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Maxim Integrated Products has unveiled the MAX5214 (14-bit) and MAX5216 (16-bit) digital-to-analogue converters (DACs). With low power consumption these DACs have been designed to prolong battery life in portable applications. Impressive accuracy, a small package size, and low current consumption and make these devices suitable for 2-wire sensors where low current levels must be measured and power efficiency is important.
The MAX5214/MAX5216 single-channel DACs have extremely low power consumption, but programmability adds flexibility and efficiency to power usage. Power consumption can be reduced further by writing the power-down sequence into the device registers. This makes the devices applicable for systems with limited power budgets such as portable glucose meters. In these cases, the devices can be powered-on to perform the required tasks with 80µA of current consumption in operation mode and then powered down to reduce the electrical current consumption to 0.4µA. Additionally, on power-up, the MAX5214/MAX5216 reset the DAC output to zero, providing extra safety for applications that drive valves or other transducers that need to be off on power-up. The MAX5214 and MAX5216 provide ±0.25 LSB and ±1 LSB of integral nonlinearity (INL), respectively, over their wide resolution spectrum. They are ideal for high-performance systems executing repetitive tasks in numerous counts that demand the same high precision and accuracy each time. Motor controllers in robotic applications are a typical example. Both integrate an internal buffer, which reduces both the number of external components needed in the system design and the total space required on the PCB. Buffer integration also simplifies design in. These DACs operate efficiently in industrial environments from -40°C to +105°C. Both devices are offered in a compact 8-pin µMAX package.
