Low-power ADCs
Imec has an unparalleled track record when it comes to designing analog-to-digital converters. They combine high performance with low power consumption. You can license them for your SoCs or join our research into the next generation of ADCs.
Whatever the future brings, there’s at least one certainty: we will transmit massively more data at ever higher speeds – through both wireless and wired connections.
To accommodate this data explosion, all parts of our connectivity infrastructure need to step up their game. That’s especially true for those major workhorses of radio transceivers: analog-digital converters (ADC).
When it comes to ADCs, enabling higher data rates by increasing the bandwidth is only half of the story. Energy efficiency is also a major concern. At least if we want to avoid that future wireless radio transceivers drain the batteries of our devices. Or that their overheating leads to performance losses.
Imec has a long track-record of designing high-performing, low-power ADCs which are available for licensing. And in our research programs we’re exploring new architectures for ADCs that can keep up with the demands of beyond 5G and next-generation wireline connectivity.
At ISSCC 2024, imec unveiled its breakthrough ADC architecture for very-high-speed wireline applications, excelling in area and power efficiency.
Imec's 42GS/s 7b massively time-interleaved slope-ADC prototype chip.
Build on our low-power ADC IP
Imec's experts leverage the most advanced commercially available CMOS nodes. They have been consistently able to design innovative ADC architectures. To increase performance while limiting energy use.
The figure below illustrates how imec’s low-power ADC architectures (the colored symbols) compare to others. And how we keep on pushing these towards wider bandwidths in our research program.
Are you working on a radio system that could benefit from one of such low-power ADC components? Then you can license them from imec in a white box IP formula. This means you can tailor our IP to your system needs because we provide you with:
- the full design database
- evaluation board
- documentation, such as design and measurement reports
- training and support, including tutorial and hands-on workshop
Want to discuss your challenge?
Join our research into next-gen analog-to-digital converters
Imec is determined to stay at the vanguard when it comes the development of the next generations of ADCs. We want ensure that they align with the needs of future systems. That's why we closely cooperate with imec’s broad connectivity research programs into advanced RF and next-generation wireline.
By joining our low-power ADC research program, you not only profit from early insights into the results. You also get the chance to help shape our roadmap and possibly receive the full IP.
