Applications Engineering Notebook

MT-227
One Technology Way • P.O. Box 9106 • Norwood, MA 02062-9106, U.S.A. • Tel: 781.329.4700 • Fax: 781.461.3113 • www.analog.com

Operating a Typical High Speed

ADC Evaluation Board Setup
by the Applications Engineering Group POWER SUPPLY
Analog Devices, Inc. INPUT
VREF

DATA
ANALOG
IN THIS NOTEBOOK INPUT
ADC
OUTPUT

This notebook discusses what to consider when setting up CLOCK

INPUT
evaluation board hardware and software.
CONTROL
GND
EVALUATION BOARD
CONSIDERATIONS

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The Applications Engineering Notebook Educational Series

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction .......................................................................................2 Using the Software for Testing ........................................................ 4
Typical Evaluation Board .............................................................2 Baseline FFT Performance ........................................................... 6
Hardware Configuration ..............................................................3 Troubleshooting Basics..................................................................... 8
Setting Up the Evaluation Board ............................................ 3 For Further Information .............................................................. 8

REVISION HISTORY
2/12—Revision 0: Initial Version

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MT-227 Applications Engineering Notebook

INTRODUCTION
This mini tutorial provides an operating overview and For example purposes only, this mini tutorial uses the AD9268
troubleshooting tips for the typical device-under-test (DUT) ADC evaluation board and the Analog Devices HSC-ADC-
evaluation board (EVB) setup that is commonly available for EVALCZ and VisualAnalog® software package. Figures of screen
high speed analog-to-digital integrated circuits. shots of an actual software configuration and of spectral plots of
To observe and measure the DUT operating under a specific set the hardware are included.
of user-defined input conditions, the evaluation board generally The AD9268 is a dual, 16-bit, 80 MSPS/105 MSPS/125 MSPS
provides external connections for the analog input and the high performance ADC. As usual in cases for products avail-
clocking source. A separate universal data capture board with able in multiple sampling rates, there is an evaluation board
a control software package connects to the EVB to perform specifically designed for each speed range. For example, the
spectral analysis of the ADC’s output data. part numbers for the various speed ranges of EVBs are
AD9268-80EBZ, AD9268-105EBZ, and AD9268-125EBZ.
TYPICAL EVALUATION BOARD
Figure 1 shows the typical real-world bench characterization The typical factory-supplied EVB provides all of the support
setup that is available to evaluate the ac performance of a high circuitry required to operate the selected ADC (DUT) in its
speed ADC. various modes and configurations.

WALL OUTLET
100V TO 240V AC
47Hz TO 63Hz
SWITCHING
POWER
SUPPLY

SWITCHING
POWER 6V DC
SUPPLY 2A MAX

SIGNAL GENERATOR

6V DC
2A MAX
ANALOG FILTER

SIGNAL GENERATOR

ANALOG FILTER

PC RUNNING
VISUAL ANALOG AND
SPI CONTROLLER
USER SOFTWARE

SIGNAL GENERATOR
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CLOCK SOURCE

Figure 1. Typical High Speed ADC Evaluation Setup

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Applications Engineering Notebook MT-227
HARDWARE CONFIGURATION
Evaluation board kits include a user’s guide (UG) and set- Setting Up the Evaluation Board
up software for configuring the EVB and DUT. Follow the The following are instructions and considerations for setting
instructions and guidelines contained in the UG to insure up the AD9268 EVB to perform an FFT for spectral analysis
that optimum performance from the DUT is realized. of a given input signal. For the ADC evaluation board analog
The performance of the analog input source, clock source, input signal
and power supplies in the setup must be appropriately guard- • Use a clean signal generator with low phase noise to
banded in order to ensure that the DUT can meet the provide an input signal to the desired A and/or B
specifications detailed in the product data sheet. The data channel(s).
capture setup also includes user instructions and software,
• Use a 1 m, shielded, RG-58, 50 Ω coaxial cable to connect
and must be configured per its guidelines to operate most
the signal generator.
effectively.
• For best results, use a narrow-band band-pass filter with
50 Ω terminations and an appropriate center frequency.

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USING THE SOFTWARE FOR TESTING

After configuring the desired input signal and clock on the EVB, set up the ADC for data capture using the following steps:
1. Open VisualAnalog on the connected PC.
If the evaluation platform is properly connected, the dialog box displays an open folder for the particular high speed ADC that is in
use as shown in Figure 2.
2. Choose a product model template to begin evaluation of the ADC. If there is no open folder, consult the Troubleshooting Basics
section.

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Figure 2. VisualAnalog Product Model Template and Software Setup

Note that once power is applied to the AD9268 evaluation board, the device is powered down. To wake up the device,
VisualAnalog automatically pulls the SDIO/PWDN pin low.
3. After the template is selected, a message appears asking if the default configuration can be used to program the FPGA. Click Yes
to close the window. Figure 3 shows the VisualAnalog screen that appears after a template is selected.

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Applications Engineering Notebook MT-227

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Figure 3. VisualAnalog Software Setup, Working in a Canvas Template

By default, the plot is hidden, but it can be shown by clicking the expand button in the upper right hand corner.
Figure 3 shows an FFT plot from the AD9268 model in ADIsimADC™, the Analog Devices, Inc., analog-to-digital behavioral
model that accurately models the typical performance characteristics of many high speed converters. A side-by-side comparison
of the model and hardware can be evaluated in VisualAnalog.
4. Open the SPIController software by selecting Start > SPIController or by double-clicking the SPIController software desktop
icon.
5. Click the New DUT button in the SPIController window. In the ADCBase 0 tab of the SPIController window, all global register
settings can be accessed. The SPI Controller software can be used to change or understand any of the features that can be
enabled via the ADC’s SPI port.

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BASELINE FFT PERFORMANCE
Figure 4 shows a dialog box of the AD9268 ADCBase 0 tab and its global features.

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Figure 4. Typical SPIController Software Setup

Figure 5 shows a scaled-up version of the baseline FFT performance from the AD9268 evaluation board based on the setup described in
this document.

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Figure 5. Typical Frequency Domain Performance

Figure 6 shows a scaled-up version of baseline time domain performance from the AD9268 evaluation board based on the setup
described.

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Figure 6. Typical AD9268 Time Domain Performance

Figure 7 shows a scaled-up version of baseline FFT performance from the AD9268 evaluation board using the setup, but without
a filter on the output of the signal generator. Note that all signal generators, regardless of their jitter performance rating, have
significant spurious content. Use a good filter with excellent stop-band rejection to eliminate the signal generator’s spurious content.
See AN-835 Application Note, Understanding High Speed ADC Testing and Evaluation for the type of filters that are recommended
for ADC evaluation.

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Figure 7. AD9268 FFT Plot with No Input Filter Applied to Analog Input

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MT-227 Applications Engineering Notebook

TROUBLESHOOTING BASICS
Follow these basic troubleshooting steps if you experience • The latest evaluation software and tools may have part
difficulty operating a high speed ADC evaluation setup: recognition, be pre-programmed, and have configured
• Verify that there is power at the IC, ADC, or DUT. Many canvases, but make sure the software is configured
problems are solved when the correct supply bias is applied correctly.
to the correct pins. • Sometimes the selected test equipment lacks the
• Verify that the part is soldered down correctly. Poor performance guard band to properly measure the data
manufacturing can lead to half-soldered down parts converter’s data sheet performance. This may include
because there is either too much solder paste or not signal generators, clock sources, filters, cables, oscillators,
enough. When appropriate, check that the solder slug/ and so on.
Epad is correctly applied. Misapplication can lead to FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
shorted connections, or poor electrical and thermal
For more detailed information, see the AD9268 data sheet as
connectivity to the PCB.
well as the following application notes, available on analog.com:
• Look for faulty test set-up connections. Sometimes faulty
cables and connectors make data converter performance • AN-835 Application Note, Understanding High Speed ADC
poor or result in intermittent operation. Very long USB Testing and Evaluation
cables connecting the DUT to the PC can also create data • AN-877 Application Note, Interfacing to High Speed ADCs
capture problems. via SPI
• AN-878 Application Note, High Speed ADC SPI Control
Software

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