Digital to Analog Converter

Nov. 1, 2005
Fabian Goericke, Keunhan Park,
Geoffrey Williams
1

Outline

What is a DAC?

Types of DAC Circuits

Resistor-string DAC

Binary weighted DAC

R-2R Ladder DAC

Specifications of DAC

Errors

Applications
2

What is a DAC?

A digital to analog converter

(DAC) is a device that
converts digital numbers
(binary) into an analog
voltage or current output.

1
0
0
1

0
1
0
1

0
0
1
1

0
1
1
1

1
0
0
1

1
0
1
0

1
0
1
1

DAC
3

Analog Output Signal

What is a DAC?

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

1. Resistor String
2. Binary Weighted Resistor
3. R-2R Ladder

Resistor String DAC

Components of a String DAC
Resistor String supply
discrete voltage levels
Selection Switches
connect the right voltage level
to op-amp according to input
bits
Op-amp amplifies the
discrete voltage levels to
desired range, keeps the
current low

Resistor String DAC

Resistor String

Rtotal 8 R
I VREF / Rtotal VREF /(8 R )
Vn Rn I n
R I
Vn
n R
I
n

Vn VREF
VREF
8 R
I
8
Example

VREF 8V
3
V3 8V 3V
8
7

Resistor String DAC

Selection Switches

1 1 0 6V

1 0 0 4V

1 1 1 7V

0 0 0 0V
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Resistor String DAC

Advantages:
simple
fast for < 8 bits
Disadvantages:
high element count for higher resolutions, reason:
n
number of resistors: 2
n
number of switches: 2 1
slow for > 10 bits

Binary Weighted Resistor DAC

Basic Idea:
Use a summing Vref
op-amp circuit
Use transistors to
switch between
high and ground
Use resistors
scaled by two to
divide voltage on
each branch by a
power of two

R
Rf

2R
4R
+
2nR

10

Vout

Binary Weighted Resistor DAC

non-inverting input on ground virtual ground at

inverting input
KIRCHHOFFs current law and no input current into
op-amp I1 + I2 = 0
I1 = V1 / R + V2 / (2R) + V3 / (4R) +

Vout

V1 V2 V3 V4

R f I 2 R f (
I1 )
Rf

...
11 8 R
R 2R 4R

Binary Weighted Resistor DAC

Most
significant
bit

Least
significant
bit

Rf = R / 2

V1 V2 V3 V4

...
R 2 R 4 R 8R

Vout R f I 2 R f (
I1 )
Rf
Vn = Vref, if bit is set
Vn = 0, if bit is clear

Terms have less influence

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Binary Weighted Resistor DAC

Advantages
Simple
Fast

Disadvantages
Needs

large range of resistor values (2000:1 for 12bit) with high precision in low resistor values
Needs very small switch resistances

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R-2R Resistor Ladder DAC

Vref

Each bit controls a switch between

ground and the inverting input of the
op amp.
The switch is connected to ground if
the corresponding bit is zero.

4 bit converter

Simplest type of DAC

Requires only two precision resistance valuce (R and 2R)

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R-2R DAC Example

Convert 0001 to analog

V1

Vref

V3

V2

V1

V0

V0

Req

V1

V0

1
R
1/ 2 R 1/ 2 R

V0

R
1
V1 V1
RR
2

V1

R
1
V2 V2
RR
2

V2

R
1
V3 V3
RR
2
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R-2R DAC Example

Convert 0001 to analog

R

Vref

V0

2R

1
V0 Vref
8

Vout

R
1
V0 Vref
2R
16

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R-2R DAC Summary

Conversion results for each bit

Digital bit Analog Conversion

Vout ,0 Vref /16
0001
Vout ,1 Vref / 8
0010
Vout ,2 Vref / 4
0100
Vout ,3 Vref / 2
1000

Vout b3Vout ,3 b2Vout ,2

b1Vout ,1 b0Vout ,0
for

b3b2b1b0

Conversion equation for N-bit DAC

N

Vout b( N i )
i 1

Vref
i

Resolution

Vref
2N
17

(bi 0 or 1)

R-2R DAC Summary

Advantages
Only

two resistor values

Does not need the kind of precision as Binary
weighted DACs
Easy to manufacture
Faster response time

Disadvantages
More

confusing analysis
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Specification of DAC

Resolution

Speed

Settling time

Linearity

Reference voltage

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Specification - Resolution

The amount of variance in output voltage for

every change of the LSB in the digital input.

How closely can we approximate the desired

output signal(Higher Res. = finer detail=smaller
Voltage divisions)

A common DAC has a 8 - 16 bit Resolution

Resolution VLSB

VRef
N
2

N = Number of bits

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Specification - 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.

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Specification Settling Time

The time required for the input signal voltage to settle to the
expected output voltage (within +/- of VLSB).

Ideally, an instantaneous change in analog voltage would occur

when a new binary word enters into DAC

Fast converters reduce slew time, but usually result in longer ring
time.

tslew
tdelay

tring
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Specification Linearity

The difference between the desired analog

output and the actual output over the full range
of expected values.

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Specification Linearity
Ideally, a DAC should produce a linear relationship
between a digital input and the analog output, this is not
always the case.

Analog Output Voltage

Linearity(Ideal Case)
Desired/Approximate Output

Digital Input

Perfect Agreement

NON-Linearity(Real World)
Analog Output Voltage

Desired Output
Approximate
output

Digital Input
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Miss-alignment

Specification Reference Voltage

A specified voltage used to determine how each

digital input will be assigned to each voltage
division.

Types:
Non-multiplier

DAC: Vref is fixed (specified by the

manufacturer)
Multiplier

DAC: Vref is provided via an external source

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Specification Reference Voltage

Full Scale Voltage

Defined

as the output when digital input is all 1s.

N 1

2 N 1
Vref
V fs 1
Vref

i 1
N

i 0 2
2

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Errors
There are a multiple sources of error associated with DAC

Common DAC Errors:

Gain Error
Offset Error
Full Scale Error
Non Linearity
Non-Monotonic
Resolution Errors
Settling Time and Overshoot
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Gain Error
Gain Error: Deviation in the slope of the ideal curve and
with respect to the actual High
DAC
output.
Gain
Desired/Ideal Output

amplitude is higher than

the desired output

Low Gain Error: Step

amplitude is lower than
the desired output

Analog Output Voltage

High Gain Error: Step

Low Gain

Digital Input
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Offset Error

Offset Error: Occurs when there is an offset in the output

voltage in reference to the ideal output.

Output Voltage

Desired/Ideal Output

This error may be

detected when all input
bits are low (i.e. 0).

Positive Offset
Negative Offset

Digital Input
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Full Scale Error

Full Scale Error: occurs when there is an offset in
voltage form the ideal output and a deviation in
slope from the ideal gain.

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Differential Non-Linearity

Analog Output Voltage

Differential Non-Linearity: Voltage step size changes

vary with as digital input increases. Ideally each step
should be equivalent.
Ideal Output

2VLSB

Diff. Non-Linearity = 2VLSB

VLSB

Digital Input

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Integral Non-Linearity

Analog Output Voltage

Integral Non-Linearity: Occurs when the output voltage is non

linear. Basically an inability to adhere to the ideal slope.
Ideal Output

1VLSB

Int. Non-Linearity = 1VLSB

Digital Input
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Non-Monotonic Output Error

Analog Output Voltage

Non-Monotonic Output Error: Occurs when the an

increase in digital input results in a lower output voltage.
Desired Output
Non-Monotonic
Monotonic

Digital Input
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Resolution Errors
Poor Resolution(1 bit)
Vout
Desired Analog
signal
1

2 Volt. Levels

Does not accurately

approximate the desired
output due large voltage
divisions.

Approximate
output
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Digital Input

Resolution Errors
Better Resolution(3 bit)
Vout
Desired Analog signal
111

8 Volt. Levels

Better approximation of
the of the desired output
signal due to the smaller
voltage divisions.

110
101

110
101
100

100

011

011

010

010
001

001
000

000

Digital Input

Approximate
output
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Settling Time and Overshoot

Settling Time: The time required for the voltage to settle within +/the voltage associated with the VLSB. Any change in the input time
will not be reflected immediately due to the lag time.
Overshoot: occurs when the output voltage overshoots the desired
analog output voltage.

Analog Output
Voltage

+VLSB
Expecte
d
-VLSB
Voltage

Settling time

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Time

Common Applications

Audio: Most modern audio signals are stored in

digital form (for example MP3s and CDs) and in
order to be heard through speakers they must be
converted into an analog signal

Video:Video signals from a digital source, such

as a computer, must be converted to analog form
if they are to be displayed on an analog monitor.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital-to-analog_converter

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References

Alciatore, Introduction to Mechatronics and Measurement

Systems, McGraw-Hill, 2003
Horowitz and Hill, The Art of Electronics, Cambridge University
Press, 2nd Ed. 1995
http://products.analog.com/products/info.asp?product=AD7224
http://courses.washington.edu/jbcallis/lectures/C464_Lec5_Sp-02
.pdf
http://www.eecg.toronto.edu/~kphang/ece1371/chap11_slides.pdf
Previous students lectures on DAC

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Questions?

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