Bits, Levels, and Dynamic Range Relationships

Bits, Levels, and Step Size: The Fundamental Relationship

Parameter	Formula	Example (10V range)
Bits $B$	—	8 bits
Levels $L$	$L = 2^B$	256
Step size $\Delta$	$\Delta = \frac{V_{\text{FSR}}}{L} = \frac{V_{\text{FSR}}}{2^B}$	39.1 mV
Dynamic range (dB)	$6.02B + 1.76$ dB	49.9 dB

Each additional bit:

• Doubles the number of levels
• Halves the step size
• Adds ~6 dB of dynamic range

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