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in/
CS207
ELECTRONIC DEVICES &
CIRCUITS
Module VI

D/A and A/D convertors – important specifications, Sample

and hold circuit - Binary weighted resistor and R-2R ladder type
D/A convertors

Arun Xavier
AP, EEE
VAST
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2 Module VI
 Integrated circuits: Active filters – Low pass and high
pass (first and second order) active filters using op-amp
with gain (No analysis required).
 D/A and A/D convertors – important specifications,
Sample and hold circuit.
 Binary weighted resistor and R-2R ladder type D/A
convertors.
 Flash, dual slope and successive approximation type
A/D convertors.
 Circuit diagram and working of Timer IC 555, Astable
and monostable multivibrator using 555.

08-11-
ARUN XAVIER, VAST
2016
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3 A/D & D/A Convertors
 In electronics, an analog-to-digital converter (ADC, A/D,
A–D, or A-to-D) is a system that converts an analog signal,
such as a sound picked up by a microphone or light
entering a digital camera, into a digital signal.
 An ADC may also provide an isolated measurement such
as an electronic device that converts an input analog
voltage or current to a digital number proportional to the
magnitude of the voltage or current.
 In electronics, a digital-to-analog converter (DAC, D/A,
D–A, D2A, or D-to-A) is a device that converts a digital
signal into an analog signal. An analog-to-digital
converter (ADC) performs the reverse function.

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4 A/D & D/A Convertors
 Data Converters convert one form of Data to another form
 Real world have analog signals which carry information –
difficult to manipulate, store, compare, etc.  so we
needed the digital system for the fast actions
 The most common technique of acquiring signal is by
Sampling
 Sampling a signal is the process of acquiring its values only
at discrete points in time
 An Analog Signal is a Signal that is defined over a continuous
period of time
 A digital signal refers to an electrical signal that is converted
into a pattern of bits, a digital signal has a discrete value at
each sampling point.
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5 Sample and Hold
 In electronics, a sample and hold (S/H, also "follow-and-hold")
circuit is an analog device that samples (captures, grabs) the
voltage of a continuously varying analog signal and holds
(locks, freezes) its value at a constant level for a specified
minimum period of time.
 They are typically used in analog-to-digital converters to
eliminate variations in input signal that can corrupt the
conversion process.

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6

Sample and Hold

 A typical sample and hold circuit stores electric charge in a
capacitor and contains at least one FET (field effect transistor)
switch and at least one operational amplifier.
 To sample the input signal the switch connects the capacitor
to the output of a buffer amplifier.
 The buffer amplifier charges or discharges the capacitor so
that the voltage across the capacitor is practically equal, or
proportional to, input voltage.
 In hold mode the switch disconnects the capacitor from the
buffer. The capacitor is invariably discharged by its own
leakage currents and useful load currents, which makes the
circuit inherently volatile.
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7 Some Specifications
 Accuracy – maximum deviation of the output from the ideal
value
 Linearity – Linearity Error is the maximum deviation in step
size from the ideal step size
 Full Scale Error - is the maximum deviation of the output
value from its expected or ideal value
 Monotonicity – A D/A converter is monotonic if its output
value increases as the binary inputs are incremented from
one value to the next
 Resolution/ Step Size – is defined as the smallest change that
can occur in the analog output as a result of change in the
digital input
 Settling Time – The time required for the O/P of D/A converter
to settle down for a given digital input
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8 Digital to Analog Converter
 Digital to analog converter is used to convert digital
quantity into analog quantity.
 DAC converter produces an output current of voltage
proportional to digital quantity (binary word) applied to
its input.
 There are several ways of making a digital to analog
converter. Some of them are given as under.
 Binary weighted resistor DAC
 R-2R Ladder network
 Serial DAC converter
 BCD DAC
 Bipolar DAC
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9 Digital to Analog Converter
D/A, DAC
 The symbolic representation of an n-bit D/A converter

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10 Binary weighted resistor DAC
 It consists of the following four major components
 n switches one for each bit applied to the input
 a weighted resistor ladder network, where the resistance
are inversely proportional to the numerical significance of
the corresponding binary digital
 a reference voltage V
 a summing amplifier that adds the current flowing in the
resistive network to develop a signal that is proportional
to the digital input.

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11 Binary weighted resistor DAC
 A 4-bit weighted resistor network
 Here the four voltages are added together to form the
analog O/P voltage using an Op-amp Summer Circuit

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12 Binary weighted resistor DAC
 The resistors R0,R1,R2 & R3 form a voltage divider network
connected with the Op-amp and RL is the load resistor, which
must be higher than the R resister (not to load the divider network)
 LSB 20 connected with the highest input resistor R0
 21 connected to the half value of the LSB i.e., R0/2
 22 connected to the 1/4th value of the LSB i.e., R0/4
 23 (MSB)connected to the 1/8th value of the LSB i.e., R0/8

 The O/P is the sum of all the four voltages; calculated by Millman's
theorem

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13 Binary weighted resistor DAC

 The behaviour of the circuit may be analysed

easily by using "Millman's theorem". It state
that "the voltage appearing at any node in a
resistive network is equal to the summation of
the current entering the node (assuming the
node voltage is zero) divided by the
summation of the conductance connected
to the mode“.

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14 Binary weighted resistor DAC

 4-bit weighted resistor D/A Converter for the I/P - 0001

 For a weighted resistor network assuming R1 = R, R2 = R/2,
R3 = R/4, R4 = R/8;by Millman’s Theorem

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15 Binary weighted resistor DAC

Circuit diagram for the n-bit weighted resistor D/A Converter

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16 Binary weighted resistor DAC

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17 Binary weighted resistor DAC
 Advantages
 As only one resistor is used per it in the resistor network,
thus it is an economical D/A converter.
 Disadvantages / Limitations
 Resistors used in the network have a wide range of values,
so it is very difficult to ensure the absolute accuracy and
stability of all the resistors.
 It is very difficult to match the temperature coefficients of
all the resistors.
 When n is so large, the resistance corresponding to LBS
can assume a large value, which may be comparable
with the input resistance of the amplifier.

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18 R-2R Ladder D/A Converter
 A wide range of resistors value is needed for the design
of binary weighted resistors D/A Converter
 Here only two values of resister needed i.e., R & 2R
 Hence will suited for the integrated circuit fabrication
 The values of R vary from 2.5 kΩ to 10 kΩ

 An example of 4-bit D/A conversion is given, with 4-bit

binary input b1,b2,b3,b4, analog output Vo & one
terminating resistor 2R

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19 R-2R Ladder D/A Converter

 In this 4-bit ladder circuit, the O/P voltage is a weighted

some of digital I/P

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20 R-2R Ladder D/A Converter

 Eg: 4-bit binary I/P b1,b2,b3,b4 is 1000, so MSB is 1 & others

three inputs are 0; so the circuit modified as

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21 R-2R Ladder D/A Converter
 Here the terminating resistor (2R) & the resistor
connected to b4 input 2R are combined at node N1
to form an equivalent resistor R as shown in the
equivalent circuit below

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22 R-2R Ladder D/A Converter
 Then at node N2 the resistor connected with b3 input 2R
can be combined with the resistor (R+R = 2R) to form the
next stage of the equivalent circuit

 Similarly at node N3, the equivalent resistor is R as shown in

the equivalent circuit
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23 R-2R Ladder D/A Converter
 Then the analog output voltage Vo is given by

 Thus for digital I/P b1b2b3b4 = 1000, i.e., MSB =1 O/P = VR/2
 Similarly digital I/P b1b2b3b4 = 0100, i.e., 2nd MSB =1 O/P = VR/4
 Similarly digital I/P b1b2b3b4 = 0010, i.e., 3rd MSB =1 O/P = VR/8
 Similarly digital I/P b1b2b3b4 = 0001, i.e., LSB =1 O/P = VR/16

 By the principle of superposition can be used to find analog

output for a particular digital I/P by adding the O/P voltages

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R-2R Ladder
24
D/A
Converter

 Shows a practical circuit arrangement of 4-bit D/A converter

using an Op-amp

 Generally for an n-bit Input Signal

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25

Regards
Arun Xavier
http://arunxeee.blogspot.in

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