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INTEGRAL AND DIFFERENTIAL LINEARITY
The DAC7552 uses precision thin-film resistors pro-
viding exceptional linearity and monotonicity. Integral
linearity error is typically within (+/-) 0.35 LSBs, and
differential linearity error is typically within (+/-) 0.08
LSBs.
GLITCH ENERGY
The DAC7552 uses a proprietary architecture that
minimizes glitch energy. The code-to-code glitches
are so low, they are usually buried within the
wide-band noise and cannot be easily detected. The
DAC7552 glitch is typically well under 0.1 nV-s. Such
low glitch energy provides more than 10X improve-
ment over industry alternatives.
CHANNEL-TO-CHANNEL CROSSTALK
The DAC7552 architecture is designed to minimize
channel-to-channel crosstalk. The voltage change in
one channel does not affect the voltage output in
another channel. The DC crosstalk is in the order of a
few microvolts. AC crosstalk is also less than –100
dBs. This provides orders of magnitude improvement
over certain competing architectures.
APPLICATION INFORMATION
Waveform Generation
Generating ±5-V, ±10-V, and ± 12-V Outputs For
Precision Industrial Control
DAC7552
V
REF
H
DAC7552
_
+
V
dac
R2
R1
REF3140
V
REF
V
tail
V
OUT
OPA130
V
out
V
REF
R2
R1
1
Din
4096
V
tail
R2
R1
(1)
DAC7552
SLAS442B–JANUARY 2005–REVISED JUNE 2005
change the loop can generate. A DNL error less than
–1 LSB (non-monotonicity) can create loop instability.
A DNL error greater than +1 LSB implies unnecess-
arily large voltage steps and missed voltage targets.
With high DNL errors, the loop loses its stability,
resolution, and accuracy. Offering 12-bit ensured
monotonicity and ± 0.08 LSB typical DNL error, 755X
DACs are great choices for precision control loops.
Loop Speed:
Many factors determine control loop speed. Typically,
the ADC's conversion time and the MCU's compu-
tation time are the two major factors that dominate
the time constant of the loop. DAC settling time is
rarely a dominant factor because ADC conversion
times usually exceed DAC conversion times. DAC
offset, gain, and linearity errors can slow the loop
down only during the start-up. Once the loop reaches
its steady-state operation, these errors do not affect
loop speed any further. Depending on the ringing
characteristics of the loop's transfer function, DAC
glitches can also slow the loop down. With its 1
MSPS (small-signal) maximum data update rate,
DAC7552 can support high-speed control loops.
Ultralow glitch energy of the DAC7552 significantly
improves loop stability and loop settling time.
Generating Industrial Voltage Ranges:
For control loop applications, DAC gain and offset
errors are not important parameters. This could be
exploited to lower trim and calibration costs in a
high-voltage control circuit design. Using an oper-
ational amplifier (OPA130), and a voltage reference
(REF3140), the DAC7552 can generate the wide
voltage swings required by the control loop.
Due to its exceptional linearity, low glitch, and low
crosstalk, the DAC7552 is well suited for waveform
generation (from DC to 10 kHz). The DAC7552
large-signal settling time is 5 μs, supporting an
update rate of 200 KSPS. However, the update rates
can exceed 1 MSPS if the waveform to be generated
consists of small voltage steps between consecutive
DAC updates. To obtain a high dynamic range,
REF3140 (4.096 V) or REF02 (5 V) are rec-
ommended for reference voltage generation.
Industrial control applications can require multiple
feedback loops consisting of sensors, ADCs, MCUs,
DACs, and actuators. Loop accuracy and loop speed
are the two important parameters of such control
loops.
Figure 31. Low-cost, Wide-swing Voltage Gener-
ator for Control Loop Applications
Loop Accuracy:
The output voltage of the configuration is given by:
In a control loop, the ADC has to be accurate. Offset,
gain, and the integral linearity errors of the DAC are
not factors in determining the accuracy of the loop.
As long as a voltage exists in the transfer curve of a
monotonic DAC, the loop can find it and settle to it.
On the other hand, DAC resolution and differential
linearity do determine the loop accuracy, because
each DAC step determines the minimum incremental
Fixed R1 and R2 resistors can be used to coarsely
set the gain required in the first term of the equation.
Once R2 and R1 set the gain to include some
minimal over-range, a DAC7552 channel could be
used to set the required offset voltage. Residual
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