5/20/2021 Digital to Analog Converters - Tutorialspoint

Digital to Analog Converters

A Digital to Analog Converter (DAC) converts a digital input signal into an analog output signal.
The digital signal is represented with a binary code, which is a combination of bits 0 and 1. This
chapter deals with Digital to Analog Converters in detail.
The block diagram of DAC is shown in the following figure −

A Digital to Analog Converter (DAC) consists of a number of binary inputs and a single output. In
general, the number of binary inputs of a DAC will be a power of two.

Types of DACs

There are two types of DACs

Weighted Resistor DAC

A weighted resistor DAC produces an analog output, which is almost equal to the digital (binary)
input by using binary weighted resistors in the inverting adder circuit. In short, a binary weighted
resistor DAC is called as weighted resistor DAC.
The circuit diagram of a 3-bit binary weighted resistor DAC is shown in the following figure −

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Recall that the bits of a binary number can have only one of the two values. i.e., either 0 or 1. Let
the 3-bit binary input is b
b2 b 1b
2 b1 b0
0
. Here, the bits b
b22
and b
b00
denote the Most Significant Bit

(MSB) and Least Significant Bit (LSB) respectively.

The digital switches shown in the above figure will be connected to ground, when the
corresponding input bits are equal to ‘0’. Similarly, the digital switches shown in the above figure
will be connected to the negative reference voltage, −
−VVR
R
when the corresponding input bits are

equal to ‘1’.
In the above circuit, the non-inverting input terminal of an op-amp is connected to ground. That
means zero volts is applied at the non-inverting input terminal of op-amp.
According to the virtual short concept, the voltage at the inverting input terminal of opamp is
same as that of the voltage present at its non-inverting input terminal. So, the voltage at the
inverting input terminal’s node will be zero volts.

The nodal equation at the inverting input terminal’s node is:

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0
0++V
VR b2
R b2
0
0++V
VR b1
R b1
0
0++V
VR b0
R b0
0
0−−V
V00
+
+ +
+ +
+ =
= 0
0
0
0 1
1 2
2
2
2 R
R 2
2 R
R 2
2 R
R R
Rff

V
V00
V
VR b2
R b2
V
VR b1
R b1
V
VR b0
R b0
=
=>> =
= +
+ +
+
0
0 1
1 2
2
R
Rff 2
2 R
R 2
2 R
R 2
2 R
R

V
VR Rf
R Rf b
b2 b
b1 b
b0
2 1 0
=
=>> V
V0 =
0 =
{
{ +
+ +
+ }
}
0
0 1
1 2
2
R
R 2 2 2
2 2 2

Substituting, R
R =
= 2
2RRf
f
𝑓 in above equation.

V
VR Rf
R Rf b
b2 b
b1 b
b0
2 1 0
=
=>> V
V0 =
= {
{ +
+ +
+ }
}
0
0
0 1
1 2
2
2
2RRf
f 2
2 2
2 2
2

V
VRR
b
b22
b
b11
b
b00
=
=>> V
V0 =
= {
{ +
+ +
+ }
}
0
0
0 1
1 2
2
2
2 2
2 2
2 2
2

The above equation represents the output voltage equation of a 3-bit binary weighted resistor
DAC. Since the number of bits are three in the binary (digital) input, we will get seven possible
values of output voltage by varying the binary input from 000 to 111 for a fixed reference voltage,
V
VRR
.

We can write the generalized output voltage equation of an N-bit binary weighted resistor DAC
as shown below based on the output voltage equation of a 3-bit binary weighted resistor DAC.

V
VRR
b
bNN−
−11
b
bNN−
−22
b
b00
=
=>> V
V0 =
0 =
{
{ +
+ +
+.. .. .. .. +
+ }
}
0
0 1
1 N
N−−1
1
2
2 2
2 2
2 2
2

The disadvantages of a binary weighted resistor DAC are as follows −

The difference between the resistance values corresponding to LSB & MSB will increase
as the number of bits present in the digital input increases.
It is difficult to design more accurate resistors as the number of bits present in the digital
input increases.

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R-2R Ladder DAC

The R-2R Ladder DAC overcomes the disadvantages of a binary weighted resistor DAC. As the
name suggests, R-2R Ladder DAC produces an analog output, which is almost equal to the digital
(binary) input by using a R-2R ladder network in the inverting adder circuit.

Thecircuit diagramof a 3-bit R-2R Ladder DAC is shown in the following figure −

Recall that the bits of a binary number can have only one of the two values. i.e., either 0 or 1. Let
the 3-bit binary input is b
b2 b 1b
2 b1 b0
0
. Here, the bits b
b22
and b
b00
denote the Most Significant Bit

(MSB) and Least Significant Bit (LSB) respectively.

The digital switches shown in the above figure will be connected to ground, when the
corresponding input bits are equal to ‘0’. Similarly, the digital switches shown in above figure will be

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connected to the negative reference voltage, −

to ‘1’.

It is difficult to get the generalized output voltage equation of a R-2R Ladder DAC. But, we can find
the analog output voltage values of R-2R Ladder DAC for individual binary input combinations
easily.
The advantages of a R-2R Ladder DAC are as follows −

R-2R Ladder DAC contains only two values of resistor: R and 2R. So, it is easy to select
and design more accurate resistors.
If more number of bits are present in the digital input, then we have to include required
number of R-2R sections additionally.

Due to the above advantages, R-2R Ladder DAC is preferable over binary weighted resistor DAC.

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