DAC 6 Click is a compact add-on board that contains a fully-featured, general-purpose voltage-output digital-to-analog converter. This board features the DAC104S085, 10-bit, micro-power, a quad digital-to-analog converter with rail-to-rail output, from Texas Instruments. It uses the 3-wire SPI serial interface for communication, that operates at clock rates up to 40 MHz. Besides that, DAC 6 Click has also MCP1501 onboard, which is a high-precision, buffered, 2.048V voltage reference. Many features such as low power, rail-to-rail Voltage output, quad-channel output, and more, make it an excellent choice for use in battery-operated equipment, digital gain and offset adjustment, programmable voltage and current sources, and many more.

DAC 6 Click is supported by a mikroSDK compliant library, which includes functions that simplify software development.

DAC 6 Click is based on the DAC104S085, 10-bit resolution micro-power QUAD digital-to-analog converter with rail-to-rail output, from Texas Instruments. The DAC104S085 is manufactured on a CMOS process with an architecture that consists of switches and resistor strings that are followed by an output buffer. The reference voltage is applied at the VREFIN pin and is shared by all four DAC outputs (A, B, C, and D). This string consists of 1024 equal valued resistors with a switch at each junction of two resistors, plus a switch to the ground. The code loaded into the DAC register determines which switch is closed, connecting the proper node to the amplifier.

The voltage reference pin of the DAC104S085 is not buffered, and because of that, it is recommended to drive the VREFIN pin by a voltage source with a low output impedance. This is accomplished using the MCP1501, a low drift bandgap-based voltage reference from Microchip capable of sinking and sourcing 20mA of current. The bandgap uses chopper-based amplifiers, effectively reducing the drift to zero. The reference voltage range which can be applied to the VREFIN pin is 1V to VCC (in this case 2.048V), providing the widest possible output dynamic range with a maximum output current of 11mA per channel.

The DAC 6 Click communicates with MCU using the 3-Wire SPI serial interface that is compatible with standard SPI, QSPI™, MICROWIRE™ and operates at clock rates up to 40 MHz. To use the full dynamic range of the DAC104S085, it is possible to connect the VREFIN pin to the supply voltage VCC. Because of its low power consumption, a reference source may be used as the reference input or the supply voltage which results in accuracy and stability. The reference voltage level can be selected by positioning the SMD jumper labeled as VREF SEL to an appropriate position, selecting between a value of 2.048V and the supply voltage VCC.

This Click board™ uses the SPI communication interface with both 3.3V and 5V. The onboard SMD jumper labeled as VCC SEL allows voltage selection for interfacing with both 3.3V and 5V MCUs. More information about the DAC104S085’s functionality, electrical specifications, and typical performance can be found in the attached datasheet. However, the Click board™ comes equipped with a library that contains easy to use functions and a usage example that may be used as a reference for the development.

• Interface: SPI
• Compatibility: mikroBUS™
• Dimensions: 28.6 x 25.4mm
• Input Voltage: 3.3V or 5V
• Supply Voltage VCC: Min. -0.3V, Max. 6.5V
• Maximum Output Current: 11mA
• SPI Clock Frequency: 40MHz
• Operating Temperature Range: -40°C, Max. +125°C

• Schematic
• DAC104S08 Datasheet
• MCP1501 Datasheet
• mikroSDK
• GitHub