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The document discusses the ADC0801 series of A/D converters and their ability to accommodate arbitrary analog inputs, allowing for applications that require adjustments to zero-offset and full-scale values. It highlights features such as differential inputs and variable reference voltages, which enable greater resolution and flexibility in various system designs. Additionally, it explores innovative applications like using the A/D as a comparator and digitizing low-level signals, emphasizing the versatility of these converters in different scenarios.

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0% found this document useful (0 votes)
14 views5 pages

An 233

The document discusses the ADC0801 series of A/D converters and their ability to accommodate arbitrary analog inputs, allowing for applications that require adjustments to zero-offset and full-scale values. It highlights features such as differential inputs and variable reference voltages, which enable greater resolution and flexibility in various system designs. Additionally, it explores innovative applications like using the A/D as a comparator and digitizing low-level signals, emphasizing the versatility of these converters in different scenarios.

Uploaded by

hhdy5vjzyz
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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The A/D Easily Allows Many Unusual Applications

National Semiconductor
The A/D Easily Allows Application Note 233
September 1974
Many Unusual Applications

Accommodation of Arbitrary pin should be biased at one-half of the span, which is 1⁄2
(85%–15%) or 35% of the supply. This properly shifts the
Analog Inputs zero and adjusts the full scale for this application. The VIN(−)
Two design features of the ADC0801 series of A/D convert- input can be provided by a resistive divider which is driven by
ers provide for easy solutions to many system design prob- the power supply voltage and the VREF/2 pin should be
lems. The combination of differential analog voltage inputs driven by an op amp. This op amp can be a unity-gain
and a voltage reference input which can range from near voltage follower which also obtains an input voltage from a
zero to 5VDC are key to these application advantages. resistive divider. These can be combined as shown in Figure
In many systems the analog signal which has to be con- 2.
verted does not range clear to ground (0.00 VDC) nor does it This application can allow obtaining the resolution of a
reach up to the full supply or reference voltage value. This greater than 8-bit A/D. For example, 9-bit performance with
presents two problems: 1) a “zero-offset” provision is the 8-bit converter is possible if the span of the analog input
needed — and this may be volts, instead of the few millivolts voltage should only use one-half of the available 0V to 5V
which are usually provided; and 2) the “full scale” needs to span. This would be a span of approximately 2.5V which
be adjusted to accommodate this reduced span. (“Span” is could start anywhere over the range of 0V to 2.5VDC.
the actual range of the analog input signal, from VIN MIN to The RC network on the output of the op amp of Figure 2 is
VIN MAX.) This is easily handled with the converter as shown in used to isolate the transient displacement current demands
Figure 1. of the VREF/2 input from the op amp.
Note that when the input signal, VIN, equals VIN MIN the
“differential input” to the A/D is zero volts and therefore a
digital output code of zero is obtained. When VINequals
VIN MAX, the “differential input” to the A/D is equal to the
“span” (for reference applications convenience, there is an
internal gain of two to the voltage which is applied to pin 9,
the VREF/2 input), therefore the A/D will provide a digital full
scale. In this way a wide range of analog input voltages can
be easily accommodated.
An example of the usefulness of this feature is when oper-
ating with ratiometric transducers which do not output the 00561901
complete supply voltage range. Some, for example, may
output 15% of the supply voltage for a zero reading and 85%
FIGURE 1. Providing Arbitrary Zero
of the supply for a full scale reading. For this case, 15% of
and Span Accommodation
the supply should be applied to the VIN(−) pin and the VREF/2

00561902

FIGURE 2. Operating with a Ratiometric Transducer which Outputs 15% to 85% of VCC
AN-233

© 2002 National Semiconductor Corporation AN005619 www.national.com


AN-233
Limits of VREF/2 Voltage Magnitude In actual implementation of this circuit, the switch would be
replaced by an analog multiplexer (such as the CD4066
A question arises as to how small in value the span can be quad bilateral switch) and a microprocessor would be pro-
made. An ADC0801 part is shown in Figure 3 where the grammed to do a binary search for the two MS bits. These
VREF/2 voltage is reduced in steps: from A), 2.5V (for a full two bits plus the 8 LSBs provided by the A/D give the 10-bit
scale reading of 5V); to B), 0.625V (for a full scale reading of data. For a particular application, this basic idea can be
1.25V — this corresponds to the resolution of a 10-bit con- simplified to a 1-bit ladder to cover a particular range of
verter over this restricted range); to C), 0.15625V (for a full analog input voltages with increased resolution. Further,
scale reading of 0.3125V — which corresponds to the reso- there may exit a priori knowledge by the CPU which could
lution of a 12-bit converter). Note that at 12 bits the linearity locate the analog signal to within the 1 or 2 MSBs without
error has increased to 1⁄2 LSB. requiring a search algorithm.
For these reduced reference applications the offset voltage
of the A/D has to be adjusted as the voltage value of the LSB A Microprocessor Controlled
changes from 20 mV to 5 mV and finally to 1.25 mV as we go
from A) to B) to C). This offset adjustment is easily combined Voltage Comparator
with the setting of the VIN MIN value at the VIN(−) pin. In applications where set points (or “pick points”) are set up
Operation with reduced VREF/2 voltages increases the re- by analog voltages, the A/D can be used as a comparator to
quirement for good initial tolerance of the reference voltage determine whether an analog input is greater than or less
(or requires an adjustment) and also the allowed changes in than a reference DC value. This is accomplished by simply
the VREF/2 voltage over temperature are reduced. grounding the VREF/2 pin (to provide maximum resolution)
An interesting application of this reduced reference feature is and applying the reference DC value to the VIN(−) input. Now
to directly digitize the forward voltage drop of a silicon diode with the analog signal applied to the VIN(+)input, an all zeros
as a simple digital temperature sensor. code will be output for VIN(+) less than the reference voltage
and an all ones code for VIN(+) greater than the reference
voltage. This reduces the computational loading of the CPU.
A 10-Bit Application Further, using analog switches, a single A/D can encode
This analog flexibility can be used to increase the resolution some analog input channels in the “normal” way and can
of the 8-bit converter to 10 bits. The heart of the idea is provide this comparator operation, under microprocessor
shown in Figure 4. The two extra bits are provided by the control, for other analog input channels.
2-bit external DAC (resistor string) and the analog switch,
SW1.
Note that the VREF/2 pin of the converter is supplied with
1⁄8 V
REF so each of the four spans which are encoded will be:

00561903

FIGURE 3. Linearity Error for Reduced Analog Input Spans

www.national.com 2
AN-233
DACs Multiply and A/Ds Divide with changes in ambient temperature. This can be accom-
plished by making use of low cost 8-bit digital to analog
Computation can be directly done with converter compo- converters (DACs) which are used to introduce a “dither” or
nents to either increase the speed or reduce the loading on small change about the normal operating values of DC
a CPU. It is rather well known that DACs multiply — and for power supplies or other voltages within the system. Now, a
this reason many are actually called “MDACs” to signify single measurement of the ambient temperature and one
“multiplying DAC.” An analog product voltage is provided as A/D converter with a MUX can be used by the microproces-
an output signal from a DAC for a hybrid pair of input sor to establish proper voltage values for a given ambient
signals — one is analog (the VREF input) and the other is temperature. This approach easily provides non-linear tem-
digital. perature compensation and generally reduces the cost and
The A/D provides a digital quotient output for two analog improves the performance of the complete system.
input signals. The numerator or the dividend is the normal
analog input voltage to the A/D and the denominator or the Save an Op Amp
divisor is the VREF input voltage.
In applications where an analog signal voltage which is to be
High speed computation can be provided external to the
converted may only range from, for example, 0VDC to 500
CPU by either or both of these converter products. DACs are
mVDC, an op amp with a closed-loop gain of 10 is required to
available which provide 4-quadrant multiplications (the
allow making use of the full dynamic range (0VDC to 5VDC) of
MDACs and MICRO-DACs™), but A/Ds are usually limited to
the A/D converter. An alternative circuit approach is shown in
only one quadrant.
Figure 5. Here we, instead, attenuate the magnitude of the
reference voltage by 10:1 and apply the 0 to 500 mV signal
Combine Analog Self-Test with directly to the A/D converter. The VIN(−) input is now used for
Your Digital Routines a VOS adjust, and due to the “sampled-data” operation of the
A/D there is essentially no VOS drift with temperature
A new innovation is the digital self-test and diagnostic rou- changes.
tines which are being used in equipment. If an 8-bit A/D
converter and an analog multiplexer are added, these testing
routines can then check all power supply voltage levels and
other set point values in the system. This is a major applica-
tion area for the new generation converter products.

Control Temperature Coefficients


with Converters
The performance of many systems can be improved if volt-
ages within the system can be caused to change properly

00561904

FIGURE 4. 10-Bit A/D Using the 8-Bit ADC801

3 www.national.com
AN-233
Save an Op Amp (Continued) All of these functions can be handled by the A/D using the
circuit shown in Figure 6. Here we are making use of the
As shown in Figure 5, all zeros will be output by the A/D for differential input feature and the common-mode rejection of
an input voltage (at the VIN(+) input) of 0VDC and all ones will the A/D to directly encode the voltage drop across the load
be output by the A/D for a 500mVDC input signal. Operation current sampling resistor. An offset voltage adjustment is
of the A/D in this high sensitivity mode can be useful in many provided and the VREF/2 voltage is reduced to 50 mV to
low cost system applications. accommodate the input voltage span of 100 mV. If desired, a
multiplexer can be used to allow switching the VIN(−) input
Digitizing a Current Flow among many loads.
In system applications there are many requirements to moni-
tor the current drawn by a PC card or a high current load Conclusions
device. This typically is done by sampling the load current At first glance it may appear that the A/D converters were
flow with a small valued resistor. Unfortunately, it is usually mainly designed for an easy digital interface to the micropro-
desired that this resistor be placed in series with the VCC cessor. This is true, but the analog interface has also been
line. The problem is to remove the large common-mode DC given attention in the design and a very useful converter
voltage, amplify the differential signal, and then present the product has resulted from this combination of features.
ground referenced voltage to an A/D converter.

00561907

FIGURE 5. Directly Encoding a Low Level Signal

00561908

FIGURE 6. Digitizing a Current Flow

www.national.com 4
The A/D Easily Allows Many Unusual Applications
Notes

LIFE SUPPORT POLICY


NATIONAL’S PRODUCTS ARE NOT AUTHORIZED FOR USE AS CRITICAL COMPONENTS IN LIFE SUPPORT
DEVICES OR SYSTEMS WITHOUT THE EXPRESS WRITTEN APPROVAL OF THE PRESIDENT AND GENERAL
COUNSEL OF NATIONAL SEMICONDUCTOR CORPORATION. As used herein:
1. Life support devices or systems are devices or 2. A critical component is any component of a life
systems which, (a) are intended for surgical implant support device or system whose failure to perform
into the body, or (b) support or sustain life, and can be reasonably expected to cause the failure of
whose failure to perform when properly used in the life support device or system, or to affect its
accordance with instructions for use provided in the safety or effectiveness.
labeling, can be reasonably expected to result in a
significant injury to the user.
National Semiconductor National Semiconductor National Semiconductor National Semiconductor
Corporation Europe Asia Pacific Customer Japan Ltd.
AN-233

Americas Fax: +49 (0) 180-530 85 86 Response Group Tel: 81-3-5639-7560


Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] Tel: 65-2544466 Fax: 81-3-5639-7507
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National does not assume any responsibility for use of any circuitry described, no circuit patent licenses are implied and National reserves the right at any time without notice to change said circuitry and specifications.

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