Sitron Labs Texas Instruments DACXX11 Arduino Library

Arduino library for interfacing with the Texas Instruments family of DACxx11 digital-to-analog converters (DACs).

Description

The DACxx11 family consists of buffered, rail-to-rail voltage output DACs with different resolutions:

DAC5311: 8-bit resolution
DAC6311: 10-bit resolution
DAC7311: 12-bit resolution
DAC8311: 14-bit resolution
DAC8411: 16-bit resolution

All devices feature SPI communication, low power consumption, and power-down modes. This library provides a unified interface to control any device in the family, with automatic handling of resolution-specific differences.

Installation

Arduino IDE

Install via the Arduino Library Manager by searching for "Sitron Labs DACXX11".

Alternatively, install manually:

Download or clone this repository
Place it in your Arduino libraries folder
Restart the Arduino IDE

PlatformIO

Install via the PlatformIO Library Manager by searching for "Sitron Labs DACXX11".

Alternatively, add the library manually to your platformio.ini file:

lib_deps = 
    https://github.com/sitronlabs/SitronLabs_TexasInstruments_DACXX11_Arduino_Library.git

Hardware Connections

Connect the DAC to your Arduino using SPI:

AVDD/VREF → 2.7V to 5.5V (check your board's specifications)
GND → GND
DIN → MOSI (SPI Data)
SCLK → SCK (SPI Clock)
SYNC/CS → Any digital pin (Chip Select)
VOUT → Your analog output

Note: The SYNC/CS pin can be connected to any available digital pin on your Arduino. Make sure to specify this pin number when calling setup().

Usage

Basic Voltage Output

#include <SPI.h>
#include <dac7311.h>  // For 12-bit DAC7311

// Create DAC object
dac7311 dac;

// SPI settings
const int SPI_SPEED = 10000000;  // 10 MHz
const int PIN_CS = 10;           // Chip select pin
const float REFERENCE_VOLTAGE = 3.3;  // Reference voltage in volts

void setup() {
  Serial.begin(9600);
  
  // Initialize SPI
  SPI.begin();
  
  // Setup the DAC (SPI library, SPI speed, CS pin, reference voltage)
  if (dac.setup(SPI, SPI_SPEED, PIN_CS, REFERENCE_VOLTAGE) != 0) {
    Serial.println("Failed to setup DAC");
    return;
  }
  
  Serial.println("DAC initialized");
}

void loop() {
  // Set output to 1.65V (half of 3.3V reference)
  if (dac.output_voltage_set(1.65) != 0) {
    Serial.println("Failed to set output voltage");
  }
  delay(1000);
  
  // Set output to 0V
  if (dac.output_voltage_set(0.0) != 0) {
    Serial.println("Failed to set output voltage");
  }
  delay(1000);
}

Using Output Ratio

#include <SPI.h>
#include <dac8411.h>  // For 16-bit DAC8411

dac8411 dac;
const int SPI_SPEED = 10000000;
const int PIN_CS = 10;
const float REFERENCE_VOLTAGE = 5.0;

void setup() {
  Serial.begin(9600);
  SPI.begin();
  
  dac.setup(SPI, SPI_SPEED, PIN_CS, REFERENCE_VOLTAGE);
}

void loop() {
  // Set output to 50% of reference voltage (2.5V with 5V reference)
  dac.output_ratio_set(0.5);
  delay(1000);
  
  // Set output to 25% of reference voltage (1.25V with 5V reference)
  dac.output_ratio_set(0.25);
  delay(1000);
  
  // Set output to 75% of reference voltage (3.75V with 5V reference)
  dac.output_ratio_set(0.75);
  delay(1000);
}

Power Down Modes

#include <SPI.h>
#include <dac5311.h>  // For 8-bit DAC5311

dac5311 dac;
const int SPI_SPEED = 10000000;
const int PIN_CS = 10;
const float REFERENCE_VOLTAGE = 3.3;

void setup() {
  Serial.begin(9600);
  SPI.begin();
  
  dac.setup(SPI, SPI_SPEED, PIN_CS, REFERENCE_VOLTAGE);
  
  // Set output voltage
  dac.output_voltage_set(1.65);
  delay(1000);
  
  // Power down with 1 kΩ to GND
  dac.power_down(dac5311::POWER_DOWN_PD1K);
  delay(1000);
  
  // Power down with 100 kΩ to GND
  dac.power_down(dac5311::POWER_DOWN_PD100K);
  delay(1000);
  
  // Power down with high impedance (output floating)
  dac.power_down(dac5311::POWER_DOWN_HIGHZ);
  delay(1000);
  
  // Resume normal operation by setting a voltage
  dac.output_voltage_set(1.65);
}

Changing Reference Voltage

#include <SPI.h>
#include <dac8311.h>  // For 14-bit DAC8311

dac8311 dac;
const int SPI_SPEED = 10000000;
const int PIN_CS = 10;

void setup() {
  Serial.begin(9600);
  SPI.begin();
  
  // Initialize with 3.3V reference
  dac.setup(SPI, SPI_SPEED, PIN_CS, 3.3);
  
  // Set output to 1.65V (50% of 3.3V)
  dac.output_voltage_set(1.65);
  delay(1000);
  
  // Change reference voltage to 5.0V
  dac.reference_voltage_set(5.0);
  
  // Now 1.65V is only 33% of the new reference
  // To get 50% again, set to 2.5V
  dac.output_voltage_set(2.5);
}