High-Speed Digital-to-Analog Converter Design Towards High Dynamic Range

High-performance digital-to-analog converter (DAC) is demanded in many electronic systems requiring the synthesis of a high dynamic-range wideband signal. In the real implementation of a DAC, its sample rate and dynamic range (determined by linearity and noise) typically tradeoff with each other, limiting the achievable dynamic range for high-speed operation. This paper reviews recent advances in DAC architectures and discusses various relevant circuit and signal processing techniques that allow a DAC to potentially achieve a high speed and high dynamic range simultaneously. Lastly, findings relating to recent DAC silicon prototypes aiming in this direction will also be reviewed.