From Analog to Digital-Assisted Techniques: Modern Digital-to-Analog Converter Design for High Speed and Dynamic Range

Digital-to-analog converters (DACs) have become indispensable in modern wireless communication systems, enabling direct synthesis of RF signals from the digital domain and thus simplifying transmitter architectures. Achieving both high speed and high dynamic range in DACs is critical, especially with the growing demand for advanced modulation schemes and massive MIMO applications. This review article systematically examines the evolution of high-speed and high-dynamic-range DAC design techniques, tracing the transition from traditional analog practices to advanced digital methodologies. The fundamental performance limitations, including static mismatch, timing skew, finite output impedance, and inter-symbol interference (ISI), are analyzed to highlight the key challenges in achieving high linearity and bandwidth. Subsequently, the paper categorizes and compares commonly adopted analog-centric solutions, such as amplitude and timing calibration, impedance compensation, and return-to-zero operation, with modern digital-assisted approaches, including mapping optimization, digital pre-distortion (DPD), dynamic element matching (DEM), and digital return-to-zero (DRZ) techniques. The effectiveness and inherent limitations of each approach are discussed, with particular emphasis on mitigating unit deviations and ISI-induced distortions. By presenting a comprehensive overview of both analog and digital strategies, this article offers valuable insights and design guidelines for next-generation high-speed, high-resolution DACs, supporting the continued advancement of high-performance wireless communication systems.