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Burr-Brown DAC1220 20-bit DAC
Burr-Brown Introduces 20-Bit, Delta-Sigma DAC for Industrial Process Control

The manufacturer says . . .

Chipcenter's Paul McGoldrick says . . .

Burr-Brown Corporation announced the DAC1220, a 20-bit digital-to-analog converter (DAC) utilizing delta-sigma technology to achieve inherently linear 20-bit performance with low power (2.5mW) and small size (16-lead SSOP).

The DAC1220 has been designed specifically for closed-loop control applications in industrial process control, and high resolution applications in test and measurement systems. In addition, its low power and small size make it well suited for portable, battery-powered, and isolated systems.

"The DAC1220 offers superior accuracy. Its low power and excellent linearity over the full 20-bit range cannot be beat," said Robert Schreiber, strategic marketing engineer at Burr-Brown. "This device is the first generation of delta-sigma DACs for industrial applications to be offered from Burr-Brown."

The device operates from a nominal 5.0V supply and is guaranteed to consume less than 3.5mW of power in 16-bit mode. In sleep mode, the current consumption drops to less than 0.5mW. Communication with the DAC1220 takes place over a serial interface, allowing for both writing and reading of the five on-board registers.

The DAC1220 supports SPI and SSI interface. In addition, the device can implement two-wire communications which reduce the cost and complexity of the interface (versus the competition's three-wire interface). Two-wire communication is especially useful for remote data acquisition systems.

Depending on the requirements of the application, the DAC1220 can be operated in either 16- or 20-bit resolution mode. 20-bit mode offers high resolution and guaranteed 20-bit monotonicity over the -40�C to +85�C temperature range. 16-bit mode provides faster settling time (2ms to 0.012%) and less than �1LSB linearity error over range. The output range is 0V to two times the external reference voltage and on-chip calibration circuitry provides extremely low offset and gain error.

So, delta-sigma technology for industrial parts has reached Arizona! This 20-bit DAC is significant for a couple of reasons. First, its power consumption is way down there, if not the best so far. Second, the provision of a two-wire interface will really change the thinking of how high resolution DACs are implemented. Both reasons will give a number of designers cause to look at the part and I think it will pick up significant revenue. Pricing is not atypical.

One of the first uses I would look at for the DAC1220 would be in sensor heads where I needed the 20-bit resolution, the low power and the two-wire control. Expect to see its use in Test and Measurement and some medical sensor heads. The DAC1220 is in production in a 16-lead SSOP and is priced at $6.25 in 1000-piece lots.

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