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Dac S06

This document discusses digital to analog converters (DACs). It begins by defining a DAC as a device that converts a digital signal into an analog voltage or current. It then describes the two main types of DACs - binary weighted resistor DACs and R-2R ladder DACs. Binary weighted resistor DACs use weighted resistors to distinguish each bit, while R-2R ladder DACs only use two resistor values. The document concludes by discussing specifications such as resolution, speed, linearity, and types of errors in DACs.

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Saif Uddin
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24 views34 pages

Dac S06

This document discusses digital to analog converters (DACs). It begins by defining a DAC as a device that converts a digital signal into an analog voltage or current. It then describes the two main types of DACs - binary weighted resistor DACs and R-2R ladder DACs. Binary weighted resistor DACs use weighted resistors to distinguish each bit, while R-2R ladder DACs only use two resistor values. The document concludes by discussing specifications such as resolution, speed, linearity, and types of errors in DACs.

Uploaded by

Saif Uddin
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Digital to Analog Converters

(DAC)
Md. Azmain Yakin Srizon
Lecturer
Department of CSE, RUET
What is a DAC?

•A digital to analog converter (DAC) converts a digital


signal to an analog voltage or current output.

100101…
DAC
What is a DAC?
Analog Output Signal

0000 0001 0010 0011 0100 0101 0110 0111 1000 1001 1010 1011
Digital Input Signal
Types of DACs

• Many types of DACs available.


• Usually switches, resistors, and op-amps used to implement
conversion
• Two Types:
• Binary Weighted Resistor
• R-2R Ladder
Binary Weighted Resistor

• Utilizes a summing op-amp circuit


• Weighted resistors are used to distinguish each bit from the most
significant to the least significant
• Transistors are used to switch between Vref and ground (bit high or
low)
Binary Weighted Resistor

•Assume Ideal Op-amp


Vref
•No current into op-amp
•Virtual ground at inverting R
input 2R I Rf

•Vout= -IRf 4R
- Vout
+
2nR
Binary Weighted Resistor
Vref
Voltages V1 through Vn are
either Vref if corresponding bit V1
is high or ground if R
corresponding bit is low V2 2R I Rf

V1 is most significant bit V3 4R


- Vout
Vn is least significant bit +
Vn 2n-1R

MSB

LSB
Binary Weighted Resistor

If Rf=R/2

For example, a 4-Bit converter yields

Where b3 corresponds to Bit-3, b2 to Bit-2, etc.


Binary Weighted Resistor

• Advantages
• Simple Construction/Analysis
• Fast Conversion
• Disadvantages
• Requires large range of resistors (2000:1 for 12-bit
DAC) with necessary high precision for low resistors
• Requires low switch resistances in transistors
• Can be expensive. Therefore, usually limited to 8-bit
resolution.
R-2R Ladder

Each bit corresponds


Vref to a switch:

If the bit is high,


the corresponding
switch is connected to
the inverting input of
the op-amp.

If the bit is low, the


corresponding switch
Bit: 0 0 0 0
Vout is connected to ground.
4-Bit Converter
R-2R Ladder

V3
Vref V1 V2 V3
Ideal Op-amp

2R 2R
R-2R Ladder

Vref V1 V2 V3 V2 V3

R R

I
Likewise,

Vout
R-2R Ladder

Results:
Vref V1 V2 V3

Where b3 corresponds to bit 3,


b2 to bit 2, etc.
Vout
If bit n is set, bn=1

If bit n is clear, bn=0


R-2R Ladder

For a 4-Bit R-2R Ladder

For general n-Bit R-2R Ladder or Binary Weighted Resister DAC


R-2R Ladder

• Advantages
• Only two resistor values (R and 2R)
• Does not require high precision resistors
• Disadvantage
• Lower conversion speed than binary weighted DAC
Specifications of DACs

• Resolution
• Speed
• Linearity
• Settling Time
• Reference Voltages
• Errors
Resolution

• Smallest analog increment corresponding to 1 LSB change


• An N-bit resolution can resolve 2N distinct analog levels
• Common DAC has a 8-16 bit resolution
Speed

• Rate of conversion of a single digital input to its analog equivalent


• Conversion rate depends on
• clock speed of input signal
• settling time of converter
• When the input changes rapidly, the DAC conversion speed must be
high.
Linearity

•The difference between the desired analog output and the


actual output over the full range of expected values
Linearity

•Ideally, a DAC should produce a linear relationship


between the digital input and analog output

Linearity (Ideal) Non-Linearity


Settling Time

• Time required for the output signal to settle within +/- ½ LSB of its
final value after a given change in input scale
• Limited by slew rate of output amplifier
• Ideally, an instantaneous change in analog voltage would occur
when a new binary word enters into DAC
Reference Voltages

• Used to determine how each digital input will be assigned to each


voltage division
• Types:
• Non-multiplier DAC: Vref is fixed
• Multiplier DAC: Vref provided by external source
Types of Errors Associated with DACs

• Gain
• Offset
• Full Scale
• Resolution
• Non-Linearity
• Non-Monotonic
• Settling Time and Overshoot
Gain Error

•Occurs when the


slope of the actual
output deviates
from the ideal
output
Offset Error

•Occurs when there is a


constant offset between
the actual output and
the ideal output
Full Scale Error

•Occurs when the


actual signal has both
gain and offset errors
Resolution Error

•Poor representation of ideal


output due to poor
resolution
•Size of voltage divisions
affect the resolution
Non-Linearity Error

• Occurs when analog output of signal is non-linear


• Two Types
• Differential – analog step-sizes changes with increasing digital input (measure
of largest deviation; between successive bits
• Integral – amount of deviation from a straight line after offset and gain errors
removed; on concurrent bits
Non-Linearity Error, cont.
Non-Monotonic Error

•Occurs when an increase


in digital input results in a
decrease in the analog
output
Settling Time and Overshoot Error

Analog
•Settling Time – time Output +1/2*VLSB
required for the output to
fall with in +/- ½ VLSB Ideal
•Overshoot – occurs when Output

analog output overshoots -1/2*VLSB


the ideal output

Settling Time
Time
Applications

• Digital Motor Control


• Computer Printers
• Sound Equipment (e.g. CD/MP3 Players, etc.)
• Electronic Cruise Control
• Digital Thermostat
References

• Callis, J. B. “The Digital to Analog Converter.” 2002.


http://courses.washington.edu/jbcallis/lectures/C464_Lec5_Sp-02.pdf. 14
March 2006
• “DAC.” 2006.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital-to-analog_converter#DAC_types. 14
March 2006.
• Johns, David and Ken Martin. “Data Converter Fundamentals.” © 1997.
http://www.eecg.toronto.edu/~kphang/ece1371/chap11_slides.pdf. 14
March 2006
• Goericke, Fabian, Keunhan Park and Geoffrey Williams. “Digital to
Analog Converter.” © 2005.
http://www.me.gatech.edu/mechatronics_course/DAC_F05.ppt. 14 March
2006
QUESTIONS?

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