Applicos

The ATX7006 is a fully integrated solution for testing ADCs, DACs and other Analog functions. It combines very high accuracy, low noise and fast sampling with an exceptional ease of use. Traditionally data converters are tested using a whole stack of bench instruments, filters, switch matrices and user made software. Many engineering hours are needed to get reliable results. The ATX7006 is a single instrument for all your data converter testing and test methods.

This means you can concentrate on testing your converters rather than fine-tuning the test set-up. The ATX7006 is capable of testing converters from 4 to 24-bit. Its versatile digital I/O makes interfacing to the DUT easy, even for embedded converters. The Single Reference Architecture improves the stability and reduces calibration effort. The backplane distributed clock ensures coherent measuring.

The ATX7006 is also very suitable as an add-on upgrade for ATE systems.

INL / DNL measurement of a 14-bit / 65Msps ADC

General:

The ATX7006 is a modular system that can be configured according the user's needs. The available Generator and Digitizer modules cover the range from low speed high accuracy testing to high speed medium accuracy testing. Auxiliary modules provide all other signal needs like Reference voltages, Supply voltages, clocks and Digital IO. The ATX7006 measures linearity parameters just as easy as dynamic parameters, all within the same test set-up.

The system controller runs Windows™ XP-embedded and gives the user full access to software features. For production style testing the ATX7006 can run stand alone. For analysis style measurements a PC is used to control the measurement and to display the results. There are three communication possibilities; Ethernet, GPIB and USB. The controller supports the Lua scripting language providing an easy way to add user defined test methods and calculation routines.

Performance:

The ATX7006 has been designed with one important goal in mind: low system noise. It therefore has linear power supplies for the analog section and thorough Shielding and Grounding to maintain analog signal integrity even in a harsh production environment. The DIO module can provide a low jitter sample clock that is distributed to all other modules and to the DUT.

The standard 20-bit Generator and Digitizer modules offer an outstanding DC accuracy in combination with better than 100dB dynamic performance at sample rates up to 2Msps. The 16-bit modules allow testing up to 400Msps. The ATX7006 features auto calibration and built-in self test.

Capabilities:

Linearity

• Offset error, Gain error, Full scale error
• INLE, DNLE, TUE, Transition noise (jitter)

Dynamic

• SNR, SINAD, ENOB
• THD, SFDR, Peak Spurious, PSRR

Software:

The ATX7006 is a command driven system that can easily be controlled from almost any programming environment.

Command level communication with the ATX7006 using ATCom (ID request and measure voltage at DRS channel1)

With ATCom commands can be sent and results read. This allows testing command sequences before implementing them in software. LabView drivers are also available.

ATView:

The ATX7006 comes with ATView, a sophisticated software package for configuring, programming and controlling the ATX7006 and analyzing the results.

Example of ATView instrument panels

Setting up a test is just a matter of filling in the fields of the instrument panels, program a digital pattern if applicable, and press the START button. After a test the results are viewed in the WaveAnalyzer. The WaveAnalyzer can show the results of time domain, frequency domain and histogram tests. Zoom, stack, and cursor functions are available at any level.

Stacked linearity result of two different 16-bit DAC devices

When saving test results all settings are included. So when reviewing the results later, there never has to be any doubt about the exact conditions. Results and settings are stored in human readable XML format which allows easy user processing. Export in CVS format is possible and graphs can be saved in graphical format for easy importation into reports.

Dynamic result of a 14-bit/70Msps ADC

Test Methods:

All standard data converter test methods are supported. Dynamic parameters are measured with sine waves and the results can be analyzed in time domain as well as in frequency domain. Static parameters can be measured with direct ramp testing or with histogram testing. Histogram testing is supported for ramp, triangle and sine wave signals.

Example of a digital pattern, editable with the mouse or a script