AD7468BRT-R2 - 8-Bit 200kSPS Micro-Power ADC | Analog Devices
MPN: AD7468BRT-R2 ✗ End of Life| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $3.85 | $3.85 |
| 10 | $3.42 | $34.20 |
| 100 | $2.96 | $296.00 |
| 500 | $2.55 | $1,275.00 |
| 1,000 | $2.18 | $2,180.00 |
AD7468BRT-R2 Overview
A successive-approximation ADC is a type of data converter that converts an analog input voltage into a digital code by performing a binary search across an internal precision DAC, comparing the reconstructed voltage to the input on each clock cycle. The SAR architecture is prized for low power, deterministic latency, and excellent DC accuracy - it occupies the architectural middle ground between flash ADCs (fast but expensive) and integrating/delta-sigma ADCs (precise but slower). It belongs to the broader hierarchy: ADC -> data converter -> signal chain IC -> semiconductor.
Key features of the AD7468BRT-R2 include 8-bit resolution, 200 kSPS throughput, 1.6 V to 3.6 V single-supply operation, and an extremely low power dissipation of 0.62 mW typical at 100 kSPS with a 3 V supply (0.12 mW at 100 kSPS / 1.6 V). The device includes a high-speed SPI-/QSPI-/MICROWIRE-/DSP-compatible serial interface, pseudo-differential analog input, and built-in power-down control via the CS bar pin, which reduces current draw between conversions and makes the part ideal for battery-powered systems.
The AD7468BRT-R2 uses a charge-redistribution SAR core with an input bandwidth that comfortably exceeds the Nyquist requirement for 8-bit conversion at 200 kSPS, eliminating the need for an external input buffer in many applications. The wide supply range allows direct interfacing with low-voltage microcontrollers, 1.8 V DSPs, and modern battery chemistries (Li-Ion, coin-cell, energy-harvested rails).
Typical applications include battery-powered monitoring systems, portable medical instruments (pulse oximeters, glucose meters), remote data acquisition nodes, isolated data acquisition front-ends, and transducer/sensor signal digitisation. The 6-pin SOT-23 footprint is among the smallest ADC packages available, making the part attractive for space-constrained PCB designs.
When designing with this device, observe the analog input bandwidth specification - the -3 dB input bandwidth is typically 2 MHz, so excessive input source impedance can introduce gain error. Use the power-down feature between bursts of conversions to extend battery life by an order of magnitude.
This page synthesises distributor pricing, parametric drop-in alternatives, and PCB layout notes for engineers who need to specify or second-source the AD7468BRT-R2 in compact, low-power designs.
Drop-in alternatives for AD7468BRT-R2 — same package, pin-to-pin compatible. Different-package parts requiring PCB rework are excluded.
Variants in this series
Same-series models that are drop-in compatible with AD7468BRT-R2 (same form factor and footprint) — differing in Architecture, Resolution, Supply Voltage (VDD).
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
AD7468BRT
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ Specs Unverified📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
AD7467BRTZ-REEL7
✅ Drop-In📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
AD7466BRT-R2
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$2.42 / Unit
View Datasheet →ADC081S051CIMF/NOPB
✅ Drop-In📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
AD7468BRT-R2 Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Resolution | 8 bits |
| Number of Channels | 1 |
| Architecture | SAR (Successive Approximation) |
| Sampling Rate | 200 kSPS |
| Supply Voltage (VDD) | 1.6 V to 3.6 V |
| Supply Current at 100 kSPS / 3 V | 0.207 mA (0.62 mW) |
| Supply Current at 50 kSPS / 3.6 V | 0.133 mA (0.48 mW) |
| Supply Current at 100 kSPS / 1.6 V | 0.075 mA (0.12 mW) |
| Data Interface | SPI, QSPI, MICROWIRE, DSP-compatible serial |
| Analog Input Type | Pseudo-differential |
| Package / Case | 6-pin SOT-23 |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
| Operating Temperature | -40 C to +85 C |
| Power-Down Control | Yes (via CS bar) |
| Packaging | Tape & Reel (R2 = 2,500 pcs/reel) |
AD7468BRT-R2 Pin Configuration
| Pin 1 | VDD — Analog + digital supply, 1.6 V to 3.6 V |
| Pin 2 | GND — Ground |
| Pin 3 | VREF — Reference voltage input (tie to VDD for ratiometric operation) |
| Pin 4 | VIN+ — Analog input, pseudo-differential positive |
| Pin 5 | VIN- — Analog input sense / ground reference |
| Pin 6 | DOUT / CS bar — Serial data output; also serves as active-low chip-select and power-down control |
Typical Applications
AD7468BRT-R2 is suitable for 6 applications: Battery-Powered Sensor Digitisation, Portable Medical Instruments, Remote Data Acquisition Nodes, Isolated Data Acquisition Front-Ends, Transducer Signal Digitisation, Industrial Control & Process Monitoring.
Battery-Powered Sensor Digitisation
The AD7468BRT-R2's 1.6 V to 3.6 V single-supply operation and 0.12 mW power at 100 kSPS with a 1.6 V rail make it ideal for digitising sensor outputs directly from a single Li-Ion cell or two AA cells in wireless sensor nodes. The 8-bit resolution is sufficient for threshold-based monitoring such as battery voltage, temperature, or simple strain gauges where 1 LSB of resolution (~8 mV on a 2 V reference) maps cleanly to the desired trigger window. The CS bar pin enables full power-down between conversions, reducing quiescent current to sub-microampere levels and extending coin-cell lifetime to months or years. Placed between a resistive bridge sensor and a microcontroller SPI port with VREF tied to VDD for ratiometric operation, the converter adds no measurable noise to the measurement chain.
Recommended
Portable Medical Instruments
The 8-bit 200 kSPS throughput and micro-power consumption of the AD7468BRT-R2 are well matched to portable medical devices such as pulse oximeters, glucose meters, and digital thermometers, where strict battery life budgets leave little headroom for a power-hungry ADC. The SAR architecture provides deterministic single-cycle conversion latency, simplifying the real-time loop between photodiode or electrochemical sensor and microcontroller decision logic. With a 2 MHz analog input bandwidth, the device comfortably handles pulse-oximeter photoplethysmography signals below 100 Hz without aliasing. The SOT-23-6 footprint occupies less than 9 mm² on the PCB, allowing form-factor reductions in handheld enclosures.
Recommended
Remote Data Acquisition Nodes
For remote or wireless data-acquisition nodes that digitise a handful of analog channels and transmit results via SPI to a host radio, the AD7468BRT-R2's ultra-low 0.62 mW power at 3 V / 100 kSPS keeps the node's energy budget feasible for solar or battery harvesting. The 1.6 V minimum supply allows the ADC to operate directly from a single supercapacitor as low energy reserve, simplifying the power path. Pseudo-differential input structure rejects common-mode ground shifts between sensor and node ground. Combined with a low-power Cortex-M0+ microcontroller, the entire digitiser function can idle at sub-1 uA between scheduled conversions.
Recommended
Isolated Data Acquisition Front-Ends
Isolated ADC front-ends for industrial PLCs and motor drives use the AD7468BRT-R2 to digitise analog signals on the field side before crossing an isolation barrier with a digital isolator or optocoupler. The 200 kSPS throughput and single-clock-cycle conversion latency let the field-side MCU close simple control loops while keeping the isolator data rate modest. The 2 MHz analog input bandwidth handles vibration and current-sense signals typically below 10 kHz cleanly. The SOT-23-6 package is small enough to fit in densely populated isolated modules targeting 5 mm creepage distances.
Recommended
Transducer Signal Digitisation
The 8-bit AD7468BRT-R2 quantises analog outputs from RTDs, thermistors, and strain-gauge bridges where the application's decision logic only needs a few percent accuracy. With VREF tied to VDD in ratiometric mode, errors in the supply voltage cancel out because both the sensor excitation and the ADC reference scale together. The 200 kSPS throughput is more than adequate for thermal and force-measurement loops with bandwidth well below 1 kHz. The CS bar driven by a single MCU GPIO handles both chip select and full power-down sequencing, eliminating an extra enable pin.
Recommended
Industrial Control & Process Monitoring
Process-monitoring modules that read 4-20 mA current loops, thermocouple outputs, or potentiometer wiper voltages can use the AD7468BRT-R2 to convert the conditioned analog signal into an 8-bit SPI stream that a PLC or industrial controller can read over a backplane bus. The 1.6 V to 3.6 V supply tolerance lets the same ADC design be reused across 3.3 V and 2.5 V industrial MCU platforms. The 200 kSPS throughput oversamples 50 Hz / 60 Hz mains-line signals by hundreds of times per cycle, providing redundant averaging freedom for eliminating line-frequency interference. The SOT-23-6 package is footprint-compatible with the 12-bit AD7466BRT-R2 so the same PCB supports both economy and precision variants.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for AD7468BRT-R2 — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | AD7468BRT | AD7467BRTZ-REEL7 | AD7466BRT-R2 | ADC081S051CIMF/NOPB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Analog Devices | Analog Devices | Analog Devices | Analog Devices | Texas Instruments |
| Package | SOT-23-6 | SOT-23-6 - same | SOT-23-6 - same | SOT-23-6 - same | SOT-23-6 - same |
| Resolution | 8 bits | 8 bits (identical) | 10 bits | 12 bits | 8 bits |
| Sampling Rate | 200 kSPS | 200 kSPS | 200 kSPS | 200 kSPS | 500 kSPS |
| Supply Voltage | 1.6 V to 3.6 V | 1.6 V to 3.6 V | 1.6 V to 3.6 V | 1.6 V to 3.6 V | 2.7 V to 5.25 V |
| Data Interface | SPI / QSPI / MICROWIRE / DSP | SPI / QSPI / MICROWIRE / DSP | SPI / QSPI / MICROWIRE / DSP | SPI / QSPI / MICROWIRE / DSP | SPI |
| Input Type | Pseudo-differential | Pseudo-differential | Pseudo-differential | Pseudo-differential | Single-ended |
| Lifecycle Status | Obsolete | Obsolete | Obsolete | Active (verify with ADI) | Active |
Key Differentiators
- Pin-compatible upgrade path to higher resolution (vs AD7466BRT-R2 (12-bit, same SOT-23-6 footprint))
- Coin-cell compatible 1.6 V minimum supply voltage (vs ADC081S051CIMF/NOPB (2.7 V minimum))
- Active-low CS bar enables hardware power-down without extra pins (vs ADCs without dedicated PD pins)
Design Notes
The AD7468BRT-R2 draws 0.62 mW typical at 100 kSPS with 3 V supplies, and just 0.12 mW with 1.6 V supplies. To reach quoted low-power numbers, drive CS bar high between conversions: the converter enters full power-down within one conversion cycle, reducing quiescent current to sub-microampere levels. For ratiometric operation, tie VREF directly to VDD through a short PCB trace - any noise on VREF couples 1:1 into the conversion result, so avoid sharing VREF with digital loads.
Place a 0.1 uF decoupling capacitor as close as possible to the VDD pin (Pin 1) and connect the ground end to a wide low-impedance PCB ground plane. Keep analog input traces short and guarded with ground pours to minimise pickup of digital switching noise from the SPI bus. The SOT-23-6 thermal pad area is too small to provide meaningful heatsinking - power dissipation at this throughput is negligible (<1 mW), so thermal layout is not a concern for this part.
The pseudo-differential input structure (VIN+, VIN-) rejects common-mode noise if the VIN- terminal is tied to a clean ground reference at the source. For best DC accuracy, drive VIN+ through a low-impedance op-amp buffer such as the AD8628 or the lower-power AD8538; source impedances above ~1 kohm can introduce settling error because the input sampling capacitor must charge fully during the acquisition window. Maintain SPI clock rise/fall times below 20 ns to avoid missing the data-ready flag.
Do not leave VREF floating - the conversion result is undefined if VREF is below ~1 V or above VDD. Do not exceed 3.6 V on VDD even momentarily; the part has no internal TVS protection. Note that the R2 suffix denotes a 2,500-piece reel versus the 1,000-piece reel for the non-R2 AD7468BRT - same die, same electrical specs. Engineers specifying new designs should consider the pin-compatible AD7466BRT-R2 (12-bit, same 200 kSPS throughput) for future-proofing against end-of-life risk.
Compliance Information
RoHS / REACH / lead-free / halogen-free status was not present in the provided verified web data and has been marked unknown rather than assumed. Engineers should request the latest material declaration from Analog Devices or their franchised distributor before shipping product into the EU. AEC-Q100 is not applicable to this industrial-grade part.
