Model order determination and segmentation of analog-digital converters integral non linearity

Analog-digital converter (ADC) integral nonlinearity (INL) modeling is investigated. The model is comprised of two entities: a low code frequency (LCF) component modeled by an L-order polynomial, and a static high code frequency component (HCF), modeled by P linear disjoint segments centered around zero. Both model components are functions of the ADC output code k. A methodical way of estimating the LCF polynomial order L and the set of segments (number of and their borders), is suggested. The method computes the polynomial order L and the set of segments (number and borders) that minimizes the root mean square (RMS) distance between the INL data and its model. The method is applied to measured INL sequences of a 12-bit Analog Devices pipeline ADC (AD9430).