Q
I would like to ask if the short circuit current of 40mA is the maximum current
that the voltage output can provide or if it is just the 1mA marked as load
current.
A
The specified load for each channel is +/-1mA. This means that if your circuit
draws 1mA or less from the pin the output voltage will stay within 1LSB of the
no-load value. This is the maximum recommended operating load.
As you start to take more than 1mA from the output the voltage will move away
from the set value. The more current you take the further away the voltage will
be.
The short circuit current spec of 40mA means that you will never get more than
40mA flowing from the pin.
The amount of current used by the AD5383 causes the part to self-heat and there
is a maximum safe limit. The absolute maximum ratings specifies that for every
1 Watt used the chip will heat by 44degC. This should be considered if you plan
to exceed the 1mA load limit.