12-bit ADC with I²C interface

Until not so long ago, only 8-bit analogue-to-digital converters (ADC) offered an I²C™ interface. Unfortunately, a resolution of 256 samples is inadequate for a number of measurements. The 12-bit ADC described in this short article has a resolution×16 or even ×64 as high. This makes it a lot more convenient to read, say, the usual temperature sensors, such as the LM335, which output 10 mV °C–1. With a 12-bit ADC and an internal reference voltage of 4.096 V, the resolution is 1 mV, which means that the sensor reading can be read in 0.1 °C. With an 8-bit converter, the resolution would be only 1.6 °C.