Analog to Digital Converter

[tony duell]

> I have a number of laboratory instruments that are from the 1990 time
> frame.  They produce digital data that is the digitized signal from a
> detector, the data can be from 512 to 65K samples long.  The ADC used in
> these instruments is a 16bit 100ksample/sec design.  The ADC is in a 3
> by 4 inch metal box with a row of pins on each long edge.

[...]

> What is inside the box?  Is it a hybrid circuit?

I came across somewhat similar looking ADC and DAC modules in an I2S image
display system. These were flat metal cans with pins on the bottom, going into
individual sockets on the PCB.

In that case the can could be opened up quite easily (I think just a couple of points
to unsolder. Inside was a PCB _stuffed_ with components, including several possibly
custom metal-can ICs (in the case of the ADC I susect fast analogue comparators).

Have you tried to open your module? It may not be potted.

-tony