(SR-52) Digital-to-Analog Converter Errors

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An excerpt from Programmable Handheld Calculator Computes Digital-to-Analog Converter Errors, Computer Design, JUN-78, pgs. 122-7.

" With input data provided from a simple test setup, a convenient program has been coded for the SR-52 handheld calculator, with or without a PC-lOOA printer, to quickly and easily compute and record offset, gain, and linearity errors of a binary-coded D-A converter that has a resolution of 12 bits or less.

A program has been developed for an SR-52* programmable calculator and PC-lOOA printer to allow a designer to rapidly evaluate and record the error performance of a binary-coded digital-to-analog converter (DAC) with a minimum amount of input data. The user enters into the calculator the output voltage or current value obtained by turning each bit on by itself, beginning with the most significant bit (MSB). The SR-52 automatically calculates and prints the offset error [% of full scale range (FSR)], gain error (%), and linearity error (in both LSBs and volts), as well as the worst-case linearity error (in LSBs) and associated digital input code. It requires less than one minute to execute the calculator program for a 12-bit DAC. The program can be modified easily for use without the printer.
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User Instructions
Concise user instructions¹ for the programmable calculator are listed in Table 1; the SR-52 coding form for the DAC error analysis program is shown in Table 2. The computations performed by the program are listed under the Error Analysis Program Equations.
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  This program can check the accuracy of DACs used in automatic or manual test equipment, process control, or data processing to determine quickly whether calibration is required. Another application is to check DACs on an incoming inspection basis to ensure that critical parameters are being met … "

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