What is JESD204?

JESD204 is a high-speed serial data interface standard developed by JEDEC. It's commonly used to connect data converters (ADCs and DACs) to other devices, such as FPGAs or ASICs. Its primary advantage is reducing the number of input/output (I/O) pins required compared to parallel interfaces, enabling smaller form factors and simplified board routing, especially in high-bandwidth applications. It comes in various versions (JESD204, JESD204A, JESD204B, and JESD204C), with each subsequent version offering improvements in features, speed, and flexibility. Key features include lane synchronization, deterministic latency, and error detection.