MAX11043 Questions

MAX11043 Fine DAC can be controlled by SPI register write or by hardware UP/DONN pins. There are also two 8-bit coarse reference DACs (REFDACH and REFDACL) which together form the high and low limits of the 12-bt Fine DAC. These three DACs cannot be used independently; they are always used together: the 8-bit coarse REFDACH/REFDACL set the excursion limits for the fine 12-bit DAC.

There's a subtle point about the internal clock vs the SPI clock. MAX11043 is a simultaneous-sampling sigma-delta ADC, so all of the acquisition and conversion timing is determined by the MAX11043 itself. There are internal data buffers to hold the conversion result, but it's critically important for the external microcontroller to respond to the EOC End Of Conversion interrupt rapidly enough to receive data before it is erased by the next sample. Because of this timing dependency, it's most efficient if the external microcontroller (which drives SPI clock) is operated synchronously with the MAX11043 (which determines EOC data available timing).

MAX11043 Fine DAC can be controlled by SPI register write or by hardware UP/DONN pins. There are also two 8-bit coarse reference DACs (REFDACH and REFDACL) which together form the high and low limits of the 12-bt Fine DAC. These three DACs cannot be used independently; they are always used together: the 8-bit coarse REFDACH/REFDACL set the excursion limits for the fine 12-bit DAC.

There's a subtle point about the internal clock vs the SPI clock. MAX11043 is a simultaneous-sampling sigma-delta ADC, so all of the acquisition and conversion timing is determined by the MAX11043 itself. There are internal data buffers to hold the conversion result, but it's critically important for the external microcontroller to respond to the EOC End Of Conversion interrupt rapidly enough to receive data before it is erased by the next sample. Because of this timing dependency, it's most efficient if the external microcontroller (which drives SPI clock) is operated synchronously with the MAX11043 (which determines EOC data available timing).