Event-Based ADCs vs. Nyquist ADCs: Rethinking Performance Metrics

Simon Dorrer; Anna Werzi; Bernhard A. Moser; Michael Lunglmayr; Harald Pretl

doi:10.1109/Austrochip67945.2025.11183710

Event-Based ADCs vs. Nyquist ADCs: Rethinking Performance Metrics

Simon Dorrer^*
, Anna Werzi^*
, Bernhard A. Moser^*
, Michael Lunglmayr^*
, Harald Pretl^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference proceedings › peer-review

Abstract

Event-based analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) are an interesting alternative to conventional Nyquist ADCs. However, their application is far from mainstream. One reason for this lack of industry adoption might be the absence of a universal performance metric for event-based ADCs that can be used robustly to compare them with Nyquist ADCs. This article addresses this gap by summarizing key theoretical concepts and highlighting primary distinctions between event-based ADCs and Nyquist ADCs. The theoretical findings are substantiated by the measurement results of a demonstrator implemented at the PCB level. Building on these insights, the work demonstrates that the conventional figures of merit (FoMs) used for Nyquist ADCs are inadequate to evaluate event-based ADCs, prompting the development of a new and tailored performance metric. Finally, the performance of state of the art integrated event-based ADCs is evaluated using the proposed FoM.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	2025 Austrochip Workshop on Microelectronics (Austrochip)
Publisher	IEEE
Pages	37-40
Number of pages	4
Edition	1
ISBN (Electronic)	979-8-3315-5477-4
ISBN (Print)	979-8-3315-5478-1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1109/Austrochip67945.2025.11183710
Publication status	Published - 25 Sept 2025
Event	2025 Austrochip Workshop on Microelectronics (Austrochip) - Linz, Austria Duration: 24 Sept 2025 → 25 Sept 2025

Conference

Conference	2025 Austrochip Workshop on Microelectronics (Austrochip)
Period	24.09.2025 → 25.09.2025

Fields of science

202034 Control engineering
202018 Semiconductor electronics
202017 Embedded systems
202015 Electronics
202030 Communication engineering
202028 Microelectronics
202027 Mechatronics
102019 Machine learning
202040 Transmission technology
202 Electrical Engineering, Electronics, Information Engineering
202025 Power electronics
102005 Computer aided design (CAD)
202041 Computer engineering
202037 Signal processing
202023 Integrated circuits
202006 Computer hardware
202036 Sensor systems
202022 Information technology

JKU Focus areas

Digital Transformation

Access to Document

10.1109/Austrochip67945.2025.11183710

https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/stamp/stamp.jsp?tp=&arnumber=11183710

Cite this

@inproceedings{c51b9010a3a64224aba6d01f390f2207,

title = "Event-Based ADCs vs. Nyquist ADCs: Rethinking Performance Metrics",

abstract = "Event-based analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) are an interesting alternative to conventional Nyquist ADCs. However, their application is far from mainstream. One reason for this lack of industry adoption might be the absence of a universal performance metric for event-based ADCs that can be used robustly to compare them with Nyquist ADCs. This article addresses this gap by summarizing key theoretical concepts and highlighting primary distinctions between event-based ADCs and Nyquist ADCs. The theoretical findings are substantiated by the measurement results of a demonstrator implemented at the PCB level. Building on these insights, the work demonstrates that the conventional figures of merit (FoMs) used for Nyquist ADCs are inadequate to evaluate event-based ADCs, prompting the development of a new and tailored performance metric. Finally, the performance of state of the art integrated event-based ADCs is evaluated using the proposed FoM.",

keywords = "Industries, Quantization (signal), Event detection, Conferences, Buildings, Reconstruction algorithms, Performance metrics, Microelectronics, Analog-digital conversion",

author = "Simon Dorrer and Anna Werzi and Moser, \{Bernhard A.\} and Michael Lunglmayr and Harald Pretl",

year = "2025",

month = sep,

day = "25",

doi = "10.1109/Austrochip67945.2025.11183710",

language = "English",

isbn = "979-8-3315-5478-1",

pages = "37--40",

booktitle = "2025 Austrochip Workshop on Microelectronics (Austrochip)",

publisher = "IEEE",

edition = "1",

note = "2025 Austrochip Workshop on Microelectronics (Austrochip) ; Conference date: 24-09-2025 Through 25-09-2025",

}

TY - GEN

T1 - Event-Based ADCs vs. Nyquist ADCs: Rethinking Performance Metrics

AU - Dorrer, Simon

AU - Werzi, Anna

AU - Moser, Bernhard A.

AU - Lunglmayr, Michael

AU - Pretl, Harald

PY - 2025/9/25

Y1 - 2025/9/25

N2 - Event-based analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) are an interesting alternative to conventional Nyquist ADCs. However, their application is far from mainstream. One reason for this lack of industry adoption might be the absence of a universal performance metric for event-based ADCs that can be used robustly to compare them with Nyquist ADCs. This article addresses this gap by summarizing key theoretical concepts and highlighting primary distinctions between event-based ADCs and Nyquist ADCs. The theoretical findings are substantiated by the measurement results of a demonstrator implemented at the PCB level. Building on these insights, the work demonstrates that the conventional figures of merit (FoMs) used for Nyquist ADCs are inadequate to evaluate event-based ADCs, prompting the development of a new and tailored performance metric. Finally, the performance of state of the art integrated event-based ADCs is evaluated using the proposed FoM.

AB - Event-based analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) are an interesting alternative to conventional Nyquist ADCs. However, their application is far from mainstream. One reason for this lack of industry adoption might be the absence of a universal performance metric for event-based ADCs that can be used robustly to compare them with Nyquist ADCs. This article addresses this gap by summarizing key theoretical concepts and highlighting primary distinctions between event-based ADCs and Nyquist ADCs. The theoretical findings are substantiated by the measurement results of a demonstrator implemented at the PCB level. Building on these insights, the work demonstrates that the conventional figures of merit (FoMs) used for Nyquist ADCs are inadequate to evaluate event-based ADCs, prompting the development of a new and tailored performance metric. Finally, the performance of state of the art integrated event-based ADCs is evaluated using the proposed FoM.

KW - Industries

KW - Quantization (signal)

KW - Event detection

KW - Conferences

KW - Buildings

KW - Reconstruction algorithms

KW - Performance metrics

KW - Microelectronics

KW - Analog-digital conversion

UR - https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/11183710/

U2 - 10.1109/Austrochip67945.2025.11183710

DO - 10.1109/Austrochip67945.2025.11183710

M3 - Conference proceedings

SN - 979-8-3315-5478-1

SP - 37

EP - 40

BT - 2025 Austrochip Workshop on Microelectronics (Austrochip)

PB - IEEE

T2 - 2025 Austrochip Workshop on Microelectronics (Austrochip)

Y2 - 24 September 2025 through 25 September 2025

ER -

Event-Based ADCs vs. Nyquist ADCs: Rethinking Performance Metrics

Abstract

Conference

Fields of science

JKU Focus areas

Access to Document

Other files and links

JKU LIT - SAL Intelligent Wireless Systems Lab (IWS Lab)

Spike-based Sampling and Learning

LCM - Center for Symbiotic Mechatronics - Förderphase 2