
DAC8512
–10–
REV. A
Operating the DAC8512 on +12 V or +15 V Supplies Only
Although the DAC8512 has been specified to operate on a
single, +5 V supply, a single +5 V supply may not be available in
many applications. Since the DAC8512 consumes no more than
2.5 mA, maximum, then an integrated voltage reference, such as
the REF02, can be used as the DAC8512 +5 V supply. The
configuration of the circuit is shown in Figure 26. Notice that
the reference’s output voltage requires no trimming because of
the REF02’s excellent load regulation and tight initial output
voltage tolerance. Although the maximum supply current of the
DAC8512 is 2.5 mA, local bypassing of the REF02’s output
with at least 0.1
μ
F at the DAC’s voltage supply pin is recom-
mended to prevent the DAC’s internal digital circuits from af-
fecting the DAC’s internal voltage reference.
+12V OR +15V
0.1
μ
F
4
REF02
6
2
0.1
μ
F
6
2
8
DAC8512
V
OUT
1
5
3
4
7
GND
CS
CLR
LD
SCLK
SDI
V
DD
Figure 26. Operating the DAC8512 on +12 V or +15 V
Supplies Using a REF02 Voltage Reference
Measuring Offset Error
One of the most commonly specified endpoint errors associated
with real world nonideal DACs is offset error.
In most DAC testing, the offset error is measured by applying
the zero-scale code and measuring the output deviation from 0
volt. There are some DACs where offset errors may be present
but not observable at the zero scale because of other circuit limi-
tations (for example, zero coinciding with single-supply ground).
In these DACs, nonzero output at zero code cannot be read as
the offset error. In the DAC8512, for example, the zero-scale
error is specified to be
±
3 LSBs. Since zero scale coincides with
zero volt, it is not possible to measure negative offset error.
V
OUT
0.1
μ
F
200
μ
A, MAX
V–
6
2
8
DAC8512
1
+5V
CS
CLR
5
3
4
LD
SCLK
SDI
R
7
SET CODE = 000
H
AND MEASURE V
OUT
GND
V
DD
Figure 27. Measuring Zero-Scale or Offset Error
By adding a pull-down resistor from the output of the DAC8412
to a negative supply as shown in Figure 27, offset errors can
now be read at zero code. This configuration forces the output
p-channel MOSFET to source current to the negative supply
thereby allowing the designer to determine in which direction the
offset error appears. The value of the resistor should be such that,
at zero code, current through the resistor is 200
μ
A, maximum.
Bipolar Output Operation
Although the DAC8512 has been designed for single-supply op-
eration, bipolar operation is achievable using the circuit illus-
trated in Figure 28. The circuit uses a single-supply, rail-to-rail
OP295 op amp and the REF03 to generate the –2.5 V reference
required to level-shift the DAC output voltage. Note that the –
2.5 V reference was generated without the use of precision resis-
tors. The circuit has been configured to provide an output
voltage in the range –5 V
≤
V
OUT
≤
+5 V and is coded in com-
plementary offset binary. Although each DAC LSB corresponds
to 1 mV, each output LSB has been scaled to 2.44 mV. Table
III provides the relationship between the digital codes and out-
put voltage.
The transfer function of the circuit is given by:
V
O
= –1
mV
×
Digital Code
×
and, for the circuit values shown, becomes:
V
O
= –2.44
mV
×
Digital Code +
5
V
R
4
R
1
+ 2.5
×
R
4
R
2
+5V
10
μ
F
+
0.1
μ
F
1
8
7
4
3
2
5
6
DAC8512
V
DD
GND
R1
10k
R2
12.7k
R3
247k
6
5
4
8
7
–5V
≤
V
O
≤
+5V
+5V
–5V
A2
P2
10k
ZERO SCALE
ADJUST
P3
500
R4
23.7k
FULL SCALE
ADJUST
–2.5V
CLR
LD
CS
SCLK
SDI
0.1
μ
F
+5V
REF03
A1
–2.5V
0.01
μ
F
100
P1
10k
2.5V
TRIM
2
6
5
4
2
1
3
A1, A2 = 1/2 OP295
Figure 28. Bipolar Output Operation