Improving ADC Resolution by Oversampling and Averaging

Many applications require measurements using an analog-to-digital converter (ADC). Such applications have resolution requirements based in the signal's dynamic range (the smallest change in a parameter that must be measured) and the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). For this reason, many systems employ an off-chip ADC with higher resolution. However, there are techniques that can be used to achieve higher resolution measurements and SNR.

This application note describes how to use oversampling and averaging to increase the resolution and SNR of analog-to-digital conversions. Oversampling and averaging can increase the resolution of a measurement without resorting to the cost and complexity of using expensive off-chip ADCs.