INL stands for "Integral Nonlinearity." It is a term used in the field of electronics and digital signal processing to describe the deviation from an ideal linear response in the output of a device or system.
Integral Nonlinearity refers to the error in the analog-to-digital converter (ADC) or digital-to-analog converter (DAC) that arises from nonlinearity in the device's transfer function. The transfer function maps the input signal to the output signal and is expected to be a straight line in an ideal linear system. However, due to various factors such as component tolerances, manufacturing imperfections, and environmental conditions, the output may deviate from linearity.
The INL is determined by comparing the actual output values of the device to the expected ideal output values at a specified set of input values. If the measured output values are not perfectly aligned with the expected linear response, the INL is said to be non-zero, indicating the degree of nonlinearity.
The INL is typically expressed as a percentage of the full scale range or as a number of least significant bits (LSBs). It quantifies the accuracy and precision of the device's output and affects the overall performance of the system, especially in applications where high linearity is critical, such as data acquisition, audio processing, and communications.
In summary, INL represents the deviation from linearity in the output of an electronic device, specifically an ADC or DAC, indicating the error in the transfer function.
