AD/DA conversion

What does it mean for a DA converter to be monotonic?

  1. AIncreasing the input code always decreases the output
  2. BThe output never decreases when the input code is increased
  3. CIts output is always constant
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Answer: B. The output never decreases when the input code is increased

Monotonicity means that the output never decreases when the input code increases by one. A DAC can lose monotonicity if its DNL is worse than −1 LSB. When a DAC is used inside a control loop, non-monotonic behavior can cause oscillation or malfunction.

  • A. An output that drops as the input rises is a loss of monotonicity.
  • B. Correct. The output does not decrease as the code increases.
  • C. A constant output would not function as a converter.
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More AD/DA conversion questions

  1. What is the drawback of a binary-weighted resistor DAC, which assigns a different resistor (R, 2R, 4R, ...) to each bit?
  2. How many comparators does a 3-bit flash AD converter need?
  3. If a 10 kHz sine wave is sampled at 12 kHz without an anti-aliasing filter, at what frequency does it appear?
  4. Which correctly describes the SFDR (spurious-free dynamic range) of an AD converter?
  5. How many comparisons does an N-bit successive-approximation AD converter basically perform per conversion?