Terminology related to the performance of S/H, A/D, and D/A circuits

A review of terminology, often misunderstood or misused, concerning the performance of sample-and-hold (S/H) circuits, analog-to-digital (A/D) converters, and digital-to-analog (D/A) converters is presented. Although a set of general definitions is presented, definitions consistent with the needs of users and with the measurement capabilities of manufacturers are not easily obtained. The definitions presented have been selected by the authors from among defintions suggested by members of the Subcommittee on A/D and D/A Converters of the IEEE Network Applications and Standards Committee. It is hoped that others interested in the problem of terminology will submit their opinions to one of the authors before any final recommendations are made by the Subcommittee.