ON Semi Introduces 256-Tap Digital Potentiometers For Control Of Up To 16 Devices On One Bus
ON Semiconductor announced the availability of two new Digitally Programmable Potentiometer (DPP) ICs suitable for high accuracy and stability for variable resistance adjustment applications in a wide range of industrial and consumer products. The CAT5270 and CAT5271 are dual-channel digital potentiometers with 256 resistor taps for fine resolution adjustment and an I²C-compatible interface for maximum interoperability.
The new ON Semiconductor DPPs feature a volatile wiper register, making them well suited for applications using a microcontroller (MCU) with on-chip memory for wiper recall, or for systems that do not require memory. They also said to provide a low-noise, reliable and space-saving alternative to mechanical potentiometers with the added benefit of immunity to dust/dirt contamination and vibration.
The CAT5270 allows microprocessor control of up to 16 devices from a single bus, while the CAT5271 offers a single, fixed address. Both devices are available with end-to-end resistance options of 50 and 100kΩ and can be used as a potentiometer or as a 2-terminal, variable rheostat. The volatile wiper register for both devices is set to mid-scale on power-up.
The CAT5270 and CAT5271 are insensitive to mechanical vibrations, shock, oxidation, dust, dirt and other contamination and are a fraction of the size of mechanical potentiometers. They have a low temperature coefficient of 100ppm/°C, which the company says makes them much more stable and reliable than mechanical potentiometers across a wide variety of environmental conditions.
The CAT5270 and CAT5271 digitally programmable potentiometers are supplied in 14-lead TSSOP and 10-lead MSOP packages, respectively. Pricing for quantities of 10,000 are $0.81 USD per unit for the CAT5270 and $0.90 USD per unit for the CAT5271.
