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com High-Performance 16-bit PWM to 4- to 20-mA DAC for Field Transmitters

Application Brief
High-Performance 16-bit PWM to 4- to 20-mA DAC
for Field Transmitters

Tess Chen Ahmed Noeman

The loop-powered, 4- to 20-mA output field- has an output current of 5 mA which is enough for our
transmitter is the industry de facto standard for application, where a maximum of 100 µA is required.
process automation. Pulse Width Modulation (PWM)
The generated voltage (VP) is converted to loop
to 4-to 20-mA conversion is used in field transmitters
current by a current transmitter (see Figure 1-2) using
for different reasons including simplicity, robustness,
the other op amp in the OPA2333 dual package.
and cost optimization. New applications demand
higher resolution, lower noise, and lower power The loop circuit supports HART signal injection
implementation of the loop transmitter which through capacitive coupling.
represent a challenge for the PWM approach.
The complete circuit is powered by the loop power
This technical note shows the implementation supply, typically at a 24-V level. The loop power is
methodology and test results of PWM to 4- to 20-mA converted to a lower level by the TPS7A16-Q1 LDO
loop circuit. with a current limiter stage in front to limit inrush
current.
REF3330

LDO
PWM 1 1
MSB
1/256

Loop Supply
PWM 2 VP Loop
LSB Current
OPA2333
± 4í20 mA
1 ± OPA2333 VP
±

1/256

PWM scaling &

SN74LVC2G240 Ripple suppression 2nd order LPF Rsense

Figure 1. PWM to Voltage Converter HART in

As Figure 1-1 shows, the input signals are two PWMs Figure 2. Voltage-to-Loop Current Converter
from any microcontroller like the MSP430. A ripple
Test Setup
suppression circuit which sums positive and filtered
inverted signals generated by the logic buffer Figure 1-3 shows a board of the described circuit
SN74LVC2G240 relaxes filter requirements. Two within its test setup.
PWM signals are used to represent MSBs (8 bits) and
LSBs (8 bits) with LSB PWM scaled by 1/28.
Control PC

Loop
Multimeter1 current

Ripple suppression with a simple low-pass filter acts meas

as second-order low-pass filter (LPF). Another PWM1 Power Supply Loop

second-order active LPF based on the zero drift

Rburden
power
PWM2

OPA2333 device ensures the resulting voltage signal 24b ADC

Noise
meas.

(VP) ripple is below noise floor. Due variation in

ambient temperature of the field transmitter, power
Sense
Multimeter2 voltage
meas.

supply variation can be a big factor for output errors.

Powering both inverters and op amp by a stable Figure 3. PWM to 4- to 20-mA Test Setup
reference like REF3330 as power supply ensures gain
errors are kept to a minimum. The REF33xx family

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Test Results 110

Current Consumption (µA)

100
The design achieves both low gain error and low 90
offset error, low current consumption, and low output 80
current noise. Table 1 shows a summary of the test 70
results. Offset and gain errors over temperature are 25°C
60 –36°C
shown in Figure 1-4 and Figure 1-5, respectively. 50
125°C

Figure 1-6 shows the current consumption over 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20

Loop Current (mA)
temperature for different output current levels. Figure D001

1-7 shows the current RMS noise versus temperature Figure 6. Current Consumption Over Temperature
for different current levels.
The maximum current consumption is around 100 µA
Table 1-1. Key Tested Specification which allows for more current available for the
Parameter Specifications and Features
transmitter circuit.
Loop supply voltage 9.66-V to 32-V
2.2
Loop current range 40 µA to 24.075 mA
2.1
Resolution 16 bits

Rms_noise (µA)
2
Current consumption < 100 µA 1.9

Temperature range –40 to 125℃ 1.8

1.7
Bandwidth 600 Hz 4 mA
1.6 12 mA
Settling time 3 ms with 4- to 20-mA step 20 mA
1.5
Offset error –6.66 µA to 5.02 µA @ 4 mA -35 -15 5 25 45 65 85 105 125
Temperature (°C) D002
Offset error tempco 5.84 ppm FS/℃
Gain error –0.18 to 0.08% FS @ 20 mA Figure 7. RMS Noise (6.5-kHz BW) Over
Hart input gain 1.1 mA/V @ 1.2 kHz, 1 Vpp Temperature
1.3 mA/V @ 2.2 kHz, 1Vpp
The noise measurement over 6.5-kHz bandwidth
DNL over temperature –4 to 4 LSBs
range shows the increasing noise with the higher
temperature and larger loop current with worst case of
7 2.2 µA at 20 mA and 125°C.
5
Conclusion
Offset Error (µA)

3
1
Using the PWM technique to generate 4- to 20-mA
-1
signals in sensor transmitters can achieve high
-3
resolution and high accuracy when adopting
-5
techniques like buffering the PWM signals with
-7
-35 -15 5 25 45 65
Temperature (°C)
85 105 125 voltage reference-powered gates, using the two path
D003
technique, and using active ripple suppression. The
Figure 4. Offset Error Over Temperature implementation presented features fast settling time
with very low power consumption.
20

10 Table 1-2. Alternative Parts

Amplifier Offset Voltage IQ Bandwidth
Gain Error (µA)

-10 OPA2333 10 µV 17 µA 0.35 MHz

-20 TLV2333 15 µV 17 µA 0.35 MHz
-30

-40
-35 -15 5 25 45 65 85 105 125
References
Temperature (°C) D004
1. Texas Instruments, Small Form Factor, 2-Wire, 4- to
Figure 5. Gain Error Over Temperature 20-mA Current-Loop, RTD Temperature Transmitter
Reference Design
The temperature sweep is done from –35°C to 125°C
with a 20°C step. The maximum offset error is 6.66 µA 2. Texas Instruments, Highly Accurate, Loop-
and maximum gain error is –35.8 µA at 125 °C which Powered, 4- to 20-mA Field Transmitter With HART
is below 0.18% FS. Modem Reference Design

2 High-Performance 16-bit PWM to 4- to 20-mA DAC for Field Transmitters SBOA379 – MARCH 2020
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3. Texas Instruments, PWM DAC Using MSP430

High-Resolution Time Application Report

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