Modeling Timing Jitter Effects in Digital-to-Analog Converters

Digital-to-analog converters (DACs) whose time base is affected by deterministic jitter are dealt with. A new model is particularly proposed, which is capable of describing how the desired spectral features of the analog waveform at the output of a DAC are distorted by the presence of sinusoidal timing jitter. In addition to a detailed description of the model, very practical and usable relations are given to make its use very straightforward. Efficacy and reliability of the model are assessed through several experiments on an actual DAC. Jitter effects predicted by the model are compared with those measured on the analog output signals. Special attention is paid to sinusoidal signals, which represent a key stimulus in a variety of application fields. Some tests are also conducted on more complex signals, such as digitally modulated signals peculiar to modern communication systems.