DAC Resolution Calculator

Calculate the voltage resolution, step size, and output range of a digital-to-analog converter.

V

Value to convert (0 to 2^N - 1)

Output Voltage

2.5000 V

Step Size (1 LSB)4.883 mV
Total Output Levels1,024
Maximum Output4.9951 V

Output Voltage vs DAC Resolution (bits)

DAC Resolution and Output

A DAC converts a digital code to a proportional analog voltage. The resolution determines the smallest voltage step.

Formulas

Step Size = V_ref / 2^N

V_out = Digital Code x Step Size

Max Output = (2^N - 1) x Step Size

The output is always one step size less than V_ref because the code range is 0 to 2^N - 1.

Example Calculation

10-bit DAC with 5.0 V reference, digital code 512.

  1. 01Step size: 5.0 / 1024 = 4.883 mV
  2. 02Output: 512 x 0.004883 = 2.5000 V
  3. 03Max output: 1023 x 0.004883 = 4.9951 V
  4. 04Total levels: 1024

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