what are B- grade and C-grade devices

[E2005]

I was reading datasheet for an ADC chip(MCP3304) with SPI interface, it was mentioned in the starting
"these 13-bit A/D converters are specified to have ±1 LSB Differential Nonlinearity (DNL); ±1 LSB Integral Nonlinearity (INL) for B-grade and ±2 LSB for C-grade devices."

Does anyone know what is ment by B-grade and C-grade devices. Thank you

 

[VEBill]

There is no industry-wide definition of A, B, C grades in this context. But they defined their standards for this part in your quote: B (at ±1) are tighter than C (at ±2).

 

[geekEE]

Many manufacturers have variations on their parts that have slightly different characteristics. These are often signified by different suffixes. This may mean different operating temperatures or voltage ranges or, in this case, linearity. You just have to read each data sheet to know. You'll probably pay more for the better specs. They often just test the parts to put them into different categories rather than having the parts manufactured differently.

Glenn

 

[MacGyverS2000]

...and unless your order specifies which version, you're typically shipped what's on hand (and always the 'C' part if it's on hand).

Dan - Owner

http://www.Hi-TecDesigns.com

 

[Noway2]

I encounter this frequently with AD parts. Often times the B grade has lower noise or tighter tollerances than the A grade. Of course the B grade part costs more and is usually harder to find in stock. The parts do have different part numbers, though, making the identification easy.