An ADC and DAC Least Significant Bit (LSB)

by Adrian S. Nastase
1/24/2015, retrieved from: http://masteringelectronicsdesign.com/an-adc-and-dac-least-significant-bit-lsb/

Articles on Internet and books show how to calculate the Least Significant Bit (LSB),
but they take into consideration either the voltage reference (Vref) or the full scale
(FS) of the ADC or DAC. Many times this leads to confusion, as a few messages I
received from my readers show. Therefore, this article shows both ways of defining
the LSB, so that people will have a clear understanding how to treat an ADCs
(Analog-to-Digital-Converter) or DACs (Digital-to-Analog-Converter) LSB.
What is an LSB? The LSB is the smallest level that an ADC can convert, or is the
smallest increment a DAC outputs. Both converters are used at the boundaries
between the analog and digital realms, making it possible for the analog circuits to
talk to the digital ones and backwards.
To define an LSB, lets not look, for the moment, at articles or text books. One of
the recommendations I make is this: When in doubt, read the manufacturers data
sheet. So, let us look in an ADC data sheet. The manufacturer writes in the data
sheet all the information one needs about that particular component. Sure, nothing
is perfect in this world, some info we need might not be there, but in the case of the
LSB, I still have yet to see an ADC or DAC data sheet without the LSB definition in
some form or another.
The ADC needs a voltage reference to convert an analog signal into a digital word.
Depending on the number of bits it has, the ADC divides the voltage reference in
small levels called counts. For example, if this is an 8-bit ADC, the counts will look
like those in Figure 1. In an 8-bit ADC there are 28 = 256 counts.

Figure 1
One count is 1 LSB, and is defined as follows:
(1)

where N is the ADCs or DACs number of bits.

For ADCs that have a differential voltage reference, the LSB is
(2)
where Vref(+) and Vref(-) are the non-inverting and the inverting inputs of the differential
voltage reference respectively.
The ADC outputs a digital word that shows how many counts are in its input voltage level. As
the ADC counts the input level, it never reaches the voltage reference. Its full scale (FS) is
calculated with the following formula:
(3)
After replacing the LSB in equation (3), the ADC full-scale results as in equation (4).
(4)
Figure 2 shows the ADC counts and the corresponding hex code.

Figure 2
In our 8-bit ADC example, if the voltage reference is Vref = 5V, then the LSB and FS are:

(5)

As you can see, and ADC can never reach its Vref but, as the number of bits is higher, it gets
very close to its reference voltage. The same can be said about a DAC.
Moreover, from equation (1), we can write the mathematical relation between Vref and LSB as
follows:
(6)

If we replace Vref in equation (3), and after calculations, we can write the definition of the LSB
as a function of the ADCs full-scale, as in equation (7).
(7)

This is the trouble, as the LSB has two definitions, equations (1) and (7). Both of them are valid,
and some authors are ambiguous or confused about them. I have seen articles in which Vref is
considered the component full-scale, which is the premise that generates subsequent wrong
definitions.
Therefore, all one needs to remember about the LSB is its definition, as follows:

(8)

>>> <<<
Here are some data sheet examples:
AD7823, 8-Bit ADC, manufacturer Analog Devices
If Vref = 2.5 V then
1LSB = 9.766 mV,
FS = Vref 1 LSB = 2.490234 V

If Vin = FS = 2.490234 V, then ADC Hex Code = FF, and

If Vin = 0 V, then ADC Hex Code = 00.
If Vref = 5 V then
1LSB = 19.531 mV,
FS = Vref 1 LSB = 4.980469 V
If Vin = FS = 4.980469 V, then ADC Hex Code = FF, and
If Vin = 0 V, then ADC Hex Code = 00.
AD7685, 16-Bit ADC, manufacturer Analog Devices
If Vref = 2.5 V then
1LSB = 38.1 uV,
FS = Vref 1 LSB = 2.499962 V
If Vin = FS = 2.499962 V, then ADC Hex Code = FFFF, and
If Vin = 0 V, then ADC Hex Code = 0000.
If Vref = 5 V then
1LSB = 76.3 uV,
FS = Vref 1 LSB = 4.999924 V
If Vin = FS = 4.999924 V, then ADC Hex Code = FFFF, and
If Vin = 0 V, then ADC Hex Code = 0000.
DAC8830, 16-Bit DAC, manufacturer Texas Instruments
If Vref = 2.5 V then
1LSB = 38.1 uV,
FS = Vref 1 LSB = 2.499962 V
If DAC Hex Code = FFFF, then Vout = FS = 2.499962 V, and
If DAC Hex Code = 0000, then Vout = 0 V.
If Vref = 5 V then
1LSB = 76.3 uV,
FS = Vref 1 LSB = 4.999924 V
If DAC Hex Code = FFFF, then Vout = FS = 4.999924 V, and
If DAC Hex Code = 0000, then Vout = 0 V.

10 Comments to An ADC and DAC Least Significant Bit (LSB)

1. Chris says:

July 21, 2010 at 5:50 am

Thank you for this post. I needed to convert lsb to fs and searched on google. Boom, the
second article on the first page. Thank you for doing this. Great website also.
Reply
2. naveen says:
September 21, 2010 at 4:18 am

Thank you for this article. It has cleared all my doubts regarding LSB.
Reply
3. Adrian S. Nastase says:
September 21, 2010 at 5:56 pm

Naveen and Chris. Thank you for your comments. I am glad you liked this article and the
website in general.
Reply
4. vic says:
December 21, 2011 at 11:08 am

I have been looking for clear explanation of this for some time. thank you very much for
creating this article.
Reply
5. Ash says:
December 14, 2012 at 12:20 pm

Super helpful!!! thanks a lot!!!

Reply
6. Jasmin says:
January 11, 2014 at 12:56 am

This was incredibly helpful and useful! Thanks

Reply
7. satpal says:
May 2, 2014 at 3:31 pm

what if input signal range is given in stead of reference voltage and full scale voltage
ex: 0-10 v
Reply
o

Adrian S. Nastase says:

May 4, 2014 at 7:47 pm

Use equation 7 in this article to determine the least significant bit. At minimum,
you need to know the number of bits the ADC is made for. If full scale is FS =
10V and the number of bits is, say, N = 12, LSB = FS / (2^N -1) which is 2.442
mV.
The input signal range will not help you because you need to know the ADC
resolution to determine the LSB.
Reply
8. sunil says:
August 16, 2014 at 5:55 pm

10 bit dac has a full scale output of 5v. if lsb changes by one bit what will be the change
in output voltge
Reply
o

Adrian S. Nastase says:

August 18, 2014 at 12:12 am

The output change is 1 LSB = 4.883 mV, and here is why:

Usually, the full scale is not 5V. The voltage reference, Vref, is. Manufacturers
make the voltage reference a round number like 5V or 2.5V. So, if your 10-bit

DAC has a voltage reference Vref = 5V, then the least significant bit is given by
equation 1 in this article: LSB = Vref / 2^N = 5V / 2^10 = 4.883 mV.
Then the fulls scale, FS is given by equation 3: FS = Vref 1 LSB = 5V 4.883
mV = 4.99512 V.
Then the change in the output voltage by 1 LSB is deltaV = 4.883 mV.
Reply