High-Accuracy Settling Time Measurements

Abstract

Methods are described for measuring the settling times and other dynamic characteristics of voltage and current output D/A converters (DAC's), operational amplifiers, and precision voltage step generators. Circuits are described for measuring voltage-output device settling times as short as 1 As to within a settling error of ±2 ppm, and current-output device settling times as short as 40 ns to within a settling error of ±0.012 percent.

Component and measurement advances ensure 16-bit DAC settling time

“…Use coaxially mounting probe tip adapters! 6 Figures G1 to G10 restate the above sermon in visual form while annotating the text's measurement circuits. …”

An Automatic Test Set for the Dynamic Characterization of A/D Converters

“…The settling time of the pulse returning to the transition level has been measured at the test converter's input using the second circuit described in [5]. The pulse was found to return to within 2 ppm (of full-scale range) of the transition level in under 2 us following a step change of 20 V. The limiting factor for the settling time is thought to be feedthrough of the gating signal through the 60 pF of FET gate-drain capacitance.…”

Analyzing DAC waveform distortion due to finite settling time

“…Settling time measurement is usually approached through the false sum node technique, which requires a wideband oscilloscope with time equivalent sampling functionalities, plus a dedicated circuitry made up of bounding diodes, reference voltage, and resistor dividers. In practical implementations, further hardware is required to make the oscilloscope immune to overdrive, as well as to control temperature variations and avoid voltage drifts [1]- [3].…”