Versatile DACs Offer High Precision and Simplify Integration

Digital-to-analog converters (DACs) rarely take center stage in electronic applications, but they play a crucial role in translating digital signals into precise analog voltages or currents that control motors, sensors, audio systems, instrumentation, and industrial processes. Without a high-quality DAC, even the most advanced digital logic cannot produce reliable analog output, limiting system performance.

DAC performance directly influences a system’s resolution, accuracy, power efficiency, and signal integrity across countless applications, from portable instrumentation to process control and embedded industrial systems.

Choosing the right DAC is not a simple matter of choosing one component over others. DACs are active precision components that interact with analog circuitry, microcontrollers, and the power supply. The right selection can impact reliability, minimize time to market, and spur innovative applications.

Switching to a new DAC during the development or product update phase can ripple across the design cycle. Changes may require PCB layout adjustments, updated firmware, and analog circuitry; applications may need recalibration for settling time, output impedance, or reference voltage behavior. These updates are time-consuming, costly, and can introduce risk, especially in regulated or high-precision applications.

Versatile solution

3PEAK addresses these design issues with the TPC116S1-VR (Figure 1), a single-channel, 16-bit DAC that offers a versatile solution to simplify integration and spur innovation across a wide range of systems. Moreover, it is pin- and software-compatible with some of the most popular DACs in use today, which facilitates easy integration into existing designs and reduces development time and costs.

Figure 1: The TPC116S1-VR and variants come in a compact 8-pin MSOP package. (Image source: 3PEAK)

The TPC116S1 makes high-precision DAC output accessible to a broad range of designs, from simple IoT nodes to advanced industrial controls. This single-channel DAC operates with low system power consumption and delivers a buffered rail-to-rail voltage output to deliver smooth, precise, and predictable analog signals across the full supply range.

The 3PEAK DAC delivers reliable, precise analog output across a wide range of applications:

• Factory automation for servo control and valve regulation
• Medical equipment for ultrasound waveform generation and infusion pumps
• IoT devices for sensor calibration, smooth LED control, and haptics
• Automotive systems for battery balancing and motor actuation

3-wire serial interface

With high reference input resistance, the 3PEAK DAC doesn't draw much current from the reference voltage, and its guaranteed monotonic behavior ensures smooth, predictable analog output as digital inputs change. Its 3-wire serial interface supports SPI, QSPI, MICROWIRE, and DSP protocols at speeds up to 30 MHz, making it easy to integrate into a variety of systems.

The TPC116S1 includes a power-on reset (POR) circuit that ensures the DAC output starts at 0 V and stays there until the first valid digital input occurs. It also features a power-down mode that drops current consumption to just 400 nA at 5 V and allows software-selectable output loads while powered down. Under normal operation, the device consumes 0.45 mW at 5 V.

The TPC116S1 incorporates a segmented resistor-string DAC for precise analog output, a shift register, and a DAC register to manage incoming digital data. The control logic orchestrates these functions, ensuring data loading is MSB first on the falling edge of the clock (SCLK), thereby guaranteeing precise and predictable updates to the analog signal.

12-bit and 14-bit options

In addition to the 16-bit TPC116S1, 3PEAK offers the 12-bit TPC112S1-VR and the 14-bit TPC114S1-VR pin- and software-compatible variants. This provides designers with the flexibility to select the appropriate resolution for their application, balancing precision, power consumption, and system complexity.

All three versions are available in an 8-pin MSOP package and are designed to operate within a temperature range of -40°C to +125°C. The package and temperature rating make the TPC11xS1 family suitable for use in industrial, automotive, and other environments where reliability across a wide temperature range is critical.

Conclusion

DACs are the crucial link between digital control and the analog world, influencing accuracy, power efficiency, and overall system performance. The 3PEAK TPC116S1 provides product designers with a reliable, versatile solution that simplifies integration and enables innovation across a wide range of systems. With 12-, 14-, and 16-bit options available, engineers can optimize resolution for each application, reduce development risk, and accelerate time to market.