LTC2230CUP - 10-Bit 170Msps ADC | Analog Devices | QFN-64
MPN: LTC2230CUP ✓ Active| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $42 | $42.00 |
| 10 | $39.66 | $396.60 |
| 100 | $35.5 | $3,550.00 |
| 500 | $32.1 | $16,050.00 |
| 1,000 | $28.75 | $28,750.00 |
LTC2230CUP Overview
What is a pipelined ADC? A pipelined analog-to-digital converter is a high-speed Nyquist ADC architecture that processes a continuous stream of samples through cascaded low-resolution stage flash converters, each stage resolving a portion of the bits before passing the residue to the next stage. Pipelined ADCs sit within the broader taxonomy of data converters (ADC -> Nyquist ADC -> pipelined ADC -> mixed-signal IC -> semiconductor) and are the dominant architecture for high-sample-rate applications in the 10 Msps to several hundred Msps range where successive-approximation (SAR) ADCs run out of speed. The LTC2230 family represents a mainstream 10-bit pipelined design optimized for IF undersampling, imaging, and instrumentation.
Key features include 170 Msps sample rate, 10-bit resolution, ±1 LSB INL (typical), 60 dB SNR at Nyquist with 5MHz input, and a single 3V supply operation (2.7V to 3.4V). Power dissipation is approximately 380 mW at full sample rate. The differential input range supports a 1V P-P full-scale swing using the internal 2.5V reference, or can be driven with external reference for gain fine-tuning. The UP package has an exposed thermal pad that must be soldered to the PCB ground plane for thermal dissipation and electrical performance.
Design-in considerations include the requirement for low-jitter clock input (less than 0.5 ps RMS for full ENOB), differential input drive via transformer or op-amp driver, and proper decoupling of the analog and digital supplies (they share the same 3V rail but require separate bypass networks). For comparison, the LTC2240 family extends the same architecture to 12-bit resolution, and the LTC2220 family drops to 105 Msps in the same QFN-64 (UP) footprint.
Drop-in alternatives for LTC2230CUP — 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 LTC2230CUP (same form factor and footprint) — differing in Package, Resolution, Operating Temperature Range, SNR, Supply Voltage.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
LTC2220CUP
✅ Drop-In📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
LTC2221CUP
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$34.2 / Unit
View Datasheet →LTC2155CUP-12
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$44.25 / Unit
View Datasheet →LTC2156IUP-14
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$134.1 / Unit
View Datasheet →LTC2230CUP Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Resolution | 10 bits |
| Sample Rate (max) | 170 Msps |
| Number of Inputs | 1 |
| Architecture | Pipelined |
| Supply Voltage | 2.7 V to 3.4 V (single 3V supply) |
| Power Dissipation (typ @ 170 Msps) | 380 mW |
| Input Type | Differential |
| Full-Scale Input Range | 1 V P-P (with internal 2.5V reference) |
| Reference | Internal 2.5V or external |
| Output Format | CMOS parallel |
| Output Channels | 1 |
| Integral Nonlinearity (INL) | ±1 LSB (typ) |
| Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR) at Nyquist | 60 dB (typ, 5 MHz input) |
| Operating Temperature Range | 0C to +70C (C grade) |
| Package | 64-QFN (UP, 9x9 mm) |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
| Lead-Free / RoHS | Lead-free (PBF suffix); RoHS compliant |
LTC2230CUP Pin Configuration
| Pin 1 | GND — Ground |
| Pin 2 | AIN+ — Differential analog input positive |
| Pin 3 | AIN- — Differential analog input negative |
| Pin 4 | GND — Ground |
| Pin 5 | VREF — Reference voltage bypass |
| Pin 6 | REFT — Reference top |
| Pin 7 | REFB — Reference bottom |
| Pin 8 | GND — Ground |
| Pin 9 | VDD — Analog 3V supply |
| Pin 10 | GND — Ground |
| Pin 11 | VDD — Analog 3V supply |
| Pin 12 | GND — Ground |
| Pin 13 | CLK — Sample clock input |
| Pin 14 | CLK- — Complementary sample clock (some pin variants) |
| Pin 15 | GND — Ground |
| Pin 16 | OE — Output enable |
| Pin 17 | OF — Output format / clock out |
| Pin 18 | D0 — Data output bit 0 (LSB) |
| Pin 19 | D1 — Data output bit 1 |
| Pin 20 | D2 — Data output bit 2 |
| Pin 21 | D3 — Data output bit 3 |
| Pin 22 | D4 — Data output bit 4 |
| Pin 23 | D5 — Data output bit 5 |
| Pin 24 | D6 — Data output bit 6 |
| Pin 25 | D7 — Data output bit 7 |
| Pin 26 | D8 — Data output bit 8 |
| Pin 27 | D9 — Data output bit 9 (MSB) |
| Pin 28 | OVDD — Output driver 3V supply |
| Pin 29 | GND — Ground |
| Pin 30 | OVDD — Output driver 3V supply |
| Pin 31 | OGND — Output driver ground |
| Pin 32 | NC — No connect |
| Pin 33 | NC — No connect |
| Pin 34 | NC — No connect |
| Pin 35 | NC — No connect |
| Pin 36 | NC — No connect |
| Pin 37 | OGND — Output driver ground |
| Pin 38 | OVDD — Output driver 3V supply |
| Pin 39 | GND — Ground |
| Pin 40 | OVDD — Output driver 3V supply |
| Pin 41 | OVDD — Output driver 3V supply |
| Pin 42 | OGND — Output driver ground |
| Pin 43 | NC — No connect |
| Pin 44 | NC — No connect |
| Pin 45 | NC — No connect |
| Pin 46 | NC — No connect |
| Pin 47 | NC — No connect |
| Pin 48 | GND — Ground |
| Pin 49 | SENSE — Reference mode select |
| Pin 50 | VDD — Analog 3V supply |
| Pin 51 | GND — Ground |
| Pin 52 | VDD — Analog 3V supply |
| Pin 53 | GND — Ground |
| Pin 54 | GND — Ground |
| Pin 55 | MUXOUT — Internal reference output |
| Pin 56 | REFIN — External reference input |
| Pin 57 | GND — Ground |
| Pin 58 | GND — Ground |
| Pin 59 | VDD — Analog 3V supply |
| Pin 60 | GND — Ground |
| Pin 61 | GND — Ground |
| Pin 62 | GND — Ground |
| Pin 63 | GND — Ground |
| Pin 64 | GND — Ground |
Typical Applications
LTC2230CUP is suitable for 6 applications: Digital Oscilloscope and Waveform Digitizer, IF Sampling and Software Defined Radio, Medical Imaging Front-End, Industrial Non-Destructive Testing, Radar and Lidar Signal Processing, Communications Test Equipment.
Digital Oscilloscope and Waveform Digitizer
The LTC2230CUP's 10-bit resolution at 170 Msps makes it suitable for single-shot and repetitive waveform capture in mid-bandwidth oscilloscopes and benchtop digitizers. The pipelined architecture provides consistent latency and a single 3V supply, simplifying the analog front-end design. To reach its 60 dB Nyquist SNR, designers must meet the 0.5 ps RMS clock jitter envelope - a low-jitter TCXO or clock synthesizer should be placed close to the encoder clock pin. Differential drive via a transformer or the LTC6400 ADC driver preserves even-order harmonics and 2nd-order intermodulation performance.
Recommended
IF Sampling and Software Defined Radio
Software-defined radios and IF-sampling receivers benefit from the LTC2230CUP's wide analog input bandwidth and 170 Msps sample rate, which enable direct undersampling of intermediate-frequency signals in the 50 to 200 MHz range. Combined with a DDC FPGA downstream, the 10-bit data stream produces sufficient dynamic range for demodulation of QAM, QPSK, and OFDM waveforms in cellular and military receivers. Compared with 12/14-bit ADCs, the 10-bit format trades dynamic range for substantially lower cost - this is acceptable when post-processing gain or noise averaging can be applied.
Recommended
Medical Imaging Front-End
Ultrasound and other medical imaging systems use the LTC2230CUP for digitizing signals from beamformer preamplifiers at sample rates up to 170 Msps. The 60 dB SNR is adequate for tissue harmonic imaging and Doppler processing, while the differential inputs reject common-mode noise generated by the high-voltage transmit pulser. The 64-QFN (UP) 9x9 mm footprint is small enough to fit multi-channel boards in cart-based ultrasound systems, and the exposed pad simplifies thermal management when 4 to 8 channels are stacked in parallel.
Recommended
Industrial Non-Destructive Testing
Phased-array ultrasonic flaw detectors and eddy-current NDT instruments use the LTC2230CUP for digitizing amplified transducer signals at up to 170 Msps. The pipelined latency is well-defined and constant, which simplifies time-of-flight calculations in TOFD (time-of-flight diffraction) inspection. Industrial 0 to 70C temperature grade suits factory-floor enclosures, and the 3V single-supply operation lets designers share rails with downstream FPGAs. Anti-alias filtering at 80 MHz is required to prevent out-of-band alias energy from folding into the capture band.
Recommended
Radar and Lidar Signal Processing
Short-range automotive radar, lidar digitizers, and surveillance receivers can use the LTC2230CUP to capture IF outputs of mixer stages. Sample rate of 170 Msps matches IF bandwidths of 80 MHz, while the 10-bit dynamic range provides enough resolution for envelope detection and matched filtering. The CMOS output bus interfaces cleanly with mid-range FPGAs (Cyclone, Spartan-7) without level translation, eliminating extra components on the digital side of the design.
Recommended
Communications Test Equipment
Vector signal analyzers, spectrum analyzers, and arbitrary waveform generator digitizer sections incorporate the LTC2230CUP when 10-bit resolution suffices for IQ demodulation. The differential input structure pairs well with direct-conversion receivers for cable modem termination test, while the internal 2.5V reference simplifies calibration. The compact 64-QFN (UP) 9x9 mm footprint allows multi-channel digitizer cards in PXI and LXI instruments where board space is at a premium.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for LTC2230CUP — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | LTC2220CUP | LTC2221CUP | LTC2155CUP-12 | LTC2156IUP-14 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Analog Devices | Analog Devices | Analog Devices | Analog Devices | Analog Devices |
| Package | 64-QFN (UP, 9x9 mm) | 64-QFN (UP, 9x9 mm) - same | 64-QFN (UP, 9x9 mm) - same | 64-QFN (UP, 9x9 mm) - same | 64-QFN (UP, 9x9 mm) - same |
| Resolution | 10 bits | 10 bits | 10 bits | 12 bits | 14 bits |
| Sample Rate (max) | 170 Msps | 105 Msps | 65 Msps | 170 Msps | 210 Msps |
| Architecture | Pipelined | Pipelined | Pipelined | Pipelined | Pipelined |
| Supply Voltage | 2.7 V to 3.4 V | 2.7 V to 3.4 V | 2.7 V to 3.4 V | 2.7 V to 3.4 V | 2.7 V to 3.4 V |
| Input Type | Differential | Differential | Differential | Differential | Differential |
| Reference | Internal 2.5V / external | Internal 2.5V / external | Internal 2.5V / external | Internal / external | Internal / external |
Key Differentiators
- Highest sample rate at 10-bit resolution within the LTC22xx family (vs LTC2220CUP)
- 10-bit format optimizes cost-per-channel (vs LTC2155CUP-12)
- Industrial temperature grade C part for commercial/industrial systems (vs LTC2156IUP-14)
Design Notes
Differential input traces from the transformer or ADC driver to AIN+ and AIN- must be length-matched to within 0.5 mm to preserve 100-ohm differential balance. Route the CLK signal with 50-ohm controlled impedance and keep it isolated from noisy digital output buses on the opposite side of the QFN-64 (UP) exposed pad. The exposed pad must be soldered to the analog ground plane and tied through multiple vias to a low-impedance ground pour for thermal dissipation of the ~380 mW power budget.
Use a 0.1 uF X7R ceramic bypass capacitor at each of the VDD and OVDD pins, placed within 2 mm of the package, plus a single 10 uF bulk tantalum or ceramic capacitor at the PCB supply entry. Separate analog and digital supply islands join at a single ferrite bead or ferrite inductor to break switching noise coupling while sharing the same 3V rail. The SENSE pin selects internal vs external reference and must be tied to VDD or REF_IN through a clean low-impedance path.
When the LTC2230CUP is used at low sample rates, exercise care with the analog input bandwidth - the wide analog bandwidth (700 MHz typ) can let out-of-band noise fold into the Nyquist band, so an anti-alias filter is mandatory. For single-ended drive, never tie AIN- to ground directly; AC-couple AIN- to ground through a 50-ohm resistor to avoid saturating the internal differential clamp. Failing to solder the exposed thermal pad is the single most common layout error and triggers both thermal shutdown and output code-dependent drift.
Compliance Information
LTC2230CUP#PBF suffix indicates Pb-free / RoHS-compliant per standard Analog Devices part-number convention. AEC-Q100 not applicable for this commercial/industrial-grade ADC.
