Microchip Technology MCP42U83 Dual-Channel Digital Potentiometer ICs

Microchip Technology MCP42U83 Dual-Channel Digital Potentiometer ICs are 10-bit potentiometers with volatile and nonvolatile MTP memory and 1000 write cycles. The features provided by MCP42U83 facilitate device integration into automotive and industrial applications. MCP42U83 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 the Microchip MCP42U83 to be used either as a potentiometer or as a rheostat (variable resistor). The internal resistor ladder has 1023 resistors with 1024 wiper connection points, from zero to full scale.

All three terminals (A, B, and W) can be independently disconnected from the resistor ladder to reduce power consumption or to configure the device as a potentiometer or rheostat. The serial communication interface supports both SPI and I²C protocols. Users can select between the interfaces using the SPI2C pin. For I²C communication, use the A0 and A1 hardware pins to set the device address. These pins determine the last two bits of the standard 7-bit I²C address. Multiple MCP42U83 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 MCP42U83. Special commands are available to reset the device or force reinitialization, giving users full control over the startup sequence and allowing appropriate actions based on system status.

Features

Dual-channel digital potentiometers
10-bit resolution, 1023 resistors (1024 steps) zero-to-full scale
5kΩ to 100kΩ resistance options range
Flexible power supply options
- 2.7V to 5.5V single voltage rail range (V_DD - V_SS where DGND = V_SS = 0V)
- ±2.25V to ±2.75V dual voltage rail range (V_DD - V_SS where DGND = 0V)
Multiple-Time Programmable (MTP) Nonvolatile (NV) memory with 1000 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 a rheostat
Cyclic Redundancy Check (CRC) for robust communication - software CRC enable/disable
SPI daisy-chain support for up to 128 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 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 x 1mm body)

Applications

Automotive systems
Industrial equipment
Instrumentation and medical devices
Embedded systems

Programmable filters and amplifiers
Wheatstone bridge trimming
LCD bias control and LED brightness adjustment
Programmable oscillators and voltage regulators

Specifications

±20mA maximum current into the supply pins
±3mA maximum IW current into P0A, P0W, P0B, P1A, P1W, and P1B pins (continuous)
Maximum power dissipation
- 946mW for the 14-lead TSSOP
- 3040mW for the 16-lead VQFN
±100mA latch-up (per JEDEC JESD78A) at +125°C
≥±2kV Electrostatic Discharge (ESD) protection on all pins, HBM and CDM

Typical thermal resistance
- 105.7°C/W for the 14-lead TSSOP
- 32.9°C/W for the 16-lead VQFN
Temperatures
- -40°C to +125°C ambient range under bias
- -40°C to +125°C operating range
- +150°C maximum junction
- +300°C maximum soldering temperature for leads (10s)