MAX160EWN+ - 8-Bit 250 kSPS SAR ADC | Analog Devices
MPN: MAX160EWN+ ✓ ActiveMAX160EWN+ Overview
An ADC is an interface IC that converts an analog voltage into a digital code for processing, storage, display, or control. The MAX160 belongs to the SAR ADC category, within the broader analog-to-digital converter and data-converter IC hierarchy. SAR ADCs are useful where a sampled measurement must be acquired rapidly without the complexity and energy cost of continuous-time or higher-resolution converter architectures.
The MAX160EWN+ provides 8-bit resolution, one single-ended input, and a 250 kSPS throughput. Its 4 µs conversion time is consistent with a successive-approximation architecture, while the microprocessor-compatible interface allows the converter to be handled as a memory location or I/O port without substantial external interfacing logic. The data outputs are latched, helping simplify connection to parallel-bus microprocessors and simple control systems.
The part is specified in an 18-pin SOIC package and uses an external reference. Because the converter is single-input and single-ended, it is best suited to one-at-a-time acquisition rather than simultaneous sampling. Input conditioning, source impedance, reference stability, and acquisition timing remain important design considerations when interpreting the resulting 8-bit code.
Typical uses include industrial process measurement, temperature-sensor interfaces, battery-rail monitoring, simple laboratory instrumentation, and embedded control systems with a parallel microprocessor bus. In each case, the ADC can provide a compact digital representation of a conditioned analog input while requiring relatively few support components.
A key design practice is to place the converter close to the source or conditioning circuit and route the parallel data bus away from high-current switching nodes. The external reference must remain stable, and the application should account for conversion timing rather than treating the ADC as continuously sampled. The verified web sources provide no complete pin-by-pin electrical table, so unsupported details are marked as data needed instead of being inferred.
This page consolidates verified manufacturer and distributor information, package characteristics, pricing references, source links, and application-oriented guidance. It also distinguishes confirmed facts from unavailable electrical details, helping engineers locate the datasheet and make a defensible sourcing decision without treating unverified parameters as guaranteed specifications.
Drop-in alternatives for MAX160EWN+ — same package, pin-to-pin compatible. Different-package parts requiring PCB rework are excluded.
MAX160CWN-T
✅ Drop-In📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
MAX160EWN+ Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Resolution | 8 bit |
| Conversion Architecture | Successive Approximation (SAR) |
| Input Count | 1 input |
| Input Type | Single-ended |
| Conversion Rate | 250 kSPS |
| Conversion Time | 4 µs |
| Process Technology | CMOS |
| Microprocessor Compatibility | Microprocessor-compatible |
| Interface Type | Parallel, latched outputs |
| Reference Type | External |
| Package | 18-pin SOIC |
| Package Family | SOIC-18 surface-mount package |
| Temperature Grade | Industrial |
| Mounting Type | Surface mount |
| Lead-Free Processing Suffix | + |
MAX160EWN+ soic-18 surface-mount package Pin Configuration Guide
Pin configuration for MAX160EWN+ (soic-18 surface-mount package package). This analog component features input, output, and power supply pins. Refer to the manufacturer datasheet for offset null, compensation, and enable pin configurations. Ideal for signal conditioning and amplifier circuits.
No detailed pinout data available for MAX160EWN+.
Refer to the datasheet for full pin configuration.
Typical Applications
MAX160EWN+ is suitable for 6 applications: Industrial Process Measurement, Temperature Sensor Interface, Battery Rail Monitoring, Simple Laboratory Instrumentation, Embedded Control Systems, Portable Sensor Node.
Industrial Process Measurement
The MAX160EWN+ fits single-channel industrial process measurement because it combines 8-bit resolution with a 250 kSPS conversion rate and a 4 µs conversion time. Place it behind a buffered sensor-conditioning network so the measured voltage remains within the converter's confirmed input range. The latched parallel outputs can feed an embedded controller or industrial processor without external interface logic. Its single-ended SAR architecture is appropriate when channels are sampled sequentially rather than simultaneously. According to the Analog Devices product page, the MAX160 is microprocessor-compatible and can operate like a memory location or I/O port, reducing host-bus complexity. Verification of the external-reference arrangement, acquisition timing, and industrial temperature limits should use the complete manufacturer data sheet.
Recommended
Temperature Sensor Interface
The MAX160EWN+ can digitize a conditioned temperature-sensor output when 8-bit resolution is adequate for the measurement. Its 250 kSPS capability and 4 µs conversion time allow rapid sequential sampling, although the useful system rate is normally lower because of sensor and filter settling. A low-offset reference and carefully buffered analog front end help preserve code stability. The parallel, latched output supports direct connection to a microcontroller data bus. According to the Analog Devices MAX160 product page, microprocessor compatibility is a core design feature, allowing the ADC to resemble a memory-mapped peripheral. The application should include overvoltage protection, input filtering, and a verified cold-junction or RTD conditioning stage appropriate to the selected sensor.
Recommended
Battery Rail Monitoring
The MAX160EWN+ is suitable for battery or power-rail monitoring when the voltage is first scaled and conditioned to the converter's supported input range. Its single-ended input simplifies the channel count, while the 250 kSPS rate provides margin for rapid sequencing across several monitored rails through external switching. The 8-bit result gives 256 digital codes, so accuracy is also influenced by reference tolerance, analog noise, and the conditioning network. The verified Analog Devices listing identifies a microprocessor-compatible interface and latched outputs, allowing an embedded controller to acquire measurements through a parallel bus. A production design should use an external reference with suitable stability and confirm the MAX160EWN+ operating-supply and absolute-maximum ratings from the official data sheet.
Recommended
Simple Laboratory Instrumentation
The MAX160EWN+ can serve as the acquisition element in a compact laboratory instrument that measures one conditioned voltage at a time. Its 4 µs conversion time and 250 kSPS maximum rate support repeated samples, while the 8-bit output is adequate for basic status, level, and trend displays. The microprocessor-compatible interface can reduce host hardware compared with a converter requiring extensive glue logic. For meaningful laboratory results, the analog path should include buffering, defined bandwidth filtering, and a stable external reference. The verified distributor records confirm an 18-pin SOIC package and single-ended SAR architecture. Calibration data and instrumentation accuracy will therefore be dominated by offset, gain, reference, and frontend design rather than by conversion speed alone.
Recommended
Embedded Control Systems
The MAX160EWN+ is appropriate for embedded control systems requiring a compact ADC that behaves like a processor peripheral. Its latched parallel outputs and microprocessor-compatible design allow a controller to acquire an analog command or feedback signal using deterministic bus timing. The 250 kSPS maximum rate is more than adequate for many slow closed-loop or supervisory controls, and the 8-bit resolution can represent discrete thresholds or modest analog spans. According to the Analog Devices MAX160 product page, no substantial external interfacing logic is needed to make the converter resemble a memory location or I/O port. Firmware must still observe chip-select, read, conversion-start, and output-latch timing defined in the official data sheet.
Recommended
Portable Sensor Node
The MAX160EWN+ can support a portable sensor node when its CMOS ADC performance and compact SOIC implementation align with the board requirements. One sensor channel can be selected or conditioned externally, and the MAX160EWN+ converts that voltage at up to 250 kSPS while presenting latched data to a low-power microcontroller. In a battery-powered design, the useful advantage is interface simplicity rather than conversion-time minimization, because the host can request a sample only when needed. According to the verified Analog Devices product page, the converter is microprocessor-compatible and does not require complex external interfacing logic. Designers should still account for supply-current data, reference power, analog settling, and sleep-mode behavior, none of which were quantified in the supplied excerpts.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for MAX160EWN+ — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | MAX160CWN-T |
|---|---|---|
| Package | 18-pin SOIC | 18-pin SOIC |
| Brand | Analog Devices | Analog Devices |
Key Differentiators
- Direct processor-oriented parallel interface (vs MAX160CWN-T)
- Confirmed 4 µs conversion time (vs MAX160EPN)
- Single-ended 18-pin SOIC implementation (vs MAX160EPN)
Design Notes
Route the analog input directly from the conditioning network to the MAX160EWN+ and keep digital output traces away from switching power nodes. Because the device is a single-ended SAR converter, the selected source impedance and acquisition time must satisfy the manufacturer's input-settling requirements. The supplied excerpts do not provide those timing values, so use the official data sheet and its recommended application circuit rather than inferring a permissible source impedance.
The external reference is part of the measurement accuracy path and must be decoupled according to the manufacturer guidance. Place reference-decoupling components close to the relevant supply and reference pins, maintain short return paths, and avoid sharing noisy return-current routes with the input stage. The verified sources confirm an external reference but do not provide its permitted range, input capacitance, or recommended capacitor values; those details must be obtained from the data sheet.
Do not treat the 250 kSPS conversion rate as the maximum usable sample rate without accounting for chip-select, read, conversion-start, output-latch, and host-processing intervals. The MAX160 uses latched parallel outputs and a microprocessor-compatible interface, so bus timing must be implemented exactly as shown in the manufacturer timing diagrams. Also avoid assuming that 8-bit resolution equals 8-bit absolute accuracy; reference error, offset, gain error, nonlinearity, and input noise can reduce system accuracy.
Use a stable, low-impedance analog ground strategy and provide local bypass capacitance on the converter's supply pins. Keep the 18-pin SOIC footprint free of unintended copper or solder wicking where the exact gull-wing geometry requires a standard land pattern. Because the supplied sources do not include the complete pinout, verify every signal, supply, reference, and control connection against the official package drawing before PCB release.
Compliance Information
The verified excerpts do not provide explicit compliance declarations for MAX160EWN+. The '+' ordering suffix is recorded as provided, but it is not treated alone as proof of RoHS, REACH, lead-free, halogen-free, or conflict-minerals compliance.
