Analog-to-Digital Conversion

Digital-to-Analog Conversion (ADC/DAC)

Luis Cardenas
E.E. 470
Lab Instructor: Gary Hill

Table of Contents
Analog-to-Digital Conversion ............................................................................................ 1
Digital-to-Analog Conversion (ADC/DAC)........................................................................ 1
Introduction ......................................................................................................................... 1
List of items needed for the Lab ......................................................................................... 2
Circuit Schematics .............................................................................................................. 2
Complete Setup ................................................................................................................... 2
Program ............................................................................................................................... 3
Test Results ......................................................................................................................... 4
At 10 Hz .......................................................................................................................... 4
At 100 Hz ........................................................................................................................ 4
At 1 kHz : ....................................................................................................................... 5
At 10 kHz ........................................................................................................................ 5
Conclusion .......................................................................................................................... 6

Introduction
Experiment involves the conversation of a signal going from an Analog to Digital
control and then from Digital to Analog control. The sine wave signal will going through
the Arduino Duemilanove (ADC) which will convert the analog signal into a digital
signal.( Using 10 bit) Then the MCP4921 microchip ( DAC) will converted the signal
from digital( Using 12 bit) back to analog signal. We will also check the frequency at
which the Arduino (ADC) is not able to produce the analog signal correct because we
begin to see distortion in the output of the signal as the MCP4921 microchip converts
the digital to analog.
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List of items needed for the Lab
1. Arduino Duemilanove: ATmeg328P ADC
2. DAC Microchip: MCP4921
3. micro Farad
4. 9v power adapter (to Arduino Uno), 5 volts voltage supplied ( coming from the
Arduino)
5. Parallax USB Oscilloscope
6. Function Generator Model FG-500
If external signal generator used.
7. 2.2 K resistor
8. 2 Shottky diodes

Circuit Schematics

Complete Setup

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Program
//**************************************************************//
// Name : Analog In to 12-bit SPI DAC Microchip MCP4921 //
// Author : Gary Hill //
// Date : 14 March, 2010 //
// Version : 1.0 //
// Reference(s): http://www.arduino.cc/playground/Code/Spi //
// Notes : Download Spi folder and place in //
// : arduino-00nn/hardware/libraries folder //
//****************************************************************

// SPI Interface SS_PIN(PB2), SCK_PIN(PB5), MOSI_PIN(PB3), MISO_PIN

// ATmega328P ADC
int analogPin = 0; // analog input channel

// ADC analog input value

// Byte of data to output to DAC

void setup() {
//set pin(s) to input and output
pinMode(analogPin, INPUT);
}
void loop() {
// read the value from the sensor:
sensorValue = analogRead(analogPin); // comment out this line to test DAC
// sensorValue = 0x0200; // 0x03FF = Vref, 0x0200 = 1/2 Vref, 0x0000 = 0
sensorValue = sensorValue << 2 ; // 10 bit ADC to 12-bit DAC word
// set SS pin low, beginning 16-bit (2 byte) data transfer to DAC
digitalWrite(SS_PIN, LOW);
// send high byte
data = highByte(sensorValue);
data = 0b00001111 & data; // clear 4-bit command field (optional)
// set command: 0 = DACA, 0 = buffered, 1 = 1x, 1 = output buffer enabled
data = 0b00110000 | data;
Spi.transfer(data); // alternate: shiftOut(MOSI, SCK, MSBFIRST, data);
// send low byte
data = lowByte(sensorValue);
Spi.transfer(data); // alternate: shiftOut(MOSI, SCK, MSBFIRST, data);
// set SS pin high, completing 16-bit transfer to DAC
digitalWrite(SS_PIN, HIGH); }

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Test Results
INPUT ( Blue/Bottom) and OUTPUT( Red/Top)

At 10 Hz

At 100 Hz

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INPUT ( Blue/Bottom) and OUTPUT( Red/Top)

At 1 kHz :

At 10 kHz

In the above output waveform we can clearly see eight digitized states per cycle. At a
frequency of F = 10 khz and a period T = 1/F = 0.1 msec, we therefore have a sample
frequency of approximately 0.1 msec / 8 samples = 125 usec /sample.

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Conclusion
I was able to compare the input/output of the Arduino and MAC chip by using
different frequency . At 10 Hz, 100 Hz and 1k Hz the output is able to be reproduce .
Once we go to 10 k Hz and 100 k Hz the output begins to be distorted So as the
frequency got higher, it reach a point where the DAC chip was not able to reproduce the
exact copy of the analog signal coming from Arduino. This was cause by the Ardruino
not being able to keep up with the higher frequency. The best frequency to use for the
Arduino to handle an analog signal is at 1KHz.

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