Data Sheet AD5121/AD5141
Rev. A | Page 23 of 32
ADVANCED CONTROL MODES
The AD5121/AD5141 digital potentiometers include a set of user
programming features to address the wide number of applications
for these universal adjustment devices (see Table 16 and Table 18).
Key programming features include the following:
• Input register
• Linear gain setting mode
• Low wiper resistance feature
• Linear increment and decrement instructions
• ±6 dB increment and decrement instructions
• Burst mode (I2C only)
• Reset
• Shutdown mode
Input Register
The AD5121/AD5141 include one input register per RDAC
register. This register allows preloading of the value for the
associated RDAC register.
This feature allows a synchronous and asynchronous update of
one or all the RDAC registers at the same time.
These registers can be written to using Command 2 and read back
from using Command 3 (see Table 16).
The transfer from the input register to the RDAC register is
done asynchronously by the LRDAC pin or synchronously by
Command 8 (see Table 16).
If new data is loaded in an RDAC register, this RDAC register
automatically overwrites the associated input register.
Linear Gain Setting Mode
The patented architecture of the AD5121/AD5141 allows the
independent control of each string resistor, RAW and RWB. To
enable this feature, use Command 16 (see Table 16) to set Bit D2
of the control register (see Table 18).
This mode of operation can control the potentiometer as two
independent rheostats connected at a single point, W terminal,
as opposed to potentiometer mode where each resistor is
complementary, RAW = RAB − RWB.
This feature enables a second input and an RDAC register per
channel, as shown in Table 16; however, the actual RDAC contents
remain unchanged. The same operations are valid for
potentiometer and linear gain setting modes.
If the INDEP pin is pulled high, the device powers up in linear
gain setting mode and loads the values stored in the associated
memory locations for each channel (see Table 17). The INDEP pin
and D2 bit are connected internally to a logic OR gate, if any or
both are 1, the parts cannot operate in potentiometer mode.
Low Wiper Resistance Feature
The AD5121/AD5141 include two commands to reduce the wiper
resistance between the terminals when they achieve full scale or
zero scale. These extra positions are called bottom scale, BS, and
top scale, TS. The resistance between Terminal A and Terminal W
at top scale is specified as RTS. Similarly, the bottom scale resistance
between Terminal B and Te rm i nal W is specified as RBS.
The contents of the RDAC registers are unchanged by entering
in these positions. There are two ways to exit from top scale and
bottom scale: by using Command 12 or Command 13 (see
Table 16); or by loading new data in an RDAC register, which
includes increment/decrement operations and a shutdown
command.
Table 12 and Table 13 show the truth tables for the top scale
position and the bottom scale position, respectively, when linear
gain setting mode is enabled.
Table 12. Top Scale Truth Table
Linear Gain Setting Mode Potentiometer Mode
RAW RWB RAW RWB
RAB RAB RTS RAB
Table 13. Bottom Scale Truth Table
Linear Gain Setting Mode Potentiometer Mode
RAW RWB RAW RWB
RTS RBS RAB RBS
Linear Increment and Decrement Instructions
The increment and decrement commands (Command 4 and
Command 5 in Table 16) are useful for linear step adjustment
applications. These commands simplify microcontroller software
coding by allowing the controller to send an increment or
decrement command to the device. The adjustment can be
individual or in a ganged potentiometer arrangement, where
all wiper positions are changed at the same time.
For an increment command, executing Command 4 automatically
moves the wiper to the next resistance segment position. This
command can be executed in a single channel or multiple channels.
±6 dB Increment and Decrement Instructions
Two programming instructions produce logarithmic taper
increment or decrement of the wiper position control by
an individual potentiometer or by a ganged potentiometer
arrangement where all RDAC register positions are changed
simultaneously. The +6 dB increment is activated by Command 6,
and the −6 dB decrement is activated by Command 7 (see Table 16).
For example, starting with the zero-scale position and executing
Command 6 ten times moves the wiper in 6 dB steps to the full-
scale position. When the wiper position is near the maximum
setting, the last 6 dB increment instruction causes the wiper to go
to the full-scale position (see Table 14).