MAX500
Careful PC board ground layout techniques should be
used to minimize crosstalk between DAC outputs, the
reference input(s), and the digital inputs. This is partic-
ularly important if the reference is driven from an AC
source. Figure 7 shows suggested PC board layouts for
minimizing crosstalk.
Unipolar Output
In unipolar operation, the output voltages and the refer-
ence input(s) are the same polarity. The unipolar circuit
configuration is shown in Figure 8 for the MAX500. The
device can be operated from a single supply with a
slight increase in zero error (see
Output Buffer
Amplifiers
section). To avoid parasitic device turn-on,
the voltage at V
REF
must always be positive with
respect to AGND. The unipolar code table is given in
Table 3.
Bipolar Output
Each DAC output may be configured for bipolar opera-
tion using the circuit in Figure 9. One op amp and two
resistors are required per channel. With R1 = R2:
V
OUT
= V
REF
(2D
A
- 1)
where D
A
is a fractional representation of the digital
word in Register A.
Table 4 shows the digital code versus output voltage
for the circuit in Figure 9.
Offsetting AGND
AGND can be biased above DGND to provide an arbi-
trary nonzero output voltage for a “zero” input code. This
is shown in Figure 10. The output voltage at V
OUT
A is:
V
OUT
A = V
BIAS
+ D
A
V
IN
where D
A
is a fractional representation of the digital
input word. Since AGND is common to all four DACs,
all outputs will be offset by V
BIAS
in the same manner.
Since AGND current is a function of the four DAC
codes, it should be driven by a low-impedance source.
V
BIAS
must be positive.
CMOS, Quad, Serial-Interface
8-Bit DAC
10 ______________________________________________________________________________________
DAC A
MAX500
4
14
AGND
2
V
OUT
A
DGND
V
SS
V
REF
A/B
V
DD
3
6
+
V
IN
-
+
V
BIAS
-
5
+15V
-5V (OR GND)
DIGITAL INPUTS NOT SHOWN
Figure 10. AGND Bias Circuit
Table 3. Unipolar Code Table Table 4. Bipolar Code Table
1 0 0 0
DAC CONTENTS
0 0 0 1
MSB LSB
ANALOG
OUTPUT
1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
127
+V
REF
(––––)
128
1
+V
REF
(––––)
128
1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0V
0 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
1
-V
REF
(––––)
128
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
128
-V
REF
(––––) = -V
REF
128
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1
127
-V
REF
(––––)
128
1 0 0 0
DAC CONTENTS
0 0 0 1
MSB LSB
ANALOG
OUTPUT
1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
255
+V
REF
(––––)
256
129
+V
REF
(––––)
256
1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
128
V
REF
+V
REF
(––––)= +
––––
256 2
0 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
127
+V
REF
(––––)
256
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0V
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1
1
+V
REF
(––––)
256
1
Note: 1LSB = (V
REF
) (2
-8
) = +V
REF
(–––)
256
1
Note: 1LSB = (V
REF
) (2
-8
) = +V
REF
(–––)
256
