Seminar Presentation on

Digital to Analog Converters

Ashutosh Bhatt
M. Tech. (Embedded Systems)
Enrol. No. – 12SOEES21002
Electronics & communication Engineering Department
School of Engineering
Outline
Objectives
DAC Architectures
DAC interfacing
DAC parameters
DAC selection parameters
DAC applications
Conclusion
References
Objectives
List out various architectures of DAC
Explain different architectures of DAC
List out interfacing signals of DAC
List out various DAC parameters
Select DAC for any application based on its different
parameters
Describe applications of DAC briefly
DAC Architectures
String
Digital potentiometer
Fully decoded DAC
Binary weighted
R- 2R ladder
Multiplying
Segmented
Delta-sigma
String DAC Digital Pot.

Vout = x * Vref / 8
x = 1 to 8

Thermometer
DAC
Binary Weighted R-2R ladder
Multiplying DACs (MDACs)
Reference voltage input is
variable
It can be bipolar signal
But it can not go to zero
It can vary from 10% to 100%
Gain is controlled by the
digital word applied to the
MDAC
Application –
Used as variable gain
amplifier
Segmented DACsTwo or more DACs may be
combined in a single higher
resolution DAC to give the required
performance
DACs may be of the same type or
of different types
They may have same or different
resolution
One DAC handles the MSBs,
another handles the LSBs
Their outputs are added in some
way
Applications –
Very high speed operations such as
video, communication, HF
reconstruction
Delta-sigma DAC
A delta sigma DAC consists of a
delta sigma modulator which
produces the bit stream and a
low pass filter.
The modulator will be
implemented with digital
technique if you have a digital
signal source and in analogue
technique in case of an analogue
signal source
You will use an analogue low pass
filter if you need an analogue
signal output or a digital low pass
filter if you want a digital output
Interfacing Signals
1. Data signals / data bus - it can
be serial or parallel
2. Control signals
 Chip select or enable
 Write enable
3. Biasing signals Vdd, Gnd
4. Reference input
5. Output signal – can be current
or voltage
Different parameters of DAC
1. Resolution
2. Reference voltage
3. Midscale error / bipolar zero error
4. Differential non linearity (DNL)
5. Integral non linearity (INL) / relative accuracy
6. Full scale output range
7. Logic ‘1’ input
8. Logic ‘0’ input
9. Input leakage current
10. Settling time
11. Analog output impedance
12. Gain error / full scale error
DAC selection parameters
To select a DAC for any particular application we need to
consider following parameters
Resolution
INL – DNL
Gain error
Settling time
Input digital interface
Reference voltage
Temperature drif
Output type
Resolution
In selecting a DAC, the first step is to determine the necessary
resolution N
From N we get
maximum analog output = 2N × LSB
It gives the number of steps in which whole analog output voltage
span is divided
e.g. For 8 bit DAC with output voltage span of -5 to +5 has 256 steps
of 40 mv (10 / 256 = 0.039 = 40 mv)
Resolution gives no indication of accuracy, because other sources of
error must be taken into account.
Differential nonlinearity is the difference
between an actual step height and the ideal
value of 1 LSB
The target value for DNL (greater than -1 LSB)
ensures that the DAC is monotonic
Means no data is lost because the output
always changes in accordance with the digital
input
Integral nonlinearity describes the deviation
of a DAC's transfer function from a straight
line.
For DACs, this deviation is measured at every
step
For high-end DACs, INL values are better than
±1 LSB.
Offset error equals the output voltage when the digital
input is zero.
 This error remains constant for all input values, and
normally can be compensated by calibrating the
circuit
 It is ofen specified as an absolute value in millivolts
rather than LSBs
 Offset error in LSBs depends on the output step
height, which in turn depends on the level of
reference voltage
 An acceptable offset error is usually less than ±10mV.
Gain error is the difference between the ideal maximum
output voltage and the actual maximum value of the
transfer function afer subtracting the offset error
 Because gain error changes the slope of the transfer
function, it delivers the same percentage error for
each step
 Gain error is expressed in LSB or millivolts, as a
percent of the maximum value
Settling time
An ideal DAC would deliver its analog output immediately
afer a digital value is applied to the input
Actual DACs, however, impose a settling time that
consists of the internal propagation delay and a limited
slew rate in the output driver
Settling time begins with the start of a conversion, ends
when the DAC output becomes stable
For high speed DAC this must be as low as possible
Input data interface
Parallel interface
Advantages -
 Fast transmission
 Simple data protocol
Disadvantages –
 More data lines (pins) required
 Size is big requires more board space
 Cross talk interference
Serial interface
Advantages -
 Requires less board space and allows a smaller package
 Lower pin count – less data lines required
Disadvantages –
 Slower data transmission
 Requires handshaking signals
Serial Data Interfaces
SPI (Serial Peripheral interface)
Advantages –
Much higher speed
Do not requires pull ups
Full duplex transmission possible
Disadvantages –
Requires more pins (4) than IIC
Can not be configured in network
IIC (Inter Integrated Circuit)
Advantages –
Required only two pins
Any number of devices can be connected to IIC bus
Master-slave configuration for networking
Disadvantages –
More power consumption
Half duplex or simplex transmission
Comparatively lower speed
Reference Voltage and Temperature Drif
The characteristics of a DAC are defined by its reference
voltage
It sets the DAC's maximum output voltage (if the output
signal is not amplified by an additional output stage)
It also defines the voltage step by which the output
changes in response to a 1-LSB transition at the input
It can be internal (generated within the DAC) or applied
externally.
For a changing temperature, the output voltage drif has
a direct bearing on the DAC's quality
Internal references are typically 100 ppm/°C, and are,
therefore, qualified only for a limited temperature range
Output type
current output voltage output
 Current output Voltage output
1. Gain may be adjusted with 1. Gain can not be adjusted
a series resistor at the 2. Constant output impedance
VREF terminal input impedance varies
2. Code-independent widely with code
impedance 3. It can be operated on single
3. The reference voltage may supply
have either polarity
 DAC Applications
Audio DAC - DVD / MP3 players, Digital Effects boxes etc
Video DAC - Gives output in multiple analog formats as per
international SDTV & HDTV video standards
High speed DAC - Wired and wireless communications, Radar,
Electronic warfare
Precision / general purpose DAC - Critical data conversion
components, industrial close loop control systems
Digital potentiometer - adjusts and trims electronic circuits, to
calibrate system tolerances or dynamically control system
parameters
Conclusion
For different kind of application many different kind of
DACs with different architectures are available
For selecting DAC for one particular application one has
to see DAC’s resolution, digital input interface, output
type, max output voltage, settling time etc various
parameters as per the requirements
 References
“Digital to analog converters”, wikipedia.org, para. 1,2,3, Aug. 1,2013 (last
updated). [Online]. Available: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital-to-
analog_converter. [Accessed: Aug. 5, 2013].
 “D/A converters”, analog.com, [online]. Available:
http://www.analog.com /en/digital-to-analog-
converters/products/index.html [Accessed: Aug. 5, 2013].
 “Digital-to-Analog Converters Are a "Bit" Analog”, maximintegrated.com,
para. 1 – 10, 12 – 15, Apr 16, 2002. [Online]. Available:
http://www.maximintegrated. com/app-notes/index.mvp/id/1055
[Accessed: Aug. 5, 2013].
“Basic liner Design”, Chapter-6: Converters, Section 6.1: Digital-To-Analog
Converters Architectures
 Thanks (for your patience)
Any Queries or Suggestions ? (most welcome)