“Handhelds and other portable systems are expected to deliver more capabilities in smaller, simpler designs,” said Bryan J. Liddiard, vice president of Microchip’s mixed-signal and linear business unit. “These are the first DACs that eliminate processor overhead during power-up and provide the channel density, low power consumption and integrated features that today’s compact systems need so they can operate over longer periods using smaller, lighter batteries.”
Unlike DACs that do not feature nonvolatile memory, the MCP47/48FxBx8 DACs can store user customised configuration data even when powered down. At power-up, all eight channels are then configured to the pre-defined state without burdening the system processor. Integrating a Vref source into the DACs reduces overall system size and complexity while providing the necessary control to meet critical timing needs for safely driving all power outputs. The device family also offers both SPI and I2C serial interfaces to provide the designer with the most flexibility for device communications.
With an operating voltage range of 1.8V to 5.5V, the DACs’ low minimum operating voltage and high level of power efficiency combine to improve thermal performance and reliability. The DACs also provide power-on/brown-out reset protection and one of the industry’s fastest settling times at 5 microseconds and operate in the extended (-40 °C to +125 °C) temperature range required for industrial and automotive applications.
