Calculators » Converters and Miscellaneous » n-bit DAC Resolution Calculator and Formula

n-bit DAC Resolution Calculator and Formula

calculators dac resolution digital to analog converter step size

This page describes an n-bit DAC resolution calculator. This digital-to-analog converter calculates the resolution as its output. The DAC resolution formula/equation used by this DAC calculator is also provided.

Inputs

Outputs

EXAMPLE:

  • INPUTS:
    • Number of bits in DAC (Digital to Analog Converter) = 8
    • Maximum output voltage = 5V
  • OUTPUT:
    • DAC Resolution (i.e., Step size) = 0.01953125

DAC Resolution Formula | DAC Step Size Formula

Definition: The number of possible different output levels that a DAC can generate is known as the resolution of the DAC converter. It’s also known as the step size of the DAC converter.

The following DAC conversion formula/equation is used for this 8-bit DAC calculator.

n-bit DAC resolution formula, equation

The formula is:

Resolution = Vmax / 2n

Where:

  • Vmax is the maximum output voltage
  • n is the number of bits of the DAC

For example, consider an 8-bit DAC that has a 0 to 3V output voltage range.

Now, the step size (or resolution) is equal to 3 / 28.

This gives us 11.72 mV as the resolution of the DAC.

This is the minimum voltage that can be measured using this DAC converter.