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Analog-to-Digital Converters (ADCs) are widely used for bringing an analog signal into the digital world, where it can be efficiently processed and manipulated in embedded applications. An ADC simply converts a voltage level to a digital value. ADCs can be found as stand-alone ICs, or they can be integrated into a microcontroller (MCU) as an on-chip ADC.
Why Use an On-Chip ADC?
The vast majority of microcontrollers (MCUs) in our product portfolio feature on-chip ADCs. By using these integrated ADCs, you can save the cost of using a separate ADC and have a smaller footprint on your board layout since you’re not adding a separate component. On-chip ADCs also offer the following benefits when compared to their stand-alone counterparts:
Reduced Development Time
In addition to eliminating board layout issues, on-chip ADCs are easy to use and can be configured with just a few lines of code. This allows you to reduce the development time of both your software and hardware.
Increased System Flexibility
Since the integrated ADC has direct connections to the Central Processing Unit (CPU) and other integrated modules, you have more options for configuring the ADC to interact directly with other resources on your microcontroller. The integrated ADCs in 8-bit PIC® and AVR® MCUs can operate at 5V, which gives both a wider range and a better Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR) of your ADC readings than other integrated ADCs that run at 3.3V.
Lower Power Consumption
In PIC and AVR MCUs, the CPU can be put into sleep mode while the integrated ADC continues to operate using its dedicated clock source. Because the ADC can wake the CPU when necessary, you can lower the overall power consumption of your system.
Choose the Right ADC for Your Design
When choosing an ADC for your design, selecting a converter with the highest possible resolution result is always preferable; however, in many ADCs (both on-chip and standalone), high resolution carries a penalty in conversion speed. Therefore, you should pay attention to the tradeoffs involved during the selection process. Our 8-bit MCUs offer a wide range of converters with various speeds and resolutions, enabling you to build your application with the proper balance of analog capabilities.
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Bringing Analog Signals into the Digital World with PIC® and AVR® MCUs
Reading analog signals from the real world and then turning them into digital signals that a microcontroller (MCU) can understand is one of the most difficult tasks you will face when developing MCU-based sensor applications. Watch this Livestream to learn about some different techniques that you can use with Microchip's 8-bit PIC and AVR MCUs to significantly improve their accuracy and speed when reading analog signals.