SBASAW9 December 2024 ADC168M102R-SEP
PRODUCTION DATA
Connect the AGND, RGND, and DGND pins to a clean ground reference. Keep all connections as short as possible to minimize the inductance of these paths. Use vias to connect the pads directly to the ground plane. In designs without ground planes, keep the ground trace as wide as possible. Avoid connections close to the grounding point of a microcontroller or digital signal processor.
Use a single solid ground plane for the entire printed circuit board (PCB) or a dedicated analog ground area. This usage depends on the circuit density of the board, placement of the analog and digital components, and the related current loops. For a separated analog ground area, provide a low-impedance connection between the analog and digital ground of the ADC. Place a bridge underneath (or next) to the ADC (see Figure 8-4) to create this connection. Otherwise, even short undershoots on the digital interface less than –300mV potentially lead to ESD diode conduction. When the ESD diodes conduct, current flows through the substrate and degrades the analog performance.
During PCB layout, avoid any return currents crossing any sensitive analog areas or signals. Make sure signals do not exceed the –300mV limit with respect to the corresponding (AGND or DGND) ground plane.