12-bit voltage-output DAC with SPI
The MAX538ACSA+ is a single-channel 12-bit digital-to-analog converter with a voltage-buffered output, using an R-2R ladder architecture. It communicates over an SPI data interface and settles to within 1/2 LSB in 25 µs typical, making it suitable for closed-loop control and precision set-point generation. The device operates from a single 5 V supply for both analog and digital rails, and requires an external voltage reference.
Accuracy and linearity
Integral non-linearity is ±0.5 LSB maximum, and differential non-linearity is ±1 LSB maximum — both specified over the full operating temperature range.
Housed in an 8-lead SOIC package (8-SOIC, 3.90 mm width), surface-mount soldered directly to the PCB — no socket required. The single 5 V supply simplifies power routing on a mixed-signal board; the digital interface shares the same rail as the analog core, so no separate I/O voltage is needed.