Analog Voltage Output

Chapter 10 Analog Voltage Output Unlike A/D conversion, D/A conversion is designed to output analog voltages.. 10.1 D/A Converter Configuration In a microcomputer-applied system, an a

Chapter 10 Analog Voltage Output

Unlike A/D conversion, D/A conversion is designed to output analog voltages This conversion is easy to understand since it is simpler to use than A/D conversion

10.1 D/A Converter Configuration

In a microcomputer-applied system, an analog actuator (actuator which controls physical values such as rotation speed and amount of generated heat using analog voltages) may have to be controlled using analog voltages Since the microcomputer, however, is composed of digital circuits, it is incapable of outputting analog voltages as they are

Analog voltages, therefore, must be output after being converted from several bits of digital numeric data This conversion from digital to analog is accomplished by the D/A converter, which is a peripheral function designed to convert digital numeric data into analog voltages

The H8/3048 D/A converter has the following characteristics:

Output voltage range 0V to 5V (max.)(range of analog voltages which can be output.) Resolution 8 bits (refers to how many bits of digital numeric data voltages

are to be converted into.) 8-bit resolution means that voltages can be output in two to the eighth power (256) steps within the output range

Conversion time 10 microseconds (time required for conversion.)

An actuator capable of receiving analog voltages which change at

a time interval of 10 microseconds or longer can be controlled

Figure 10.1: D/A Converter Block Diagram

The following explains the D/A converter configuration in the H8/3048

It has 5 external pins DA0 and DA1 are designed to output D/A converted analog voltages AVcc is a power supply pin and AVss is a ground pin Since they are separated from other power supply or ground pins, the D/A converter will not function unless power is supplied to them If you want to suppress conversion errors, sufficient measures are also required in this case, too VREF is

a reference voltage input pin for outputting voltages between AVSS and VREF with 8-bit (256-step) resolution

There are two 8-bit D/A data registers (DADR0 and DADR1) When analog output is enabled, data in the D/A data register are D/A converted for output from the analog output pin

10.2 D/A Converter Registers

Table 10.1 shows the D/A converter register configuration

Table 10.1: D/A Converter Register Configuration

Each register is described below

(1) D/A data registers 0 and 1 (DADR0 and DADR1)

The D/A data registers 0 and 1 (DADR0 and DADR1) are 8-bit, read/write registers designed to store data to be D/A converted Figure 10.2 shows the DADR0 as an example The conversion results of data in the DADR0 are output from the DA0 pin Although the DADR1 has different analog output pins and addresses, the use and meanings are completely the same

When analog output is enabled, the values in the DADR are always D/A converted for output to the analog output pin

Figure 10.2: D/A Data Register 0 (DADR0)

(2) D/A control register (DACR)

Figure 10.3 shows the D/A control register (DACR), which is operated for D/A conversion When the DACR is operated to enable analog output, data

in the DADR are D/A converted and analog voltages are always output from the analog output pin Output continues unless analog output is disabled If the values in the DADR are changed during output, the corresponding voltages are output immediately after the conversion time has elapsed Although the

maximum conversion time is 10 microseconds, it may take some time until the output voltage reaches a certain level if the external circuit load is large

Figure 10.3: D/A Control Register (DACR)

(3) D/A standby control register (DASTCR)

Figure 10.4 shows the D/A standby control register (DASTCR), which

is designed to enable or disable D/A output in software standby mode The details are not described here Use it in default state

Figure 10.4: D/A Standby Control Register (DASTCR)

1 You want to convert 10-bit digital numeric values into voltages in 1024 steps using the D/A converter What do you do?

(A) Since the resolution of the D/A converter is fixed at 8 bits, they cannot

be converted into voltages in 1024 steps

(B) Use the ADCR to change the resolution setting from the default of 8 bits to 10 bits

(C) Multiply the 8-bit D/A conversion results by 1.25 (10/8)

Answer: (A)

(B) This is not available in the H8/3048

(C) The D/A conversion results remain in 8-bit units (256 steps) even after this multiplication

2 How many methods can you use to start conversion by the D/A converter?

(A) Only one method to externally input a signal

(B) Only one method to use an instruction

(C) Two methods to externally input a signal and use an instruction

Answer: (B)

In the case of the H8/3048, conversion can only be started using an instruction

3 From which pin are the voltages obtained by D/A converting numeric data in the DADR1 output?

Answer: DA1 pin

Read "(1) D/A data registers 0 and 1 (DADR0 and DADR1)" in 10.2 to understand the relationship between the DADR and the analog output pin

4 You want to D/A convert both channels 0 and 1 How do you set the upper 3 bits of the DACR?

Answer: Write B'011, B'010 or B'11-

Understand how the DACR is used by referring to "Figure 10.3: D/A Control Register (DACR)" in 10.2

5 How is the DACR changed after the first D/A conversion of the specified channel is completed?

Answer: There is no change

The H8/3048 has no flag to indicate that D/A conversion has been completed The DACR register is designed to enable or disable D/A conversion.

<D/A converters>

Write a program to use a D/A converter as you have learned in Chapter

10 and run it on the training board Work out through the following steps:

• Complete the exercise source program by filling out its blanks

• Make sure that the program runs successfully on the training board

• If the program will not run as specified in the exercise, consult the sample answer and make necessary changes to it before rerunning it The training board houses a circuit in which an operational amplifier connected to the DA0 pin turns on an LED, so that the D/A converter output voltage can control the brightness of the LED

The higher the output voltage, the brighter the LED glows; the lower the output voltage, the dimmer the LED becomes A voltage of approximately

2 V is required to turn on the LED The LED will stay out under an output voltage of 0 to 2 V Changes in the LED brightness would be more easily identifiable visually by changing the output voltage from 1 V to 5 V

Output a voltage of 1.2 V to 5 V from the DA0 pin to check that the LED

changes in brightness accordingly

Set DADR0 to H'40 to output 1.2 V or to H'FF to output 5 V A software timer allows a voltage of 1.2 V to 1.5 V to be output iteratively at regular intervals of

time

• DACR is loaded with B'01000000 on initialization, with b0 of DASTCR being set to 1

• A software timer (already created) is used to provide timing at regular intervals of time

• Load DADR0 with H'40 to H'FF in sequence, then back to H'40 Repeat this sequence infinitely