AD5293
Rev. D | Page 20 of 24
Table 13. Control Register Function
Register Name
Bit Name
Description
Control
C2
Calibration enable.
0 = resistor performance mode (default).
1 = normal mode.
C1
RDAC register write protect.
0 = locks the wiper position through the digital interface (default).
1 = allows update of wiper position through digital interface.
RDAC ARCHITECTURE
To achieve optimum performance, Analog Devices, Inc., has
patented the RDAC segmentation architecture for all the digital
potentiometers. In particular, the AD5293 employs a 3-stage
segmentation approach, as shown in
Figure 46. The AD5293
wiper switch is designed with transmission gate CMOS topology
and with the gate voltage derived from VDD.
RW
SW
W
RW
10-BIT
ADDRESS
DECODER
A
RL
RM
B
RM
RL
07
67
5
-04
0
Figure 46. Simplified RDAC Circuit
PROGRAMMING THE VARIABLE RESISTOR
Rheostat Operation—1% Resistor Tolerance
The AD5293 operates in rheostat mode when only two terminals
are used as a variable resistor. The unused terminal can be left
floating or it can be tied to the W terminal, as shown in
Figure 47.
W
A
B
W
A
B
W
A
B
076
75
-0
41
Figure 47. Rheostat Mode Configuration
The nominal resistance between Terminal A and Terminal B,
RAB, is available in 20 kΩ, 50 kΩ, and 100 kΩ and has 1024 tap
points that are accessed by the wiper terminal. The 10-bit data
in the RDAC latch is decoded to select one of the 1024 possible
wiper settings. The AD5293 contains an internal ±1% resistor
tolerance calibration feature that can be enabled or disabled,
enabled by default by programming Bit C2 of the control
The digitally programmed output resistance between the
W terminal and the A terminal, RWA, and the W terminal
and B terminal, RWB, is calibrated to give a maximum of ±1%
absolute resistance error over both the full supply and temperature
ranges. As a result, the general equation for determining the
digitally programmed output resistance between the W terminal
and B terminal is
AB
WB
R
D
R
×
=
1024
)
(
(1)
where:
D
is the decimal equivalent of the binary code loaded in the
10-bit RDAC register.
RAB
is the end-to-end resistance.
Similar to the mechanical potentiometer, the resistance of the RDAC
between the W terminal and the A terminal also produces a digitally
controlled complementary resistance, RWA. RWA is also calibrated
to give a maximum of 1% absolute resistance error. RWA starts at
the maximum resistance value and decreases as the data loaded
into the latch increases. The general equation for this operation is
AB
WA
R
D
R
×
=
1024
)
(
(2)
where:
D
is the decimal equivalent of the binary code loaded in the
10-bit RDAC register.
RAB
is the end-to-end resistance.
In the zero-scale condition, a finite total wiper resistance of 120 Ω
is present. Regardless of the setting in which the part is operating,
care should be taken to limit the current between the A terminal to
B terminal, the W terminal to the A terminal, and the W terminal
to the B terminal to the maximum continuous current of ±3 mA or
to the pulse current specified in
Table 6. Otherwise, degradation,
or possible destruction of the internal switch contact, can occur.