Texas Instruments Incorporated announced a new 16-bit digital-to-analog converter (DAC) from the company's Burr-Brown product line, featuring miniature package size and low power operation. This cost-effective data converter targets high-performance systems found in industrial process control, data acquisition, and portable instrumentation.

The DAC8531's small footprint, wide supply voltage and low power consumption - 250 micro amps (uA) at 5V - make it ideal for portable battery-operated applications. It also features a power-down mode that reduces current consumption to 1 uA (max).

"By providing high resolution and low power in an MSOP package, TI offers designers a price/performance solution unmatched in the DAC market," said Zack Albus, strategic marketing engineer for TI's DAC products. "The DAC8531 also provides customers with an easy performance upgrade path for previous generations of pin-compatible 12-bit DACs."

The DAC8531 is optimized for closed-loop feedback systems requiring monotonicity and a fast host control interface. A power-on-reset circuit ensures that the DAC output powers up at zero volts and remains there until a valid write takes place. An on-chip precision output amplifier allows rail-to-rail output performance.

The Burr-Brown name may have been bought but the company, as a division, is still producing some really nice parts for its new corporate masters. The news with the DAC8531 is the size. The MSOP-8 allows a direct upgrade in designs from previous 12-bit parts with very little extra in expense.

The big users of the DAC8531 will be in closed-loop servo controls and in programmable attenuation. The 250 uA power consumption (at 5 V) will be attractive to portable designers but the rail voltages from 2.7 to 5.5 V are still not going to get many design wins in the industrial arena. An external reference is needed to set the output levels and the data sheet suggests supply methods in noisy conditions. The part is fully characterized at both 3 V and 5 V.