8-bit resolution with a 6 µs update window
The MAX517ACSA+ is an 8-bit digital-to-analog converter with a voltage-buffered output, meaning the DAC can source current directly into a load without an external buffer amplifier. The 6 µs typical settling time sets the maximum update rate — for a closed-loop control system updating at 100 kHz, the DAC output has settled to within 1 LSB before the next conversion starts. Single-supply operation at 5 V for both analog and digital rails simplifies the power tree — no separate AVDD and DVDD supplies are needed. The external reference input allows the full-scale output voltage to be set by the system designer, decoupling the DAC range from the supply rail.
I²C bus integration and linearity
Data transfer uses the I²C serial interface, which requires only two bus lines (SCL, SDA) and supports standard-mode (100 kHz) and fast-mode (400 kHz) clock rates. The 8-bit data word maps to 256 output levels; the ±1 LSB max INL and ±1 LSB max DNL guarantee monotonicity across the full code range — no missing codes at the transition points. The R-2R resistor-ladder architecture keeps the die small and the power consumption low, but the output impedance is code-dependent — the buffered output stage isolates the ladder from the load, so the external impedance does not affect linearity.