1.4 Differential Nonlinearity (DNL)

DNL is defined as the difference in the step width between the measured transfer function and the ideal step width of 1 LSB. DNL is calculated after gain and offset have been corrected. Nonlinearity produces quantization step sizes with varying widths. DNL values defined in the Electrical Characteristics section of the device-specific data sheet represent the limits of DNL. Figure 1-5 shows an example of DNL step errors.