1. What Is ADC Resolution?

ADC (Analog-to-Digital Converter) resolution refers to the smallest voltage change that an ADC can detect and represent digitally. It determines the precision of the analog-to-digital conversion process and is a critical parameter in data acquisition systems.

2. How Does The Calculator Work?

The calculator uses the ADC resolution formula:

Where:

• \( Full\ Scale \) — Maximum input voltage range of the ADC (V)
• \( n \) — Number of bits in the ADC
• \( 2^n \) — Total number of discrete levels the ADC can represent

Explanation: The resolution represents the voltage difference between adjacent digital codes. A higher number of bits results in finer resolution and better measurement precision.

3. Importance Of ADC Resolution

Details: ADC resolution directly impacts measurement accuracy in applications such as sensor interfacing, audio processing, instrumentation, and control systems. Higher resolution allows for more precise signal representation but may require more processing power and memory.

4. Using The Calculator

Tips: Enter the full-scale voltage range of your ADC and the number of bits. Ensure values are positive (full scale > 0, bits between 1-32). The calculator will compute the smallest detectable voltage change.

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: What is the difference between resolution and accuracy?
A: Resolution is the smallest detectable change, while accuracy refers to how close the measured value is to the true value. An ADC can have high resolution but poor accuracy due to various error sources.

Q2: How does resolution affect signal-to-noise ratio?
A: Higher resolution generally improves SNR as it allows detection of smaller signal variations relative to noise, up to the theoretical limit of 6.02 × n + 1.76 dB.

Q3: What are typical ADC resolutions?
A: Common resolutions include 8-bit (consumer audio), 12-bit (industrial sensors), 16-bit (professional audio), and 24-bit (high-precision measurements).

Q4: Can I improve resolution without changing ADC?
A: Techniques like oversampling and averaging can effectively increase resolution by reducing noise, but this requires additional processing and sampling rate.

Q5: What is LSB in ADC terms?
A: LSB (Least Significant Bit) represents the voltage value of the smallest code change, which is equivalent to the resolution calculated by this formula.