ON Semiconductor Introduces New 256-Tap Digital Potentiometers for Control of Up to 16 Devices on One Bus

The new ON Semiconductor DPPs feature a volatile wiper register making them ideal for applications using a microcontroller (MCU) with on-chip memory for wiper recall, or for systems that do not require memory. They also provide a low-noise, reliable and space-saving alternative to mechanical potentiometers with the added benefit of immunity to dust / dirt contamination and vibration.

The CAT5270 allows microprocessor control of up to 16 devices from a single bus, while the CAT5271 offers a single, fixed address. Both devices are available with end-to-end resistance options of 50 kilohms, (kΩ) and 100 kΩ and can be used as a potentiometer or as a 2-terminal, variable rheostat. The volatile wiper register for both devices is set to mid-scale on power-up.

The CAT5270 and CAT5271 are insensitive to mechanical vibrations, shock, oxidation, dust, dirt and other contamination and are a fraction of the size of mechanical potentiometers. They have a low temperature coefficient of 100 parts per million per degrees Celsius (ppm/ºC) making them much more stable and reliable than mechanical potentiometers across a wide variety of environmental conditions.