High-Voltage Bipolar DACs Drift Minimally

Developed on the company’s HPA07 analog CMOS process technology, the 16-bit DAC8734 is a four-channel, high-voltage, bipolar digital-to-analog converter (DAC). The device features up to six times lower drift than competing devices along with the widest operating temperature range and the highest initial accuracy, it’s claimed. The DAC8734 offers designers of automated test equipment (ATE) and medical equipment space savings and flexibility in a 6-mm x 6-mm QFN-40 or 7-mm x 7-mm TQFP-48 package. The device is capable of driving ±16 V or zero to +20 V across four channels, eliminating the external op amp typically required for additional voltage gain. Designers need to add only a single voltage reference, such as the REF5050, for bipolar operation. The device is rated for drift of 2 ppm over 500 hours and 3 ppm over 1000 hours. In bipolar operation, it sports a zero-error temperature coefficient (TC) of ±0.5 ppm FSR/°C; gain error TC is ±0.5 ppm FSR/°C. In unipolar output mode, the device offers a zero-error TC of ±0.2 ppm FSR/°C and a gain error TC of ±0.5 ppm FSR/°C. Integral non-linearity is ±1 LSB, maximum (0.006% FSR) and this level of performance is achievable even at 16-bit resolution. The 16-bit DAC8734 is available now starting at $26.95 each in lots of 1000. TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INC., Dallas, TX. (800) 477-8924.