Corrected rms error and effective number of bits for sine wave ADC tests

A new definition is proposed for the effective number of bits of an ADC. This definition removes the variation in the calculated effective bits when the amplitude and offset of the sinewave test signal is slightly varied. This variation is most pronounced when test signals with amplitudes of a small number of code bin widths are applied to very low noise ADC's. The effectiveness of the proposed definition is compared with that of other proposed definitions over a range of signal amplitudes and noise levels.