[FAQ] TPL1401: Can I provide an external reference to the TPL1401?

Yes. By default, the TPL1401 uses the VDD supply voltage as the reference and you can supply an external reference to that pin. If using the supply as the reference, this means that the reference needs to fall in the 1.8V to 5.5V supply range of the TPL1401. The TPL1401 has an internal precision reference of 1.21V which can be enabled in the GENERAL_CONFIG. Using the OUT_SPAN register bits, a gain of 1.5x, 2x, 3x, 4x on the reference can be achieved as well.

(Register table taken from TPL1401 datasheet version * Sept 2020)

The TPL1401 can be found in many common applications:

You can find some additional information about the TPL1401 here:

You can find more information about precision DACs here: