Electrical calculator

ADC SNR / Quantization Calculator

Ideal quantization SNR ≈ 6.02·N + 1.76 dB for a full-scale sine; reverse measured SINAD to ENOB. Runs locally in your browser.

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Result

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Enter values to calculate.

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Formula—

Trust summary CVP VERIFIED · CVP protocol 1.0.0-proposed · Engineering assurance

Input interpretation: Enter values to calculate.
Result: —
Assurance: Engineering
Declared partition coverage: PASS · 4/4 declared partitions (snr, enob, invalid-domain, round-trip) · Matrix
Known limitations: Ideal quantization model — excludes aperture jitter, thermal noise, distortion
Core CVP does not include live graph, viewport, or pointer interaction.
Model: Ideal quantization SNR and ENOB from measured SINAD.
Scope: Full-scale sinusoidal input
Verification: Engine tested · Source checked · v1.1.0 · CVP VERIFIED · CVP protocol 1.0.0-proposed · Engineering assurance· View Manifest · CVP overview · Specification
Versions: Calculation 1.1.0 · CVP protocol 1.0.0-proposed
CVP identity: 3/3 property · digest c6141affb89b
Legacy regression: 17/17 tests · Production surface contract 16/16
Reference: O1 model · O2 expected_values · O2 numerical_behavior
Interfaces: PASS · UI (SSR) / REST / MCP — ui-ssr is query-result HTML, not a live browser session.
Supplemental domain review: Internal · Pass · electrical-engineer
Named expert review: Not performed
CVP suite: 4/4 golden · 8/8 CVP boundary · 6/6 invalid · 3/3 property · 4/4 metamorphic · 3/3 round-trip · 2/2 cross-interface · 16/16 CVP contract · Manifest
Sources: IEEE Std 1241-2010 — 9.4 Effective number of bits
Analog Devices MT-001 — Taking the Mystery out of the Infamous Formula, SNR = 6.02N + 1.76 dB — Ideal quantization SNR for a full-scale sine
Sources
Evidence: 6 legacy golden · 8 legacy boundary · legacy regression suite · 4/4 oracle-backed golden · 6/6 invalid · Artifact integrity PASS · CalculatorX electrical review
Semantic contract: PASS

Full verification

Manifest identity, reference classes, interfaces, suite, and production records.

Formulas

Core equations used by this calculator.

Ideal SNRSNR = 6.02·N + 1.76 dB

ENOBENOB = (SINAD − 1.76)/6.02

iIdeal quantization only. Does not include aperture jitter, distortion, or reference noise. Standard ENOB is derived from SINAD (noise + distortion), not from SNR.

How to use

Choose Ideal SNR or ENOB from SINAD

Ideal SNR uses integer n_bits. Reverse mode converts measured SINAD_dB to ENOB. Standard ENOB includes both noise and distortion.

Enter resolution or measured SINAD

Bits must be an integer from 1 to 32. SNR mode uses SNR = 6.02·N + 1.76 dB (full-scale sine, ideal quantizer).

Read SNR or ENOB

For an ideal N-bit quantizer measured over the full Nyquist bandwidth, this is the theoretical quantization-SNR reference. Real ADC SNR is typically lower under comparable signal and bandwidth conditions.

Example calculations

Common configurations with formula and result.

6-bit ideal

N=6 · full-scale sine

6.02·6+1.76

37.88 dB

12-bit ideal

N=12 · full-scale sine

6.02·12+1.76

74.00 dB

16-bit ideal

N=16 · full-scale sine

6.02·16+1.76

98.08 dB

SINAD 74 dB

Measured SINAD → ENOB

(74−1.76)/6.02

ENOB = 12

SINAD 71 dB

Measured SINAD → ENOB

(71−1.76)/6.02

ENOB ≈ 11.50

Ideal SNR vs resolution

Common values at a glance.

Resolution	Ideal SNR
6 bit	37.88 dB
8 bit	49.92 dB
10 bit	61.96 dB
12 bit	74.00 dB
14 bit	86.04 dB
16 bit	98.08 dB
18 bit	110.12 dB
24 bit	146.24 dB

i Full-scale sine, ideal quantizer. SNR = 6.02N + 1.76 dB. Real SNR is lower. ENOB uses measured SINAD, not this ideal SNR.

ADC SNR / Quantization calculator specification

Version 1.1.0 · Engine tested · Supplemental domain review · Internal · 2026-09-04

Calculation status

Engine tested 17/17 tests · Production surface contract 16/16
Supplemental domain review Internal · Pass · electrical-engineer · 2026-09-04
Named expert review Not performed
Calculation version 1.1.0

Review policy · Evidence · Reviewed by CalculatorX electrical review (electrical-engineer)

Definition: For an ideal N-bit ADC sampling a full-scale sine, theoretical SNR ≈ 6.02·N + 1.76 dB. Standard ENOB = (SINAD − 1.76)/6.02 converts a measured SINAD back to effective bits.
What it calculates: Ideal quantization SNR and ENOB from measured SINAD.
Inputs: mode snr|enob (oneOf)
snr: n_bits (integer 1…32)
enob: SINAD_dB
Outputs: snr: SNR_dB, ENOB
enob: SINAD_dB, ENOB
Formula: SNR=6.02N+1.76; ENOB=(SINAD−1.76)/6.02
Assumptions: Full-scale sinusoidal input
Ideal ADC quantizer; quantization noise is uniformly distributed
No aperture jitter, thermal/reference noise, or harmonic distortion in the ideal-SNR path
Standard ENOB is derived from SINAD (noise + distortion), not SNR
n_bits is the ADC nominal integer resolution, not an effective-bits result
Units: bit, dB
Boundary conditions: mode not snr|enob → INVALID_MODE
snr mode missing n_bits → MISSING_REQUIRED_INPUT
enob mode missing SINAD_dB → MISSING_REQUIRED_INPUT
n_bits not an integer (including 0 < n_bits < 1) → VALUE_MUST_BE_INTEGER
n_bits ≤ 0 → VALUE_MUST_BE_POSITIVE
n_bits > 32 → VALUE_OUT_OF_RANGE
Legacy compatibility: Legacy REST requests may use SNR_dB as an alias of SINAD_dB (normalized before the engine). MCP / Agent canonical schema requires SINAD_dB and rejects SNR_dB.
Example: 12-bit → 74 dB SNR; SINAD 74 dB → ENOB 12
Validation cases: 2 published on this page · 17/17 tests · Production surface contract 16/16 · View evidence
n_bits=12 → SNR=74 ENOB=12
SINAD_dB=74 mode=enob → ENOB=12
Sources: IEEE Std 1241-2010 — 9.4 Effective number of bits
Supports: ADC ENOB definition; relationship between SINAD and ENOB
Analog Devices MT-001 — Taking the Mystery out of the Infamous Formula, SNR = 6.02N + 1.76 dB — Ideal quantization SNR for a full-scale sine · accessed 2026-09-04
Supports: SNR = 6.02N + 1.76 dB for an ideal N-bit quantizer
Last reviewed: 2026-09-04
Reviewed by: CalculatorX electrical review (electrical-engineer)
Calculation version: 1.1.0

Background

Interpretation and common distinctions.

Ideal ADC SNR / ENOB.

Default: 12-bit full-scale sine → 74.00 dB ideal SNR.

Standard ENOB is derived from SINAD (noise + distortion), not from SNR.

Supported and not supported

Supported — Ideal SNR · ENOB from SINAD · API electrical.adc.snr

Not supported — Measured FFT noise floors, jitter models, SNR-equivalent bits as a substitute for ENOB

Agent / API notes

Capability id: electrical.adc.snr · tool id: adc-snr · pin 1.1.0.

n_bits is an integer in 1…32. ENOB mode requires SINAD_dB. Input schema is mode-discriminated oneOf. Legacy REST may send SNR_dB as an alias of SINAD_dB; MCP / Agent canonical schema does not accept SNR_dB.

Other calculators in this family: ADC Error Budget Calculator, Op-amp Error Budget Calculator, Op-Amp Gain Calculator, Op-amp Noise Calculator . Explore all Analog & Data Conversion.

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Frequently asked questions

Key distinctions behind the calculation.

Why is ENOB calculated from SINAD, not SNR?

IEEE Std 1241 and ADC vendors define ENOB from SINAD because SINAD includes both noise and harmonic distortion. SNR typically excludes harmonics. Using SNR would overstate effective bits on a real converter.

Why is real SNR lower?

Over the same Nyquist bandwidth, jitter, INL/DNL, thermal noise, and distortion typically pull SNR below the ideal quantization formula. Narrower measurement bandwidth or oversampling can add process gain; that is a different test condition, not a higher ideal quantizer.

Can I enter fractional bits?

No. n_bits is the ADC nominal resolution and must be an integer from 1 to 32. Fractional results appear only as ENOB from measured SINAD.