The University of Texas at Arlington

Lecture 10
DAC: Digital-to-Analog Conversion

CSE 3442/5442
Embedded Systems 1
Based heavily on slides by Dr. Gergely Záruba and Dr. Roger Walker
 Digital to Analog Conversion

• Unlike an ADC, a DAC takes a digital value and

converts it into a quasi-analog voltage
• Usually the conversion is linear
– Equal step size
• PIC18s have no built-in DACs (use standalone ICs)
• A DAC can have a parallel input or a serial input

DAC
0.50V (0b00011001)
0.81V (0b00101001)
1.25V (0b00111111) 2
…
 Digital to Analog Conversion

• Unlike an ADC, a DAC takes a digital value and

converts it into a quasi-analog voltage
• Usually the conversion is linear
– Equal step size
• PIC18s have no built-in DACs (use standalone ICs)
• A DAC can have a parallel input or a serial input
Output Range: 0V – Vref
Example: 0.0V – 5.0V

8-bit Example DAC

Input Range: 0 – 255 decimal

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 Reconstructing a Signal
Img Source: http://www.nutaq.com/

Digital

~Analog

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 Example

Sensor Actuator
(Input) (Output)
|------------ANALOG---------------|-----------DIGITAL-------------|-----------------ANALOG----------------|

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Img Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:CPT-Sound-ADC-DAC.svg
 Applications

• ADC (sensor input) • DAC (actuator output)

– Audio (microphone) – Audio (speaker)
– Temperature – Motor Speed
– Weight/Force – Valve
– Light – Cooling System
– Electricity – Light
– Air Pressure – Video (some)
– Water Flow Rate – Fuel Injector

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 DAC Resolution

• Similar to an ADC’s resolution

• More bits (inputs) == More precise output
• Most are 8, 10, or 12 bits
8: 256 discrete voltage levels for output
10: 1024 discrete voltage levels for output
12: 4096 discrete voltage levels for output

Vref

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0V
 DAC Resolution

• Similar to an ADC’s resolution

• More bits (inputs) == More precise output
• Most are 8, 10, or 12 bits
8: 256 discrete voltage levels for output
10: 1024 discrete voltage levels for output
12: 4096 discrete voltage levels for output

Vref

256 1024 4096

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0V
 Buffered Binary Resistor Network DAC

R Rf
MSB
2R
-

4R +

8R
LSB

• Seldom used when more than 6 bits

• Consider the design of an 8-bit DAC if the smallest resistor has resistance R
– what would be the value of the largest resistor?
– what would be the tolerance of the smallest resistor?
– input resistors could load the output differently
• Very difficult to manufacture very accurate resistors over this range
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R-2R Resistor Ladder DAC

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 R-2R Resistor Ladder DAC
0V / 5V 0V / 5V 0V / 5V 0V / 5V 0V / 5V

Vref = 5V

𝑽𝑽𝑽𝑽𝑽𝑽
Vout = Vref x
𝟐𝟐𝑵𝑵

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 R-2R Resistor Ladder DAC
3-bit Example
0V / 5V 0V / 5V 0V / 5V Nodal Analysis
Vref = 5V Kirchhoff's current law
I1
Iin = Iout per junction
V = IR
V0 V1 V2
I0 I2
For V0: I0 = I1 + I2
𝑉𝑉0 − 0𝑉𝑉 𝑎𝑎0 −𝑉𝑉0 𝑉𝑉1 −𝑉𝑉0
I0 = I1 = I2 =
2𝑅𝑅 2𝑅𝑅 𝑅𝑅

𝑉𝑉 − 0𝑉𝑉 𝑎𝑎 −𝑉𝑉 𝑉𝑉 −𝑉𝑉

 Use 0 = 0 0 + 1 0 and V1, V2 equations
2𝑅𝑅 2𝑅𝑅 𝑅𝑅
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to solve for V2 (Vout) with only a0, a1, and a2 left
 R-2R Resistor Ladder DAC
3-bit Example
0V / 5V 0V / 5V 0V / 5V

Vref = 5V VAL Vout

000 0.0 V
001 0.625 V
010 1.25 V
V0 V1 V2 011 1.875 V
100 2.5 V
Nodal Analysis 101 3.125 V
1 1 1
Vout = 𝑎𝑎0 + 𝑎𝑎1 + 𝑎𝑎2 110 3.75 V
8 4 2 111 4.375 V

𝑽𝑽𝑽𝑽𝑽𝑽
Vout = Vref x
𝟐𝟐𝑵𝑵 13
 R-2R Resistor Ladder DAC
I R R R

Vs 2R 2R 2R 2R 2R

I/2 I/4 I/8 I/16

Rf

+
Vo
4-bit register
MSB

LSB

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DAC on the QwikFlash

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MAX522

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DAC on the QwikFlash

MAX522
3-wire serial interface input
Two 8-bit buffered DAC Voltage Outputs

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DAC on the QwikFlash

MAX522
3-wire serial interface input
Two 8-bit buffered DAC Voltage Outputs

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 MSSP Module
SPI Connections

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 MAX522 DAC

• 3-wire serial Interface

– 𝑪𝑪𝑪𝑪: needs to be kept low when
feeding in data
– Rising edge will modify
behavior of DAC
– SCLK: every rising edge data
is clocked in (<5MHz)
– DIN: Data line
• Each command is 16 bits long
• For PIC interfacing, we can
program it directly or use
serial communication
peripherals

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MAX522 DAC

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 MSSP Module
SPI Connections

Serial Data
Serial Clock OUT
OUT
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SPI Mode Registers

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 Example – MAX522
unsigned char controlByte= 0;
unsigned char dataByte = 0;
SSPSTAT = 0bxxxxxxxx; //SMP and CKE
SSPCON1 = 0bxxxxxxxx; //Enable SPI serial port

while(1)
{
//calculations…, assign value to dataByte (8-bit data you want to send out)
//Enable DAC (Chip Select pin on DAC)

SSPBUF = controlByte; //MAX522 Control bits to select which output to use

while(SSPSTATbits.BF == 0); //wait until transmission is complete

SSPBUF = dataByte; //Assign Voltage value to DAC via buffer

while(SSPSTATbits.BF == 0); //wait until transmission is complete

//Disable DAC (Chip Select pin on DAC)

} 26
Questions?

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