July 11, 2005 - National Semiconductor Corporation (NYSE:NSM) today expanded its data conversion portfolio with the introduction of three pin- and function-compatible 8-, 10- and 12-bit digital-to-analog converters (DACs). These DACs complement National’s recently announced family of 36 general-purpose analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) and allow National to offer customers an expanded analog signal-path solution.
“National’s versatile, pin- and function-compatible DACs enhance our analog signal-path product offerings and allow us to provide customers with operational amplifiers, ADCs, DACs and interface solutions optimized for analog signal-path applications,” said Andrew Jue, product marketing director for National’s Data Conversion Division.
Each of the three DACs provides rail-to-rail output swing and input clock rates of 30 MHz over the entire supply range of 2.7V to 5.25V. The reference for each is derived from the power supply, resulting in the widest possible dynamic output range. A power-down feature reduces power consumption to less than 0.2 uW, which is especially important for portable, battery-powered applications.
In portable industrial instruments, performance and power are critical issues. The DAC121S101, for example, can be used to trim offset or gain, or generate high-performance analog output signals for control or display. Combined with National’s ADCs, amplifiers and other analog products, customers can build a complete signal-path solution around the microprocessor, field programmable gate array or digital signal processor that meets specific performance and power requirements.
About the General-Purpose DACs
The DACs are designed to optimize performance and minimize power. For example, the 12-bit DAC provides typical performance of +0.25, -0.15 LSB (least significant bit) DNL (differential non-linearity), ±2.6 LSB INL (integral non-linearity) and power consumption of .64 mW at 3.6V.
| Product |
Resolution |
Channels |
Settling Time |
Package |
| DAC121S101 |
12-bit |
1 |
10usec |
TSOT-6, MSOP-8 |
| DAC101S101 |
10-bit |
1 |
10usec |
TSOT-6, MSOP-8 |
| DAC081S101 |
8-bit |
1 |
10usec |
TSOT-6, MSOP-8 |
Pricing and Availability
Budgetary 1k pricing starts at $1.35 for the DAC121S101. More information about National’s new DACs is available at http://www.national.com/appinfo/adc/. For more information on National’s signal path products, visit signalpath.national.com.
In addition to its expanded signal-path portfolio, National has a full suite of Webench® online tools to speed the design process. Using the Webench Signal-Path Designer™ online tool, customers can match ADCs with op amps in minutes and generate op amp/ADC pairs customized for their unique designs. The tool is available at signalpath.national.com.
Note to editors: To view a high-resolution, downloadable photo of the DACs please visit http://www.national.com/company/pressroom/gallery/dcs.html.
About National Semiconductor
National Semiconductor, the industry's premier analog company, creates high-performance analog devices and subsystems. National's leading-edge products include power management circuits, display drivers, audio and operational amplifiers, communication interface products and data conversion solutions. National's key analog markets include wireless handsets, displays and a variety of broad electronics markets, including medical, automotive, industrial, and test and measurement applications. Headquartered in Santa Clara, California, National reported sales of $1.91 billion for fiscal 2005, which ended May 29, 2005. Additional company and product information is available at www.national.com.
