Quantization levels in an ADC An analog-to-digital converter with a 4-bit digital output can represent how many distinct analog input levels?

Introduction / Context:ADC resolution determines how many unique codes, and thus how many discrete input levels, the converter can represent. This directly affects quantization error and signal fidelity.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• Number of bits n = 4.
• Each unique code corresponds to one quantized input range.

Concept / Approach:The number of distinct digital codes for an n-bit converter is 2^n. Therefore, a 4-bit ADC has 2^4 = 16 levels.

Step-by-Step Solution:Compute 2^n with n = 4.2^4 = 16, so there are sixteen quantization steps/levels.Select the option “16.”

Verification / Alternative check:List the codes from 0000 to 1111; that is 16 codes, confirming the calculation.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:4 and 8: incorrect counts for 4 bits.1/4 and 0.0625: these are fractional values unrelated to level count; 1/16 = 0.0625 is sometimes the step fraction of full-scale, not the number of levels.

Common Pitfalls:Confusing number of steps with step size; step size is FS/(2^n − 1) for many DACs/ADCs with inclusive endpoints.

Final Answer:16