12-bit SAR ADC with mux — what it does and where it fits
The Maxim Integrated MAX146ACAP+ is a 12-bit successive-approximation-register (SAR) ADC that samples at 133k samples per second. It packs an input multiplexer (4 or 8 channels), a sample-and-hold, and the ADC core into a single 20-SSOP package. The SPI data interface keeps the digital side simple — three or four wires to the host controller. Typical applications include industrial sensor front-ends, battery-monitoring systems, and data-acquisition modules where 12-bit resolution at moderate speed is the sweet spot between cost and performance.