Terminology » Delta Sigma ADC : Key Advantages and disadvantages

Delta Sigma ADC : Key Advantages and disadvantages

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Introduction : A Delta Sigma ADC converts analog signals into high resolution digital output by oversampling and noise shaping. It uses a modulator to produce a high frequency bitstream, which is then filtered and decimated to produce the final digital word. These ADCs excel in audio and precision measurement systems.

Delta Sigma ADC

Sigma Delta ADC

Figure : Sigma Delta ADC

Figure shows the block diagram of a Sigma Delta ADC. The Serial Output is proportional to the analog input voltage.

Advantages of Delta Sigma ADC

Following are some of the benefits of Delta Sigma ADC.

  1. It supports highest resolution available.
  2. It offers excellent linearity.
  3. It supports inherent anti-aliasing (in CT implementations).
  4. It is robust to component mismatches.
  5. It offers good power efficiency at low speeds.

Disadvantages of Delta Sigma ADC

Following are some of the drawbacks of Delta Sigma ADC.

  1. It supports limited bandwidth.
  2. It offers high latency due to digital filtering.
  3. It uses complex digital signal processing (DSP) in its design.
  4. It has stability concerns in high order based loop designs.

Conclusion : Delta Sigma ADCs provide high accuracy and excellent noise performance, but they have slower conversion speeds due to oversampling. They are ideal for applications that require high resolution rather than high speed.