Choose The Right FFT Window Function When Evaluating Precision ADCs

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Choose The Right FFT Window Function When Evaluating Precision ADCs
Electronic Design Luis Chioye

uis !hioye, !ontri"uting Technical #$pert

Tue, 2013-11-12 15:15

%hen e&aluating the dynamic performance of precision analog'to'digital con&erters (AD!s) using fast Fourier transform (FFT) analysis, coherent sampling typically is used to accurately measure the noise and distortion spectral components in the FFT* In applications +here the coherent sampling criteria cannot "e met, a +indo+ +eighting function is applied to minimi,e spectral lea-age* Designers should -no+ ho+ to select an optimal FFT +indo+ing function +hen testing the performance of precision AD!s using a single'tone signal* On The Bench The FFT analysis is a common method used to characteri,e an AD!.s dynamic performance* This test method typically in&ol&es applying a pure, lo+'noise, lo+'distortion sinusoidal signal at the AD!.s inputs* Samples are ta-en o&er a time inter&al and perform the AD! data FFT to quantify the noise and distortion spectral components in the frequency domain* The FFT is an algorithm that quic-ly performs the discrete Fourier transform of the sampled time domain signal* The FFT requires a time domain record +ith a num"er of samples (M) that is a po+er of /* The FFT spectrum consists of M0/ discrete frequency "ins +ith a range from dc to fS0/, and a "in +idth of fS0M, +here fS is the sampling frequency* The FFT assumes the signal +ithin the time record is repetiti&e (Fig. 1)* If the samples on the time record do not start and stop +ithin the same &alue at the end points in the time domain frame, this is interpreted as a discontinuity in

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Choose The Right FFT Window Function When Evaluating Precision ADCs

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Analysis FFT 1rings Spectrum Analysis To The Scope

the +a&eform*

The a"rupt discontinuity at the record.s end points produces frequency components not present in the original signal, +hich introduces spectral lea-age in the FFT* This can "e understood "y loo-ing into the case +here the sampled signal is a sinusoid (Fig. 2)*

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Choose The Right FFT Window Function When Evaluating Precision ADCs

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!oherent sampling ensures that an integral num"er of cycles of the input signal is included +ithin the time frame* %hen coherent sampling is utili,ed, the resulting FFT displays only the frequencies corresponding to the input frequency and its harmonics* The criterion for coherent sampling is gi&en "y23 Mfi 4 5fS (3)

%here M is the num"er of samples in the data record, fi is the frequency of the input signal, 5 is an integer prime num"er of cycles of the input +a&eform in the data record, and fS is the sampling frequency* To accomplish coherent sampling, the input signal frequency and0or the sampling frequency is finely ad6usted to meet the relation in #quation 3* Figure 7 sho+s illustrates an FFT of a sinusoidal signal using coherent sampling*

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Choose The Right FFT Window Function When Evaluating Precision ADCs

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To precisely meet the coherent sampling criteria, the test setup requires a function generator that allo+s a fine ad6ustment of the input signal frequency* Additionally, the function generator typically is phase'loc-ed +ith the cloc-'signal generator used to trigger the sampling of the AD!* Windowing In applications +here the coherent sampling criteria cannot "e met, a +indo+ +eighting function can "e applied to the time record to minimi,e spectral lea-age* %indo+ing consists of multiplying the data in the time domain "y a +indo+ function (Fig. 4)*

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Choose The Right FFT Window Function When Evaluating Precision ADCs

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Different +indo+ functions are a&aila"le +ith different frequency response characteristics* !hoosing an optimal +indo+ for a specific application requires -no+ledge of the signals in&ol&ed, consideration of the frequency resolution, and the dynamic range requirements (Fig. 5)*

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Choose The Right FFT Window Function When Evaluating Precision ADCs

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In this application, a single'tone signal is used for dynamic testing of high'resolution AD!s* The optimal +indo+ function requires a high dynamic range to accurately resol&e noise and distortion components in the frequency spectrum* !onsider an ideal AD!, +here the signal'to'noise ratio (S89) is gi&en as a function of the num"er of "its (8)2 S89Ideal 4 :*;/ 8 < 3*=: (d1) (/)

Using #quation /, the S89 for an ideal 3>'"it AD! yields ?: d1, and the S89 for a 3:'"it AD! is @? d1* The necessary side lo"e attenuation le&el should e$ceed the dynamic range of the AD! under test "y some margin* The ta"le lists parameters used to characteri,e the frequency response of a fe+ +indo+ing functions* The Aann and Aamming +indo+s do not offer enough side lo"e attenuation to "e used to test high'resolution AD!s* The four'term 1lac-man'Aarris function has a side lo"e re6ection le&el that allo+s us to accurately test a 3/'"it AD! con&erter* Ao+e&er, this +indo+ is not adequate to resol&e the S89 of a 3:'"it resolution AD!* The se&en'term 1lac-man'Aarris has enough dynamic range to resol&e the FFT spectral components of a />'"it resolution AD!* %hen using a single'tone sinusoidal signal, the S89, +ith respect to the carrier, is calculated as the ratio of po+er of the tone signal (BSignal) to the po+er of the noise

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Choose The Right FFT Window Function When Evaluating Precision ADCs

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components in the spectrum (B8oise), e$cluding the harmonics of the signal as sho+n in2 S89d1 4 3;log3;(BSignal0B8oise) 4 BSignal(d1) C B8oise(d1) (7)

For e$ample, if the se&en'term 1lac-man'Aarris +indo+ is selected, the fundamental and its harmonics +ill spread across the +indo+ main lo"e +idth "ins (D= side "ins around the signal)* Therefore, prior to performing the S89 calculation, you need to remo&e these "ins around the signals +hen calculating the noise po+er* Brocessing loss is the reduction in S89 due to the signal spreading across the main lo"e +idth* 1ecause of this spreading in the signal po+er, a gain correction factor must "e used to accurately compute S89* The processing loss assumes the frequency of the test signal falls e$actly in the middle of the frequency "in* Since the input frequency may not match e$actly the frequency "in in a non'coherent test setup, the scalloping loss is the percei&ed signal attenuation in the FFT +hen the signal frequency component falls e$actly "et+een "ins* The worst-case processing loss is the sum of the processing loss and scalloping loss, and it pro&ides a measure of the ma$imum S89 reduction due to the +indo+ function and the +orst'case frequency location*/

Conclusion %hen e&aluating the dynamic performance of precision AD!s using FFT analysis, coherent sampling pro&ides the "est results* In cases +here coherent sampling cannot "e achie&ed, a +indo+ function +ith lo+'side lo"es is required to resol&e the noise and

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Choose The Right FFT Window Function When Evaluating Precision ADCs

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harmonic components in the frequency spectrum* For e$ample, +hen using non'coherent sampling, the S89 and TAD is estimated after applying an FFT +indo+ function and the processing loss correction factor*

References 3* Dominique Dallet and 5ose Machado da Sil&a (/;;E), Dynamic characterization of analogue-to-digital con erters! Dordrecht, the 8etherlands2 Springer, !hapter >, pp* ?:'?? /* 1ores Signal Brocessing, FFFT %indo+ Functions2 imits on FFT Analysis,G http200+++*"ores*com 7* Frederic- 5* Aarris, FOn the Use of %indo+s for Aarmonic Analysis +ith the Discrete Fourier Transform,G Broceedings of the I###, &ol ::, pp* E3'?7, 5anuary 3@=? >* For more information a"out AD!s, &isit +++*ti*com0adc'ca E* 8eed a trusted source to quic-ly find reference designs for your system designH TI Brecision Designsis a li"rary of complete "oard' and system'le&el circuits designed to help engineers quic-ly e&aluate and customi,e their systems +hile e$panding their analog -no+ledge "ase2 +++*ti*com0precisiondesigns'ca* Luis F. Chioye is an applications engineer with "#$s %recision &nalog group! where he
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Choose The Right FFT Window Function When Evaluating Precision ADCs

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is responsi'le for precision data con erters. (e recei ed his )* in electrical engineering from the +ni ersity of &rizona! "ucson! and his ,* in electrical engineering from -alden +ni ersity./"+ *chool of 0ngineering and &pplied *cience! ,inneapolis! ,inn. (e can 'e reached at ti1luischioye2list.ti.com.

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