TREE

This DAC circuit, otherwise known as the binary-weighted-input DAC, is a variation on the inverting summer op-amp circuit. If you recall, the classic inverting summer circuit is an operational amplifier using negative feedback for controlled gain, with several voltage inputs and one voltage output. The output voltage is the inverted (opposite polarity) sum of all input voltages: For a simple inverting summer circuit, all resistors must be of equal value. If any of the input resistors were different, the input voltages would have different degrees of effect on the output, and the output voltage would not be a true sum. Let’s consider, however, intentionally setting the input resistors at different values. Suppose we were to set the input resistor values at multiple powers of two: R, 2R, and 4R, instead of all the same value R: Starting from V 1 and going through V 3 , this would give each input voltage exactly half the effect on the output as the voltage before it. In other word...

Varactor (or “varicap”) diodes are used primarily in radio-frequency (RF) circuits to provide a capacitance that can be varied by changing the applied voltage. These types of diodes often are used for tuning circuits, such as RF oscillators and filters found in wireless applications like wireless microphones and radios. Designers, then, should know about the benefits of using a nonvolatile digital-to-analog converter (DAC) to provide the biasing voltage of a varactor diode used as a voltage-controlled capacitor. The varactor diode is operated under reverse bias, which creates a depletion zone around the P-N junction. Changing the level of the reverse bias changes the thickness of the depletion region and, thus, the effective capacitance of the diode. Increasing voltage causes a decrease in capacitance. Varactor diodes are specified with a nominal capacitance value and the range of capacitance that can be achieved with a maximum and minimum voltage level. Increasing the bias voltage ran...