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DAC8501 vs. DAC8551

Other Parts Discussed in Thread: DAC8501, DAC8551

Anyone know the difference between these two DACs other than price (8551 is cheaper)? We use the DAC8501 to generate audio with the ref fixed at 1.1 V and do not use the multiplying capability. Low power operation is not a requirement. Thanks!

  • Bob,

    On first-order inspection the devices are remarkably similar since they are both straight forward single-channel string DACs that use external references. There are, however, several noteworthy differences between the two devices. I'll offer a comparison for you here, but fur future reference you can click here to visit a parametric table (that has several additional parameters that you may show/hide) that has a comparison feature. If you show all of the specifications and run the comparison you can get a good idea of the differences between any two products.

    The short story is that in just about each DC performance parameter the DAC8551 has an edge, inclusive of drift parameters.

    Parameter DAC8551 DAC8501
    Resolution 16-bits 16-bits
    Channels 1 1
    INL (Max) 8 LSBs 64 LSBs
    Zero-Code Error Not Specified 20mV
    Offset Error 12mV (Specified as "Zero-Code Error") Not Specified
    Gain Error 0.2% FSR 1.25% FSR
    Architecture String DAC String DAC
    Package VSSOP 8 VSSOP 8
    Price $2.35/1ku $3.12/1ku
    Operating Temperature Range (C)  -40 to 105 -40 to 105

    The DAC8551 also wins in some other areas that may be of interest for your audio applications - the major carry glitch energy is lower at 0.1nV-s (compared to 20nV-s), slew rate is higher at 1.8V/us (compared to 1V/us), and digital feedthrough is lower at 0.1nV-s (compared to 0.5nV-s).

    It is an oddity that the DAC8501 has specified multiplying bandwidth since this is a specification typically associated with multiplying DACs (MDACs) pretty exclusively and may be a contributor to the price difference. I cannot say for certain as I'm not involved in any pricing discussion.

    In your case the DAC8551 would look to be an upgrade at lower cost. Sometimes you get to have your cake and eat it too :)

  • Exactly what I hoped to hear! Thanks, Kevin.