Dr. Andrew Schaefer

The effective number of bits (ENOB) is a way of quantifying the quality of an analog to digital conversion. A higher ENOB means that voltage levels recorded in an analog to digital conversion are more accurate. In an oscilloscope the ENOB is not just determined by the quality of the analog to digital converter but by the instrument as a whole. This article explains how to measure the oscilloscope ENOB and shows results for the R&S®RTO for different settings.