What Are ADC and DAC? (Analog-Digital Conversion)
An ADC (Analog-to-Digital Converter) and a DAC (Digital-to-Analog Converter) are circuits that bridge the analog and digital worlds. Jobs like reading sensors and producing sound rely on these conversions.
What Is an ADC? (Analog → Digital)
An ADC converts a continuous analog signal (e.g. the voltage of a temperature sensor) into a binary number. This lets a microcontroller process a real-world value.
What Is a DAC? (Digital → Analog)
A DAC does the reverse: it converts a digital number into an analog voltage. When playing music, it converts the digital audio data into the analog wave a speaker can understand.
Resolution and Sampling
Two concepts determine the quality: resolution (how many bits → how many steps) and sampling rate (how many measurements per second).
| Resolution | Number of steps | Precision |
|---|---|---|
| 8-bit | 256 | Coarse |
| 10-bit | 1,024 | Medium (common MCU) |
| 12-bit | 4,096 | Good |
| 16-bit | 65,536 | High (audio/measurement) |
Where Is It Used?
Sensor reading (temperature, light, sound), producing sound with PWM, measurement instruments and digital oscilloscopes use ADC/DAC.
Common Mistakes
- Skipping the reference voltage: an ADC measurement is relative to the reference voltage; if the reference is unstable, the reading drifts.
- Low sampling: a signal must be sampled at least twice its highest frequency (to prevent aliasing).
- Overstating resolution: extra bits give no real precision on a noisy signal.
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the difference between an ADC and a DAC?+
What does resolution determine?+
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