Digital-to-Analog Conversion Methods

Digital to analog converters are the circuits which converts

digital signal into analog electrical quantities related to the
digitally encoded input number.

The digital to analog converters are also used in many other

applications such as cathode ray tube display system.

The DAC can perform its conversion in either

serial or parallel form depending upon the application in
which it is used. e.g: Process Control applications

Floyd, Digital Fundamentals, 10th ed © 2009 Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All Rights Reserved
 Digital-to-Analog Conversion Methods

DAC accept n- bit digital input word say b1,b2,b3,…. Bn in

binary format and produce an analog output signal Vout
proportional to input digital signal Bin.
Bin is defined as : Bin = b12-1 + b22-2 + b32-3 +…+ bn2-n

Floyd, Digital Fundamentals, 10th ed © 2009 Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All Rights Reserved
 Digital-to-Analog Conversion Methods

There are mainly two techniques used for the DAC:

I. Binary weighted resistor DAC

II. II.R/2R ladder DAC

Floyd, Digital Fundamentals, 10th ed © 2009 Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All Rights Reserved
 Digital-to-Analog Conversion Methods

Binary weighted resistor DAC

The binary weighted resistor DAC uses an operational
amplifier to sum n-binary weighted currents derived from
a reference voltage VR via current scaling resistors
2R , 4R, 8R … , 2nR as shown in figure:

Floyd, Digital Fundamentals, 10th ed © 2009 Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All Rights Reserved
 Digital-to-Analog Conversion Methods

Binary weighted resistor DAC

Switch positions are controlled by the digital inputs. When
digital inputs is logic 1, it connects the corresponding
resistance to the reference voltage VREF otherwise it leaves the
resistor open.

• For ON-switch: I = VREF/R

•For OFF-switch: I=0

Floyd, Digital Fundamentals, 10th ed © 2009 Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All Rights Reserved
 Digital-to-Analog Conversion Methods

Here operational amplifier is used as summing amplifier . Due

to high input impedance of Op-Amp, summing current will flow
through Rf.
• Hence the total current flow Rf can be given as :

IT = I1 + I2 + I3+……+ In

The output voltage is the voltage across Rf and it is given as:

Vo= - IT Rf

Floyd, Digital Fundamentals, 10th ed © 2009 Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All Rights Reserved
Floyd, Digital Fundamentals, 10th ed © 2009 Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All Rights Reserved
 Digital-to-Analog Conversion Methods

A certain binary-weighted-input DAC has a binary input of

1101. If a HIGH = +3.0 V and a LOW = 0 V, what is Vout?
120 kW
+3.0 V Rf

60 kW 10 kW
0V
30 kW
–
+3.0 V Vout
+
15 kW
+3.0 V

I out = −( I 0 + I1 + I 2 + I 3 )
 3.0 V 3.0 V 3.0 V 
= − +0 V+ +  = −0.325 mA
 120 kW 30 kW 15 kW 
Vout = Iout Rf = (−0.325 mA)(10 kW) = −3.25 V

Floyd, Digital Fundamentals, 10th ed © 2009 Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All Rights Reserved
 Digital-to-Analog Conversion Methods

R-2R ladder:
The R-2R ladder requires only two values of resistors. By calculating
a Thevenin equivalent circuit for each input, you can show that the
output is proportional to the binary weight of inputs that are HIGH.
VS
Each input that is HIGH contributes to the output: Vout = − n −i
2
where VS = input HIGH level voltage
n = number of bits Inputs
i = bit number D0 D1 D2 D3
For accuracy, the resistors R1 R3 R5 R7 Rf = 2R
must be precise ratios, 2R 2R 2R 2R
R2 R4 R6 R8
which is easily done in –
integrated circuits. 2R R R R Vout
+

Floyd, Digital Fundamentals, 10th ed © 2009 Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All Rights Reserved
 Digital-to-Analog Conversion Methods

An R-2R ladder has a binary input of 1011. If a HIGH

= +5.0 V and a LOW = 0 V, what is Vout?
D0 D1 D2 D3
+5.0 V +5.0 V 0V +5.0 V

R1 R3 R5 R7 Rf = 50 kW
50 kW 50 kW 50 kW 50 kW
R2 R4 R6 R8
–
50 kW 25 kW 25 kW 25 kW Vout
+

VS
Apply Vout = − to all inputs that are HIGH, then sum the results.
2 n −i
5V 5V
Vout ( D0 ) = − 4−0 = −0.3125 V Vout ( D1 ) = − 4−1 = −0.625 V
2 2
5V
Vout ( D3 ) = − 4−3 = −2.5 V Applying superposition, Vout = −3.43 V
2
Floyd, Digital Fundamentals, 10th ed © 2009 Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All Rights Reserved
 Resolution and Accuracy of DACs

The R-2R ladder is relatively easy to manufacturer and is available in IC

packages. DACs based on the R-2R network are available in 8, 10, and 12-bit
versions. The resolution is an important specification, defined as the
reciprocal of the number of steps in the output.

What is the resolution of the BCN31 R-2R

ladder network, which has 8-bits?
28 – 1 = 255 1/255 = 0.39%
The accuracy is another important specification and is derived from a
comparison of the actual output to the expected output. For the
BCN31, the accuracy is specified as ±½ LSB = 0.2%.

Floyd, Digital Fundamentals, 10th ed © 2009 Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All Rights Reserved
Floyd, Digital Fundamentals, 10th ed © 2009 Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All Rights Reserved
 Reconstruction Filter

After converting a digital signal to analog, it is passed through a low-pass

“reconstruction filter” to smooth the stair steps in the output. The cutoff
frequency of the reconstruction filter is often set to the same limit as the anti-
aliasing filter, to block higher harmonics due to the digitizing process.

Reconstruction
Filter

Output of the DAC Final analog output

Floyd, Digital Fundamentals, 10th ed © 2009 Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All Rights Reserved
 Digital Signal Processing

A digital signal processor (DSP) is optimized for speed and

working in real time (as events happen). It is basically a
specialized microprocessor with a reduced instruction set.
After filtering and converting the analog signal to digital,
the DSP takes over. It may enhance the signal in some
predetermined way (reducing noise or echoes, improving
images, encrypting the signal, etc.). The signal can then be
converted back to analog form if desired.

10110 10110
01101 01101
00011 00011
11100 11100 Enhanced
Analog Anti-aliasing Sample-and- Reconstruction
signal filter hold circuit ADC DSP DAC filter analog
signal

Floyd, Digital Fundamentals, 10th ed © 2009 Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All Rights Reserved
 Digital Signal Processing

Because speed is important in DSP applications, assembly language is

frequently used because in general it executes faster.
A general block diagram of the TMS320C6000 series DSP
Program cache/program memory
(32-bit address, 256-bit data)

CPU (DSP core)

Program fetch
Control
Instruction dispatch registers

DMA Instruction decode

EMIF Control
Data path A Data path B logic

Register file A Register file B

Test

Evaluation
.L1 .S1 .M1 .D1 .D2 .M2 .S2 .L2
Interrupts

Data cache/data memory Additional

(32-bit address, 8-, 16-, 32-. 64-bit data) peripherals

Floyd, Digital Fundamentals, 10th ed © 2009 Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All Rights Reserved
 Selected Key Terms
Nyquist frequency The highest signal frequency that can be sampled at a specified
sampling frequency; a frequency equal or less than half the
sampling frequency.
Quantization
The process whereby a binary code is assigned to each sampled
value during analog-to-digital conversion.
Analog-to-digital
converter (ADC)
DSP A circuit used to convert an analog signal to digital form.

Digital-to-analog Digital signal Processor; a special type of microprocessor that

converter (DAC) processes data in real time.

A circuit used to convert a digital signal to analog form.

Floyd, Digital Fundamentals, 10th ed © 2009 Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All Rights Reserved
Floyd, Digital Fundamentals, 10th ed © 2009 Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All Rights Reserved
Floyd, Digital Fundamentals, 10th ed © 2009 Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All Rights Reserved