Add Margining Capability to a DC/DC Converter

Abstract: You can easily add margining capability (digital adjustment of the output voltage) to a DC/DC converter by adding a 2- or 4-channel, I²C-adjustable current DAC (DS4402 or DS4404) at the converter's feedback input. Because each DAC output is 0mA at power up, the extra circuitry is transparent to the system until a command is written via the I²C bus.
Maxim > App Notes > A/D and D/A Conversion/Sampling Circuits
Keywords: margining capability, dc-dc converters, D/A converters, DACs, current-output DACs Nov 03, 2010

APPLICATION NOTE 4498
Add Margining Capability to a DC/DC Converter
By:Brian Vasquez


Abstract:You can easily add margining capability (digital adjustment of the output voltage) to a DC/DC converter by adding a 2-
or 4-channel, IC-adjustable current DAC (DS4402 or DS4404) at the converter's feedback input. Because each DAC output is
0mA at power up, the extra circuitry is transparent to the system until a command is written via the IC bus.

A similar version of this article appeared in the September 18, 2008 issue of EDN magazine.

You can easily add margining capability to a DC/DC converter (digi