AD5253/AD5254
Data Sheet
Rev. C | Page 24 of 32
DIGITAL POTENTIOMETER OPERATION
The structure of the RDAC is designed to emulate the
performance of a mechanical potentiometer. The RDAC
contains a string of resistor segments with an array of analog
switches that act as the wiper connection to the resistor array.
The number of points is the resolution of the device. For
example, the AD5253/AD5254 emulate 64/256 connection
points with 64/256 equal resistance, RS, allowing them to
provide better than 1.5%/0.4% resolution.
Figure 41 provides an equivalent diagram of the connections
between the three terminals that make up one channel of the
RDAC. Switches SWA and SWB are always on, but only one of
switches SW(0) to SW(2N–1) can be on at a time (determined by
the setting decoded from the data bit). Because the switches are
nonideal, there is a 75 wiper resistance, RW. Wiper resistance
is a function of supply voltage and temperature: Lower supply
voltages and higher temperatures result in higher wiper
resistances. Consideration of wiper resistance dynamics is
important in applications in which accurate prediction of
output resistance is required.
03824-0-041
SWA
AX
SW (2N – 1)
SW (2N – 2)
SW(1)
DIGITAL
CIRCUITRY
OMIITTED FOR
CLARITY
RDAC
WIPER
REGISTER
AND
DECODER
SW(0)
SWB
RS = RAB/2N
BX
WX
RS
Figure 41. Equivalent RDAC Structure
PROGRAMMABLE RHEOSTAT OPERATION
If either the W-to-B or W-to-A terminal is used as a variable
resistor, the unused terminal can be opened or shorted with W;
such operation is called rheostat mode (see
Figure 42). The
resistance tolerance can range ±20%.
03824-0-042
A
B
W
A
B
W
A
B
W
Figure 42. Rheostat Mode Configuration
The nominal resistance of the AD5253/AD5254 has 64/256
contact points accessed by the wiper terminal, plus the B
terminal contact. The 6-/8-bit data-word in the RDAC register
is decoded to select one of the 64/256 settings. The wiper’s first
connection starts at the B terminal for Data 0x00. This B termi-
nal connection has a wiper contact resistance, RW, of 75 ,
regardless of the nominal resistance. The second connection
(the AD5253 10 k part) is the first tap point where RWB = 231
(RWB = RAB/64 + RW = 156 + 75 ) for Data 0x01, and so on.
Each LSB data value increase moves the wiper up the resistor
ladder until the last tap point is reached at RWB = 9893 . See
Figure 41 for a simplified diagram of the equivalent RDAC circuit.
The general equation that determines the digitally programmed
output resistance between W and B is
AD5253: RWB(D) = (D/64) × RAB + 75
(1)
AD5254: RWB(D) = (D/256) × RAB + 75
(2)
where:
D is the decimal equivalent of the data contained in the
RDAC latch.
RAB is the nominal end-to-end resistance.