SLYT821 January 2022 AFE0064 , AFE1256 , AFE2256 , AFE3256 , DDC112 , DDC1128 , DDC114 , DDC118 , DDC232 , DDC264 , DDC316
For applications where you can’t sacrifice sensitivity and high sampling speeds, AFE devices are likely the best choice. Nevertheless, DDCs can improve sensitivity (beating the AFE devices in current terms) by measuring (integrating) over longer periods of time. DDC devices will also be the best choice in applications with a larger charge, although AFE devices can compensate for part of that by sampling faster; that is, dividing the same period in smaller (faster) samples and adding them in the end.
There will also be other nonperformance-related practical constraints that can force the choice one way or the other – like the fact that AFE devices are mostly available in COF packages, or that DDC struggle with currents flowing out of the device.