Microchip Technology MCP41U83 Single-Channel Digital Potentiometer ICs

Microchip Technology MCP41U83 Single-Channel Digital Potentiometer Integrated Circuits (ICs) are 10-bit single-channel digital potentiometers with volatile and nonvolatile MTP memory and 1000 write cycles. The features provided by the MCP41U83 facilitate a device's integration into automotive and industrial applications. The Microchip MCP41U83 can have either a single-ended or a dual power supply without requiring any initial configuration. Configuring the operating mode in a dedicated register allows MCP41U83 to be used either as a potentiometer or as a rheostat (variable resistor). The internal resistor ladder comprises 1023 resistors with 1024 wiper connection points, from zero to full scale.

All three terminals (A, B, and W) can be individually disconnected from the resistor ladder to lower power usage or to configure the device as either a potentiometer or a rheostat. For serial communication, the interface can be selected between a Serial Peripheral Interface (SPI) and an Inter-Integrated Circuit (I²C) using the SPI2C pin. The I²C address is set using the A0 and A1 hardware pins, which define the last two bits of the standard 7-bit address. Multiple MCP41U83 devices can be connected in Daisy-Chain mode using SPI. Both SPI and I²C interfaces include internal CRC modules to ensure hardware-level data integrity.

A dedicated status register provides real-time updates on the Microchip MCP41U83. Specific commands allow the device to be reset or reinitialized, giving users full control over the startup sequence and enabling appropriate actions based on system status.

Features

Single-channel digital potentiometers
10-bit resolution - 1023 resistors (1024 steps) zero-to-full scale
5kΩ to 100kΩ resistance range
Flexible power supply options
- 2.7V to 5.5V single voltage rail (V_DD - V_SS where DGND = V_SS = 0V)
- ±2.25V to ±2.75V dual voltage rail (V_DD - V_SS where DGND = 0V)
Multiple-Time Programmable (MTP) Nonvolatile (NV) memory with 1,000 write cycles
User-selectable serial interface using a dedicated hardware pin
- 20MHz SPI read/write operation
- 100kHz, 400kHz, 1.7MHz, and 3.4MHz I²C communication speeds
Resistor network terminal disconnect
Can be configured as a potentiometer or rheostat
Cyclic Redundancy Check (CRC) for robust communication, software CRC enable/disable

SPI daisy-chain support for up to 128x devices
Dedicated commands for software reset
Device status indication using an internal register
Configuration lock bits can be modified using software commands
Dedicated register bits to select how to update the wipers - independently or synchronously
Dedicated bit to latch wiper values and trigger output update
3x general-purpose MTP memory locations for storing custom data
Counter registers to track the number of MTP writes to the wiper and GP data registers
Extended -40°C to +125°C temperature range
Package options
- 14-lead TSSOP (4.4mm body)
- 16-lead VQFN (4mm x 4mm body)

Applications

Programmable Gain Amplifiers (PGAs)
Offset and zero adjustment
Audio equipment
Sensor calibration
Power supply calibration

Digital-to-Analog Conversion (DAC)
Variable resistor applications
LED dimming and control
Motor control

Specifications

±20mA maximum current into supply pins
±3mA maximum IW current into P0A, P0W, and P0B pins (continuous)
Maximum power dissipation
- 946mW for the 14-lead TSSOP
- 3040mW for the 16-lead VQFN
±100mA maximum latch-up (per JEDEC JESD78A) at +125°C
≥±2kV Electrostatic Discharge (ESD) protection on all pins, HBM and CDM

Thermal resistance
- 105.7°C/W for 14-lead TSSOP
- 32.9°C/W for 16-lead VQFN
Temperature ranges
- -40°C to +125°C ambient temperature under bias
- +150°C maximum junction temperature
- +300°C soldering temperature of leads (10s)