is comparable with both op-amps, but the power consumption is quite a bit lower. However, this device falls short in its current driving capability of only 4 mA. This is an important specifications to consider when using multiple ADCs in the system. The REF6041 is tested with the two ADCs in this design, and it is not able to successfully drive both. A TINA-TI simulation is made to verify results obtained from testing. Figure 26. REF6041 Spectral Analysis Figure 27. REF6041 Transient Analysis Results Figure 26 shows the spectral analysis performed on the ADC output. The system performance is horrible when the REF6041 is used to drive two ADS9110 ADCs at 2 MSPS. The TINA-TI simulation results in Figure 27 show the voltage and current output of the REF6041. Notice how the voltage "VREF" slowly drops as more and more samples are being taken. Markers are set to measure the voltage drop of 1.06 mV from the first sample to the last in the 50-µs window. The RMS value of the current "Iout" was taken to average out the current spikes from each sample. This RMS current value is 8 mA, which exceeds the drive capability of the REF6041. A good representation of how this affects the output of the ADC is displayed in Figure 28. 14 ADC Voltage Reference Buffer Optimization Reference Design for HighPerformance DAQ Systems TIDUDE2A – September 2017 – Revised January 2018 Submit Documentation Feedback Copyright © 2017–2018, Texas Instruments Incorporated Hardware, Testing Requirements, and Test Results www.ti.com Figure 28. REF6041 Time Domain Waveform Figure 28 displays the results from Figure 26 in the time domain. The waveforms magnitude begins to gradually increase as more samples are taken and then the waveform starts to clip after around 20,000 samples. The input signal amplitude is not actually increasing, but the REF6041 output voltage is not able to recover back to the 4.096 V as seen in the TINA-TI simulation. Therefore, the ADC samples with a lower reference voltage and the full-scale range is decreasing to a point below the input signal amplitude causing the clipping. The results of all these tests help highlight the benefit of using the dual-stage composite buffer with the OPA837. The system performance is identical to the OPA625 and it accomplishes this at lower power consumption. The REF6041 is a great device for providing a reference voltage for a single 18-bit ADC sampling at 2 MSPS. However, this reference design is meant for end-equipment with a high number of channels containing ADCs. The REF5040 with the composite buffer is able to drive multiple ADCs with great performance. This coupled with the power consumption improvement of the OPA837, makes it the better option over using a REF6041 with each ADC in the system. Lastly, consider the layout of this reference driver as the system performance is greatly impacted by a non-ideal layout. The trace must be thick enough not to add additional resistance and short enough not to act as an antenna for any radiated signals to couple to. Table 3 highlights all of the results taken from each test to help observe the performance differences, including test results for the REF6041 driving only one ADC. Table 3. Summary of Measured Results LAYOUT OPTION BUFFER ARCHITECTURE REFERENCE DEVICE Thick trace OPA625 REF5040 96.66 96.64 –119.15 121.32 15.76 Thick trace OPA837 REF5040 96.70 96.68 –119.76 121.87 15.77 Thin trace OPA625 REF5040 96.50 96.39 –112.40 112.82 15.72 Thin trace OPA837 REF5040 96.62 96.67 –114.00 114.65 15.74 Thick trace — REF6041 96.70 96.67 –117.87 118.99 15.77 TIDUDE2A – September 2017 – Revised January 2018 Submit Documentation Feedback SNR (dB) SINAD (dB) THD (dB) SFDR (dB) ENOB (Bits) ADC Voltage Reference Buffer Optimization Reference Design for HighPerformance DAQ Systems Copyright © 2017–2018, Texas Instruments Incorporated 15 Design Files www.ti.com 4 Design Files 4.1 Schematics To download the schematics, see the design files at TIDA-01055. 4.2 Bill of Materials To download the bill of materials (BOM), see the design files at TIDA-01055. 4.3 PCB Layout Recommendations This reference design contains two layout options for the ADC reference voltage circuit. One is an ideal layout where the trace connected to the ADC REF pin is thick and has a short length. The non-ideal layout option has a long, thin trace connected to the ADC REF pin. Figure 29 and Figure 30 show these two different traces. Thick Trace Thick Trace Figure 29. Thick Trace Layout Figure 30. Thin Trace Layout The thick trace is labeled VREF and the thin trace is labeled VREF1 though it cannot be seen due to the magnification. The thick trace is routed in a direct manner to the REF pin from the source, and the thin trace is routed to emulate the length of trace in a system with several of these channels. The thin trace is long and is routed by various power supplies making it susceptible to EMI coupling. For more layout recommendations regarding the AFE or the power design, see the TIDA-01050 and TIDA-01054 reference designs. 4.3.1 Layout Prints To download the layer plots, see the design files at TIDA-01055. 4.4 Altium Project To download the Altium project files, see the design files at TIDA-01055. 4.5 Gerber Files To download the Gerber files, see the design files at TIDA-01055. 16 ADC Voltage Reference Buffer Optimization Reference Design for HighPerformance DAQ Systems TIDUDE2A – September 2017 – Revised January 2018 Submit Documentation Feedback Copyright © 2017–2018, Texas Instruments Incorporated Design Files www.ti.com 4.6 Assembly Drawings To download the assembly drawings, see the design files at TIDA-01055. 5 Software Files To download the software files, see the design files at TIDA-01055. 6 Related Documentation 1. Texas Instruments, TIDA-01052 ADC Driver Reference Design Improving Full-Scale THD Using Negative Supply Design Guide 2. Texas Instruments, TIDA-01054 Multi-Rail Power Reference Design for Eliminating EMI Effects in High-Performance DAQ Systems Design Guide 3. Texas Instruments, TIPD113 18-Bit, 1-MSPS Data Acquisition (DAQ) Block Optimized for Lowest Power Design Guide 4. Texas Instruments, TIPD115 18-Bit, 1MSPS Data Acquisition Block (DAQ) Optimized for Lowest Distortion and Noise Design Guide 6.1 Trademarks E2E, TINA-TI are trademarks of Texas Instruments. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. 7 About the Authors DYLAN HUBBARD is a systems engineer at Texas Instruments, where he is responsible for developing reference design solutions for the test and measurement industry. Dylan obtained his bachelor's degree from Texas A&M University in Electronic Systems Engineering Technology (ESET). TARAS DUDAR is a systems design engineer and architect at Texas Instruments, where he is responsible for developing reference design solutions for the test and measurement industry. Previously, Taras designed high-speed analog SOC integrated circuits for Gbps data communications. Taras has earned his master of science in electrical engineering (MSEE) degree from the Oregon State University in Corvallis, OR. TIDUDE2A – September 2017 – Revised January 2018 Submit Documentation Feedback ADC Voltage Reference Buffer Optimization Reference Design for HighPerformance DAQ Systems Copyright © 2017–2018, Texas Instruments Incorporated 17 Revision History www.ti.com Revision History NOTE: Page numbers for previous revisions may differ from page numbers in the current version. Changes from Original (September 2017) to A Revision ............................................................................................... Page • • 18 Added OPA378 to Resources ........................................................................................................... 1 Added Section 2.3.4: OPA378........................................................................................................... 9 Revision History TIDUDE2A – September 2017 – Revised January 2018 Submit Documentation Feedback Copyright © 2017–2018, Texas Instruments Incorporated IMPORTANT NOTICE FOR TI DESIGN INFORMATION AND RESOURCES Texas Instruments Incorporated (‘TI”) technical, application or other design advice, services or information, including, but not limited to, reference designs and materials relating to evaluation modules, (collectively, “TI Resources”) are intended to assist designers who are developing applications that incorporate TI products; by downloading, accessing or using any particular TI Resource in any way, you (individually or, if you are acting on behalf of a company, your company) agree to use it solely for this purpose and subject to the terms of this Notice. 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