5-kOhm Digital Potentiometers with 36V Operating Voltage

Microchip Technology Inc. today expanded its 36V digital potentiometer (digipot) portfolio with two new volatile, I2C™ devices, the MCP45HV31 and MCP45HV51 (MCP45HV31-51). These are the industry's first digipots to offer a 5 kohm resistance with a specified operating voltage of 36V. Additionally, they provide 10V to 36V analog operation and 1.8V to 5.5V digital operation, for systems requiring wide signal swings or high power-supply voltages. The MCP45HV31-51 digipots support both 7-bit and 8-bit resistor configurations, and a high terminal/wiper current, including the ability to sink/source up to 25 mA on all terminal pins for driving larger loads.

These features, combined with an extended temperature range of -40 to +125 degrees C, make the MCP45HV31-51 well-suited for a broad range of high-voltage and high-temperature applications, including those in the industrial, automotive and audio markets. The MCP45HV31’s 7-bit resistor network resolution enables 127 resistors and 128 taps, while the MCP45HV51’s 8-bit configuration supports 255 resistors and 256 taps. Additionally, both digipots provide RAB resistance options of 5-, 10-, 50- and 100-kohms. Both devices also feature a 1-µA typical serial-interface inactive current, and a 2-MHz typical bandwidth operation (-3 dB) at the 5 kohm resistance level.

“With their support of the wide operating voltages and extended temperature ranges that are common in industrial and automotive power supplies, these new digital potentiometers allow Microchip to address a broad range of applications,” said Bryan J. Liddiard, marketing vice president of Microchip’s Analog and Interface Products Division. “These digipots are well suited to any application that operates on higher system voltages.”

Microchip’s 20-Pin TSSOP and SSOP Evaluation Board (part # TSSOP20EV) allows system designers to quickly evaluate the operation of these new MCP45HV31-51 digipots, in their 14-pin TSSOP package option. Both digital potentiometers are available today for samples and volume production, in 14-pin TSSOP and 20-pin, 5x5 mm QFN packages. The MCP45HV31 is $0.99 each and the MCP45HV51 is $1.09 each, in 5,000-unit quantities.