Breakthrough D/A converter enhances television viewing experience

Analog Devices has introduced a new D/A converter that brings the future of television to today's home viewers, enabling them to enjoy ultra–high-definition (UHD) and 4K television across more channels at unprecedented streaming and download speeds. The AD9162 D/A converter represents a breakthrough for the industry because it provides broadband and wireless service operators with the industry’s highest bandwidth and dynamic range to satisfy rising consumer demand for higher quality, always-on data and video streaming without requiring expensive, large-scale architecture or converter design changes. The 16-bit, 12GSPS AD9162 converter’s best-in-class 2.5GHz bandwidth exceeds the 1.794GHz optional future requirement specified by the cable industry’s DOCSIS 3.1 standard by nearly 40 percent. The wider bandwidth affords cable operators the ability to plan next-generation network upgrades and capacity expansions without changing converter designs, which reduces product development time and engineering resources. The AD9162 converter’s industry-best dynamic range (-82dBc SFDR at -167dBm/Hz NSD) allows designers to synthesize signals across a wide frequency spectrum from direct-to-RF up to 6GHz. In wireless applications, this eliminates an IF-to-RF up-conversion stage and local oscillator generation, reducing base station component count, size and power consumption. The AD9162 supports all wireless communications infrastructure protocols (WCDMA, LTE, LTE-A, point-to-point), enabling advanced multiband and multi-standard radio designs. The AD9162 converter features a 2x interpolator (FIR85) that enables configurations for lower data rates and converter clocking to reduce overall system power and ease filtering requirements. In mix-mode operation, the RF D/A converters can be configured to reconstruct RF carriers in the 2nd and 3rd Nyquist zones up to 7.5GHz while maintaining exceptional dynamic range, says the company.