Replace LT1963 with AWL5963 to enhance the accuracy and stability of test and measurement equipment.

In high-precision test and measurement equipment, the performance limit of a data acquisition card is often not determined by the ADC chip itself, but restricted by the purity of its power supply.

As a drop-in replacement for LT1963, AWL5963 delivers ultra-low noise output of 15μV RMS, a 62.5% reduction compared with LT1963, providing a cleaner power supply environment for high-speed and high-resolution ADCs.

As an authorized distributor of AWL5963, Mandu Technology offers customers stable supply chain support and fast delivery services.

Main Text.

In high-precision test and measurement equipment, the performance ceiling of data acquisition cards is often limited not by the ADC chip, but by the purity of the power supply.

A domestic 16-bit high-speed data acquisition module originally adopted LT1963 to provide analog power for a high-performance SAR ADC from ADI.

Although the theoretical Effective Number of Bits (ENOB) of the ADC exceeded 14.5 bits, the actual measured result remained around 14.2 bits.

The engineering team suspected power supply noise was the bottleneck.

Meanwhile, LT1963 suffered from tight supply, prompting the evaluation of AnalogWin AWL5963 as an alternative solution.

The replacement not only mitigated supply chain risks, but also raised the system EOB to 14.5 bits, fully unlocking the full performance potential of the ADC.

Power Supply Noise: The Hidden Performance Bottleneck.

High-speed and high-resolution ADCs are extremely sensitive to power supply ripple.

Any noise superimposed on the power rail couples into the sampling signal, directly degrading the Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR) and Effective Number of Bits (ENOB).

While LT1963 is renowned for low noise, its datasheet specifies an output noise of 40μV RMS within the 10Hz to 100kHz bandwidth.

For 16-bit systems, this noise level is nearly non-negligible.

By contrast, the AWL5963 datasheet indicates an output noise of only 15μV RMS under identical test conditions, meaning power-induced interference is less than half that of LT1963.

This advantage stems from AWL5963’s internally optimized bandgap reference and low-noise error amplifier architecture, specifically designed for precision analog power supply applications.

Measured ENOB Improved by 0.3 Bits.

Without modifying the PCB layout, the team directly replaced LT1963 with AWL5963 and conducted FFT analysis using a standard sine wave input.

The test results are as follows:.

· With LT1963: System SNR reached 86.3dB, with an ENOB of 14.2 bits;.

· After switching to AWL5963: SNR increased to 88.1dB, lifting ENOB to 14.5 bits.

An improvement of 0.3 ENOB means the system’s minimum distinguishable signal amplitude rises by approximately 20%.

In applications such as vibration analysis, audio testing, and weak bioelectrical signal acquisition, this enhancement enables identification of critical features originally buried in noise.

Seamless Compatibility, Ultra-Low Verification Cost.

The efficient upgrade is enabled by the high compatibility between AWL5963 and LT1963.

Both adopt SO8-type packages (AWL5963 in SOP8L), with fully identical pin definitions.

Input, output, ground, enable and adjust pins are in one-to-one correspondence.

The peripheral circuit only requires a single 10μV low-ESR ceramic capacitor, perfectly matching the original design.

Replacing LT1963 merely involves swapping the chip and recalibrating the gain, with full functional verification completed within two days.

Superior Reliability and Long-Term Supply Support.

Beyond performance advantages, AWL5963 integrates comprehensive protection functions, including reverse battery protection, over-current protection, and thermal shutdown, ensuring long-term stable operation in laboratory and industrial environments.

Its operating temperature range spans -40℃ to +125℃, meeting the requirements of harsh working conditions.

More importantly, as a domestic semiconductor device, AWL5963 features fully independent and controllable supply chains.

Through authorized channels such as Mandu Technology, customers can quickly obtain samples and achieve stable mass delivery, avoiding product shipment interruptions caused by imported chip supply shortages.

This supply certainty is particularly critical for high-end instrument manufacturers serving research institutions and defense customers.

In the high-speed data acquisition field pursuing ultimate performance, the power supply is no longer a secondary component that merely needs stable output; instead, it becomes a core factor defining the system performance ceiling.

With 15μV RMS ultra-low noise, seamless pin-to-pin compatibility with LT1963, and reliable local supply, AWL5963 provides a viable solution for high-performance DAQ design that balances performance improvement and supply chain security.

It is more than a simple chip replacement—it elevates the system to its inherent precision limit.

For developers of high-precision acquisition equipment currently using LT1963, AWL5963 is well worth including in the next round of design evaluation.