Product Description

A digital potentiometer (often called a digital potentiometer) is an electronic component that mimics the function of an analog potentiometer. With a digital input signal, the resistance between the two terminals can be adjusted, just like an analog potentiometer. There are two main types of functions: volatile, non-volatile, which typically loses their set location when powered down, and are typically designed to initialize at the smallest location; non-volatile, which uses a storage mechanism similar to flash or EEPROM to maintain its set position.

The use of digital potentiometers is far more complex than simple mechanical potentiometers and has many limitations. Nonetheless, they are widely used, often for factory adjustment and equipment calibration, especially where the limitations of mechanical potentiometers are problematic. Digital potentiometers are generally immune to moderate long-term mechanical vibration or environmental contamination to the same extent as other semiconductor devices, and access to their programming inputs can be protected in a variety of ways, electronically preventing unauthorized tampering.

In devices with microprocessors, FPGAs, or other functional logic that can store settings and reload them into a "potentiometer" each time the device is powered up, a multiplying DAC can be used instead of a digital potentiometer, which Provides higher setting resolution, less temperature drift, and greater operational flexibility.

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