Quad 12-bit DAC with buffered voltage output
The MAX5500AGAP+ is a quad 12-bit digital-to-analog converter from Analog Devices, delivering four independent voltage-buffered outputs from a single 5 V supply. It uses an R-2R ladder architecture with an external voltage reference, so the output span is set by the reference voltage you provide — useful when the DAC must track a ratiometric measurement or a precision reference already on the board.
SPI interface and settling performance
Data is written via a standard SPI interface, which keeps the pin count low on the 20-pin SSOP package. The typical settling time to ±0.5 LSB is 12 µs — fast enough for closed-loop control loops updating at tens of kilohertz, but not a high-speed waveform generator. For a 100 kHz update rate, the settling time consumes about 1.2 % of the period, leaving margin for the SPI transaction and the external op-amp slew if one is added. Integral nonlinearity is ±0.25 LSB typical, ±1 LSB maximum, and differential nonlinearity is ±1 LSB maximum. The ±1 LSB DNL spec guarantees monotonicity — every code step produces a positive voltage increment, which matters when the DAC drives a servo valve or a laser power setpoint where a non-monotonic step could cause oscillation.
Temperature grade and supply rails
The analog and digital supplies are both 5 V nominal, which simplifies rail planning: a single 5 V rail powers the DAC core and the output buffers, and the reference input accepts any voltage up to VDD.