© 1984 Burr-Brown Corporation PDS-547H Printed in U.S.A. June, 1995
FPO VFC100
FEATURES
FULL-SCALE FREQUENCY SET BY
SYSTEM CLOCK; NO CRITICAL
EXTERNAL COMPONENTS REQUIRED
PRECISION 10V FULL-SCALE INPUT,
0.5% max GAIN ERROR
ACCURATE 5V REFERENCE VOLTAGE
EXCELLENT LINEARITY:
0.02% max at 100kHz FS
0.1% max at 1MHz FS
VERY LOW GAIN DRIFT: 50ppm/°C
APPLICATIONS
A/D CONVERSION
PROCESS CONTROL
DATA ACQUISITION
VOLTAGE ISOLATION
DESCRIPTION
The VFC100 voltage-to-frequency converter is an
important advance in VFCs. The well-proven charge
balance technique is used; however, the critical reset
integration period is derived from an external clock
frequency. The external clock accurately sets an out-
put full-scale frequency, eliminating error and drift
from the external timing components required for
other VFCs. A precision input resistor is provided
which accurately sets a 10V full-scale input voltage.
In many applications the required accuracy can be
achieved without external adjustment.
The open collector active-low output provides fast fall
time on the important leading edge of output pulses,
and interfaces easily with TTL and CMOS circuitry.
An output one-shot circuit is particularly useful to
provide optimum output pulse widths for optical cou-
plers and transformers to achieve voltage isolation. An
accurate 5V reference is also provided which is useful
for applications such as offsetting for bipolar input
voltages, exciting bridges and sensors, and autocali-
bration schemes.
Synchronized
VOLTAGE-TO-FREQUENCY CONVERTER
V
IN
R
IN
–V
CC
Integrator
Amplifier Comparator Clocked
Logic Output
One-Shot
54
14 10
7
6
Non-Inverting
Input
– Comparator
Input Clock
Input
SW
1
1mA
15
1
+V
CC
11
12
f
OUT
Digital
Common
98
–V
CC
C
OS
+ Comparator
Input
20k
13
Analog
Common
5V
Reference
16
V
REF
C
INT
V
OUT
®
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SBVS018
®
VFC100 2
SPECIFICATIONS
At TA = +25°C and ±15VDC supplies, unless otherwise noted.
VFC100AG VFC100BG
PARAMETER CONDITIONS MIN TYP MAX MIN TYP MAX UNITS
TRANSFER FUNCTION
Voltage-to-Frequency Mode fOUT = fCLOCK x (VIN/20V)
Gain Error(1) FSR = 100kHz ±0.5 ±1±0.2 ±0.5 % of FSR(4)
Linearity Error FSR = 100kHz, Over Temperature ±0.01 ±0.025 ±0.02 % of FSR
FSR = 500kHz, COS = 60pF ±0.015 ±0.05 % of FSR
FSR = 1MHz, COS = 60pF ±0.025 ±0.1 % of FSR
Gain Drift(2) FSR = 100kHz ±70 ±100 ±30 ±50
ppm of FSR/°C
Referred to Internal VREF ±70 ±100 ±30 ±50
ppm of FSR/°C
Offset Referred to Input ±1±3±1±2mV
Offset Drift ±12 ±100 ±6.5 ±25 µV/°C
Power Supply Rejection Full Supply Range 0.01 %/V
Response Time To Step Input Change One Period of New Output Frequency Plus One Clock Period
Current-to-Frequency Mode fOUT = fCLOCK x (IIN/1mA)
Gain Error ±0.5 ±1±0.2 ±0.5 % of FSR
Gain Drift(2) ±120 ±200 ±80 ±140
ppm of FSR/°C
Frequency-to-Voltage Mode
(3) VOUT = 20V x (fIN/fCLOCK)
Gain Accuracy(1) FSR = 100kHz ±0.5 ±1±0.2 ±0.5 %
Linearity FSR = 100kHz ±0.01 ±0.025 ±0.02 %
Input Resistor (RIN)
Resistance 19.8 20 20.2 ✻✻✻ k
Temperature Coefficient (T
C
)
(2) ±50 ±100 ✻✻ ppm°C
INTEGRATOR OP AMP
VOS(1) ±150 ±1000 ✻✻ µV
V
OS Drift ±5µV/°C
IB±50 ±100 ±25 ±50 nA
IOS 100 200 50 100 nA
AOL ZLOAD = 5k/10,000pF 100 120 ✻✻ dB
CMRR 80 105 ✻✻ dBV
CM Range –7.5 +0.1 ✻✻V
V
OUT Range ZLOAD = 5k/10,000pF –0.2 +12 ✻✻ V
Bandwidth 14 MHz
COMPARATOR INPUTS
Input Current (Operating) –11V < VCOMPARATOR < +VCC – 2V 5 µA
CLOCK INPUT
(Referred to Digital Common)
Frequency (Maximum Operating)
4MHz
Threshold Voltage 1.4 V
Over Temperature 0.8 2 ✻✻V
Voltage Range (Operating)
–V
CC
+ 2V
+VCC ✻✻V
Input Current –VCC < VCLOCK < +VCC 0.5 5 ✻✻ µA
Rise Time 2 µs
OPEN COLLECTOR OUTPUT
(Referred to Digital Common)
VOL IOUT = 10mA 0.4 V
IOL 15 mA
IOH (Off Leakage) V OH = 30V 0.01 10 ✻✻ µA
Delay Time, Positive Clock
Edge to Output Pulse 300 ns
Fall Time 100 ns
Output Capacitance 5 pF
OUTPUT ONE-SHOT
Active(6)
Pulse Width Out COS = 300pF 1 1.4 2 ✻✻ µs
Deactivated(5)
Pulse Width Out 100kHz FSR < 1MHz 1 sec
4 fCLOCK
Pulse Width Out FSR = 1MHz 250 450 500 ✻✻✻ ns
REFERENCE VOLTAGE
Accuracy No Load 4.9 5 5.1 4.95 5.05 V
Drift(2) ±60 ±150 ±40 ±100 ppm/°C
Current Output Sourcing Capability 10 mA
Power Supply Rejection 0.015 0.015 %/V
Output Impedance 0.5 2 ✻✻
®
VFC100
3
SPECIFICATIONS (CONT)
At TA = +25°C and ±15VDC supplies, unless otherwise noted.
VFC100AG VFC100BG
PARAMETER CONDITIONS MIN TYP MAX MIN TYP MAX UNITS
POWER SUPPLY
Rated Voltage ±15 V
Operating Voltage Range
(See Figure 9) +VCC +7.5 +28.5 ✻✻V
–VCC –7.5 –28.5 ✻✻V
Total Supply +VCC – (–VCC)15 36✻✻V
Digital Common –VCC + 2 +VCC – 4 ✻✻V
Quiescent Current: +ICC Over Temperature 10.6 15 ✻✻ mA
–ICC 9.6 15 ✻✻ mA
TEMPERATURE RANGE
Specification –25 +85 ✻✻°C
Storage –65 +150 ✻✻°C
θ
JA 150 °C/W
θ
JC 100 °C/W
Specification same as AG grade.
NOTES: (1) Offset and gain error can be trimmed to zero. See text. (2) Specified by the box method: (max. – min.) ÷ (FSR x T). (3) Refer to detailed timing diagram
in Figure 16 for frequency input signal timing requirements. (4) FSR = Full Scale Range. (5) Pin 9 connected to +VCC. (6) Nominal PWOUT = (5ns/pF) x COS – 90ns.
ABSOLUTE MAXIMUM RATINGS
Power Supply Voltage (+VCC to –VCC ) ............................................... 36V
+VCC to Analog Common .....................................................................28V
–VCC to Analog Common ..................................................................... 28V
Integrator Out Short-Circuit to Ground ........................................Indefinite
Integrator Differential Input ................................................................ ±10V
Integrator Common-Mode Input .................................... –VCC +5V to +2V
VIN (pin 7) ......................................................................................... ±VCC
Clock Input......................................................................................... ±VCC
VREF Out Short-Circuit to Ground ................................................Indefinite
Pin 9 (COS) .................................................................................0 to +V CC
fOUT (referred to digital common).......................................... –0.5V to 36V
Digital Common ................................................................................. ±VCC
Storage Temperature Range ..........................................–65°C to +150°C
Lead Temperature (soldering, 10s) ................................................. 300°C
PIN CONFIGURATION
NC
NC
Integrator Out
Noninverting In
V
+ Comparator In
– Comparator In
Analog Common
Digital Common
f
Clock Input
C
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
16
15
14
13
12
11
10
9
REF
+V
CC
C
INT
V
IN
–V
CC
OUT
OS
Top View DIP
PACKAGE INFORMATION
PACKAGE DRAWING
PRODUCT PACKAGE NUMBER(1)
VFC100AG 16-Pin Ceramic DIP 129
VFC100BG 16-Pin Ceramic DIP 129
NOTE: (1) For detailed drawing and dimension table, please see end of data
sheet, or Appendix C of Burr-Brown IC Data Book.
ELECTROSTATIC
DISCHARGE SENSITIVITY
This integrated circuit can be damaged by ESD. Burr-Brown
recommends that all integrated circuits be handled with
appropriate precautions. Failure to observe proper handling
and installation procedures can cause damage.
ESD damage can range from subtle performance degradation
to complete device failure. Precision integrated circuits may
be more susceptible to damage because very small parametric
changes could cause the device not to meet its published
specifications.
The information provided herein is believed to be reliable; however, BURR-BROWN assumes no responsibility for inaccuracies or omissions. BURR-BROWN assumes
no responsibility for the use of this information, and all use of such information shall be entirely at the user’s own risk. Prices and specifications are subject to change
without notice. No patent rights or licenses to any of the circuits described herein are implied or granted to any third party. BURR-BROWN does not authorize or warrant
any BURR-BROWN product for use in life support devices and/or systems.
®
VFC100 4
THEORY OF OPERATION
The VFC100 monolithic voltage-to-frequency converter pro-
vides a digital pulse train output with an average frequency
proportional to the analog input voltage. The output is an
active low pulse of constant duration, with a repetition rate
determined by the input voltage. Falling edges of the output
pulses are synchronized with rising edges of the clock input.
Operation is similar to a conventional charge balance VFC.
An input operational amplifier (Figure 1) is configured as an
integrator so that a positive input voltage causes an input
current to flow in RIN. This forces the integrator output to
ramp negatively. When the output of the integrator crosses
the reference voltage (5V), the comparator trips, activating
the clocked logic circuit. Once activated, the clocked logic
awaits a falling edge of the clock input, followed by a rising
edge (see Figure 2). On the rising edge, switch S1 is closed
for one complete clock cycle, causing the reset current, I1, to
switch to the integrator input. Since I1 is larger than the input
current, IIN, the output of the integrator ramps positively
during the one clock cycle reset period. The clocked logic
circuitry also generates a VFC output pulse during the reset
period.
Unlike conventional VFC circuits, the VFC100 accurately
derives its reset period from an external clock frequency.
This eliminates the critical timing capacitor required by
other VFC circuits. One period (from rising edge to rising
edge) of the clock input determines the integrator reset
period.
When the negative-going integration of the input signal
crosses the comparator threshold, integration of the input
signal will continue until the reset period can start (awaiting
REFERENCE VOLTAGE vs REFERENCE LOAD CURRENT
Output Current (mA)
0
5.01
5
4.99
4.98
4.97
4.96
VREF (V)
5 1015202530
Short Circuit
Current Limit
QUIESCENT CURRENT vs TEMPERATURE
Ambient Temperature (°C)
25–75 –50 –25 0 50 75 100 125
20
15
10
5
0
Supply Current (mA)
+I
CC
–I
CC
TYPICAL PERFORMANCE CURVES
At +25°C, ±VCC = 15VDC, and in circuit of Figure 1.
®
VFC100
5
IIN RIN Integrator Comparator Clocked
Logic Output
One-Shot
54
14 10
7
6
S1
15
1
+VCC 11
12
fOUT
Digital
Ground
98
–VCC
20k
13
Analog
Ground
5V
Reference
16
CINT 0.1µF
+VL
0.1µF +VCC
FCClock
TTL/CMOS
VIN
I1
+VCC
0.1µF
–VCC
–VCC
1mA
FIGURE 1. Circuit Diagram for Voltage-to-Frequency Mode.
V
IN
f
OUT
f
FS
= f
CLOCK
/2
0
010V
0.5mAI
IN
FIGURE 3 . T ransfer F unction for Voltage-to-Frequency Mode.
+1V
–0.75V
10µ
0.1µ
0.01µ
1000p
100p100 1k 10k 100k 1M
Full-Scale Frequency (Hz)
+2.5V
–1.9V
C
INT
(F)
* This is the maximum swing of the integrator output voltage
referred to the comparator noninverting input voltage.
Integrator Swing*
+100mV
–75mV
10M
FIGURE 4. Integrator Capacitor Selection Graph.
Integrator 5V
Clock
O
f
FIGURE 2. Timing Diagram for Voltage-to-Frequency Mode.
the necessary transitions of the clock). Output pulses are
thus made to align with rising edges of the external clock.
This causes the instantaneous output frequency to be a
subharmonic of the clock frequency. The average frequency,
however, will be an accurate analog of the input voltage.
A full scale input of 10V (or an input current of 0.5mA)
causes a nominal output frequency equal to half the clock
frequency. The transfer function is
fOUT = (VIN/20V) fCLOCK.
Figure 3 shows the transfer function graphically. Note that
inputs above 10V (or 0.5mA) do not cause an increase in the
output frequency. This is an easily detectable indication of
an overrange input. In the overrange condition, the integra-
tor amplifier will ramp to its negative output swing limit.
When the input signal returns to within the linear range, the
integrator amplifier will recover and begin ramping upward
during the reset period.
INSTALLATION AND
OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS
The integrator capacitor CINT (see Figure 1) affects the
magnitude of the integrator voltage waveform. Its absolute
accuracy is not critical since it does not affect the transfer
function. This allows a wide range of capacitance to produce
excellent results. Figure 4 facilitates choosing an appropriate
®
VFC100 6
standard value to assure that the integrator waveform volt-
age is within acceptable limits. Good dielectric absorption
properties are required to achieve best linearity. Mylar®,
polycarbonate, mica, polystyrene, Teflon® and glass types
are appropriate choices. The choice in a given application
will depend on the particular value and size considerations.
Ceramic capacitors vary considerably from type to type and
some produce significant nonlinearities. Polarized capaci-
tors should not be used.
Deviation from the nominal recommended +1V to –0.75V
integrator voltage (as controlled by the integrator capacitor
value) is permissible and will have a negligible effect on
VFC operation. Certain situations may make deviations
from the suggested integrator swing highly desirable. Smaller
integrator voltages, for instance, allow more “headroom” for
averaging noisy input signals. The VFC is a fully integrating
input converter, able to reject large levels of interfering
noise. This ability is limited only by the output voltage
swing range of the integrator amplifier. By setting a small
integrator voltage swing using a large CINT value, larger
levels of noise can be integrated without integrator output
saturation and loss of accuracy. For instance, with a 50kHz
full-scale output and CINT = 0.1µF, the circuit in Figure 1
can accurately average an input through the full 0 to 10V
input range with 1Vp-p superimposed 60Hz noise.
The integrator output voltage should not be allowed to
exceed +12V or –0.2V, otherwise saturation of the opera-
tional amplifier could cause inaccuracies. Operation with
positive power supplies less than +15V will limit the output
swing of the integrator operational amplifier. Smaller inte-
grator voltage waveforms may be required to avoid output
saturation of the integrator amplifier. See “Power Supply
Considerations” for information on low voltage operation.
The maximum integrator voltage swing requirement is nearly
symmetrical about the comparator threshold voltage (see
Figure 12). One-third greater swing is required above the
threshold than below it. Maximum demand on positive
integrator swing occurs at low scale, while the negative
swing is greatest just below full scale.
CLOCK INPUT
The clock input is TTL and CMOS-compatible. Its input
threshold is approximately 1.4V (two diode voltage drops)
referenced to digital ground (pin 12). The clock “high” input
may be standard TLL or may be as high as +VCC – 2V. A
CMOS clock should be powered from a voltage source at
least 2V below the VFC100’s +VCC to prevent overdriving
the clock input. Alternatively, a resistive voltage divider
may be used to limit the clock voltage swing to +VCC – 2V
maximum. The clock input has a high input impedance, so
no special drivers are required. Rise time in the transition
region from 0.8V to 2V must be less than 2µs for proper
operation.
OUTPUT
The frequency output is an open collector current-sink
transistor. Output pulses are active low such that the output
transistor is on only during the reset integration period (see
“Shortened Output Pulses”). This minimizes power dissipa-
tion over the full frequency range and provides the fastest
logic edge at the beginning of the output pulse, where it is
most desirable.
Interface to a logic circuit would normally be made using a
pull-up resistor to the logic power supply. Selection of the
pull-up resistor should be made such that no more than
15mA flows in the output transistor. The actual choice of the
pull-up resistor may depend on the full-scale frequency and
the stray capacitance on the output line. The rising edge of
an output pulse is determined by the RC time constant of the
pull-up resistor and the stray capacitance. Excessive capaci-
tance will produce a rounding of the output pulse rising
edge, which may create problems driving some logic cir-
cuits. If long lines must be driven, a buffer or digital line
transmitter circuit should be used.
The synchronized nature of the VFC100 makes viewing its
output on an oscilloscope somewhat tricky. Since all output
pulses align with the clock, it is best to trigger and view the
clock on one of the input channels; the output can then be
viewed on another oscilloscope channel. Depending on the
VFC input voltage, the output waveform may appear as if
the oscilloscope is not properly triggered. The output might
best be visualized by imagining a constant output frequency
which is locked to a submultiple of the clock frequency with
occasional extra pulses or missing pulses to create the
necessary average frequency. It is these extra or missing
pulses that make the output waveform appear as if the
oscilloscope is not properly triggered. This is normal. Ex-
perimentation with the input voltage and oscilloscope trig-
gering generally allows a stable view of the output and
provides an understanding of its nature.
SHORTENED OUTPUT PULSES
In normal operation, the negative output pulse duration is
equal to one period of the clock input. Shorter output pulses
may be useful in driving optical couplers or transformers for
voltage isolation or noise rejection. This can be accom-
plished by connecting capacitor COS as shown in Figure 5.
Pin 9 may be connected to +VCC, deactivating the output
one-shot circuit. The value of COS is chosen according to the
curve in Figure 6. Output pulses cannot be made to exceed
one clock period in duration. Thus, a COS value which would
create an output pulse which is longer than one period of the
clock will have the same effect as disabling the one-shot,
causing the output pulse to last one clock period. The
minimum practical pulse width of the one-shot circuit is
approximately 100ns. Using COS to generate shorter output
pulses does not affect the output frequency or the gain
equation.
REFERENCE VOLTAGE
Excellent gain drift is achieved by use of a precision internal
5V reference. This reference is brought to an external pin
and can be used for a variety of purposes. It is used to offset
the noninverting comparator input in voltage-to-frequency
mode (although a precise voltage is not required for this
function). The reference is very useful for handling bipolar
®
VFC100
7
FIGURE 5. Circuit and Timing Diagram for Shortened Output Pulses.
R
IN
Clocked
Logic Output
One-Shot
54
14 10
7
6
V
L
Clock
15
1
+V
CC
11
12
98
13
5V
Reference
16
+V
0.1µF
0.1µF
+V
CC
=
15VDC
–V
CC
V
IN
C
INT
0.1µF
–V
CC
C
OS
Clock
f
OUT
Output Pulse Width Without C
OS
t
O
= 15VDC
CC
f
OUT
–V
CC
FIGURE 6. Output One-Shot Capacitor Selection.
10pF
1µF
0.1µF
0.01µF
1000pF
100pF
100ns 1µs 10µs 100µs 1ms 10ms
One-Shot Capacitor Value, C
OS
Nominal Output Pulse Width, t
O
t
O
input signals in many other applications, such as offsetting
the input. It can source up to 10mA and sink 100µA. Heavy
loading of the reference will change the gain of the VFC and
affect the external reference voltage. For instance, a 10mA
load interacting with a 0.5 typical output impedance will
change the VFC gain equation and reference voltage by 0.1%.
Figure 7 shows the reference used to offset the VFC transfer
function, to convert a –5V to +5V input to 0–500kHz output.
The circuit in Figure 8 uses the reference to excite a 300
bridge transducer. R1 provides the majority of the current to
the bridge while the VREF output supplies the balance and
accurately controls the bridge voltage. The VFC gain is
inversely proportional to the reference voltage, VREF. Since
the bridge gain is directly proportional to its excitation
voltage, the two equal and opposite effects cancel the effect
of reference voltage drift on gain.
The reference output amplifier is specifically designed for
excellent transient response, to provide precision in a noisy
environment.
OTHER INPUT VOLTAGE RANGES
The internal input resistor, RIN = 20k, sets a full-scale
input of 10V. Other input ranges can be created by using an
external gain set resistor connected to pin 5. Since the
excellent temperature drifts of the VFC100 are achieved by
careful matching of internal temperature coefficients, use of
an external gain set resistor will generally degrade this drift.
Using an external resistor to set the gain, the resulting gain
drift would be equal to the sum of the external resistor drift
and the specified current gain drift of the VFC100. Different
voltage input ranges are best implemented by using the
internal input resistor, RIN, in series or parallel with a high
quality external resistor, thus maintaining as much of the
precision temperature tracking as possible.
For best drift performance, the adjustment range of a fine
gain trim should be made as narrow as practical. R1 and R2
in Figure 9 allow gain adjustments over a ±1% range
(adequate to trim the 100kHz FS gain error to zero) and will
not significantly affect the drift performance of the VFC100.
R3, R4 and R5 allow trimming of the integrator amplifier
input offset voltage. The adjustment range is determined by
the ratio of R4 to R5. Accurate end-point calibration would
be performed by first adjusting the offset trim so that zero
volts input just causes all output pulses to cease. The gain
trim is then adjusted for the proper full-scale output fre-
quency with an accurate full-scale input voltage.
A different input voltage range could also be made by using
only a portion of the normal input range of the VFC. For
instance, a 2V full-scale input could be created by using the
®
VFC100 8
R
IN
Clocked
Logic Output
One-Shot
54
14 10
7
6
50kHz Clock
15
1
+V
CC
11
12
98
13
5V
Reference
16
+12 to +18VDC
0.1µF
+V
CC
0.1µF 0.1µF
–V
CC
R
1
820
f
OUT
0 to 25kHz
0.8mA
to
8.2mA
0.05µF
8.5mA
to 15.9mA
+V
L
–V
CC
300
16.7mA
INA101
Instrumentation
Amplifier
–V
CC
R
IN
Clocked
Logic Output
One-Shot
54
14 10
7
6
+5VDC
1MHz Clock
15
1
+V
CC
11
12
98
13
5V
Reference
16
+15VDC
0.1µF
0.1µF
+V
CC
0.01µF 0.1µF
–V
CC
60pF
V
IN
–5 to +5V
R
1
20k
470
f
OUT
TTL (or 5V CMOS)
0 to 500kHz
PW 300ns
–15VDC
–V
CC
FIGURE 8. Circuit Diagram for Bridge Excitation Using VREF.
FIGURE 7. Circuit Diagram for Bipolar Input Voltages.
internal input resistor and a clock frequency of 10 times the
desired full-scale output frequency.
LINEARITY PERFORMANCE
The linearity of the VFC100 is specified as the worst-case
deviation from a straight line defined by low scale and high
scale end point measurements. This worst-case deviation is
expressed as a percentage of the 10V full-scale input. All
units are tested and guaranteed for the specified level of
performance.
Linearity performance and gain error change with full-scale
operating frequency as shown in Figure 10. Figure 11 shows
the typical shape of the nonlinearity at 100kHz full scale.
Integrator voltage swing (determined by CINT) has a minor
effect on linearity. A small integrator voltage swing typi-
cally leads to best linearity performance.
The best linearity performance at high full-scale frequencies
(above 500kHz) is obtained by using short output pulses
with a one-shot capacitor of 60pF. As with any high-
frequency circuit, careful attention to good power supply
bypassing techniques (see “Power Supplies and Ground-
ing”) is also required.
TEMPERATURE DRIFT
Conventional VFC circuits are affected significantly by
external component temperature drift. Drift of the external
input resistor and timing capacitor required with these de-
vices may easily exceed the specified drift of the VFC itself.
When used with its internal input resistor, the gain drift of
the complete VFC100 circuit is totally determined by the
performance of the VFC100. Gain drift is specified at a full-
scale output frequency of 100kHz. Conventional VFC cir-
cuits usually specify drift at 10kHz and degrade significantly
®
VFC100
9
R
IN
Clocked
Logic Output
One-Shot
54
14 10
7
6
Clock
15
1
+V
CC
11
12
98
13
5V
Reference
16
0.1µF
+15VDC
0.1µF
–V
CC
f
OUT
±3.75mV
Offset Trim
+V
L
500
C
INT
2M
R
2
R
1
V
IN
±1% Gain Trim
20k
R
3
500
R
4
R
5
350k
–15VDC
0.1µF
+15VDC
–V
CC
FIGURE 9. Circuit Diagram for Fine Offset and Gain Trim.
0.03
0.02
0.01
0
Nonlinearity (%)
Gain Error (%)
3
2
1
0
0 500k 1M
f – Full Scale Frequency (Hz)
FS
Gain Error
Nonlinearity
FIGURE 10. Typical Nonlinearity and Gain Error vs Full
Scale Frequency.
V (V)
IN
0.015
0.01
0.005
0
–0.005 0
Nonlinearity (%)
246810
FIGURE 11. Typical Nonlinearity vs VIN. (fFS = 0.1MHz)
at higher operating frequency. The VFC100’s gain drift
remains excellent at higher operating frequency, typically
remaining within specifications at fFS = 1MHz.
Drift of the external clock frequency directly affects the
output frequency, but by using a common clock for the VFC
and counting circuitry, this drift can be cancelled (see
“Counting the Output”).
POWER SUPPLIES AND GROUNDING
Separate analog and digital grounds are provided on the
VFC100 and it is important to separate these grounds to
attain greatest accuracy. Logic sink current flowing in the
fOUT pin is returned to the digital ground. If this “noisy”
current were allowed to flow in analog ground, errors could
be created. Although analog and digital grounds may even-
tually be connected together at a common point in the
circuitry, separate circuit connections to this common point
can reduce the error voltages created by varying currents
flowing through the ground return impedance. The +5V
VREF pin is referenced to analog ground.
The power supplies should be well bypassed using capaci-
tors with low impedance at high frequency. A value of 0.1µF
is adequate for most circuit layouts.
The VFC100 is specified for a nominal supply voltage of
±15V. Supply voltages ranging from ±7.5V to ±18V may be
used. Either supply can be up to 28V as long as the total of
both does not exceed 36V. Steps must be taken, however, to
assure that the integrator output does not exceed its linear
range. Although the integrator output is capable of 12V
output swing with 15V power supplies, with 7.5V supplies,
output swing will be limited to approximately 4.5V. In this
case, the comparator input cannot be offset by directly
connecting to the 5V reference output pin. The comparator
input must be connected to a lower voltage point (approxi-
mately 2V). This allows the integrator output to operate
around a lower voltage point, assuring linear operation. This
threshold voltage does not affect the accuracy or drift of the
VFC as long as it is not noisy. It should not be made too
®
VFC100 10
R
IN
Clocked
Logic Output
One-Shot
54
14 10
7
6
Clock
100kHz
15
1
+V
CC
11
12
98
13
5V
Reference
16
0.1µF
+8V
0.1µF
–V
CC
f
OUT
+V
L
C
INT
V
IN
–8V
0.1µF
+8V
V
TH
+ 100mV
V
TH
– 75mV
V
TH
2.25V
IN
Low Scale (V 120mV)
Slow Oscilloscope Sweep
IN
High Scale (V 8.3V)
Fast Oscilloscope Sweep
Integrator Voltage Waveform (Pin 4)
0.05µF
V
TH
2.25V 2.2k
1.8k
0 to 50kHz
0.1µF
0 to 10V
–V
CC
FIGURE 12. Circuit Diagram and Integrator Voltage Waveform Power Supply Voltage Operation.
clock period of the counting gate period. The quantizing
error can be made arbitrarily small by counting with long
gate times. For instance, a one-second counter gate period
with a 100kHz full-scale frequency has a resolution of one
part in 100,000. Many of the more sophisticated laboratory
frequency counters, however, use period measurement
schemes to count the input frequency quickly. These instru-
ments work equally well, but the gate period must be set
appropriately to achieve the desired count resolution. Short
gate periods will produce many digits of “accuracy” in the
display, but the results may be very inaccurate.
Figure 14 is a typical system application showing a basic
counting technique. A 0 to 10V input is converted to a 0 to
100kHz frequency output. The VFC’s clock is divided by M
= 4000 to produce a gate period for the counter circuit. The
resulting VFC count, N, is insensitive to variations in the
actual clock frequency. The input voltage represented by the
resulting count is VIN = (N/M) 20V.
Resolution is related to the number of counts at full scale, or
half the number of clock pulses in the gate period.
The integrating nature of the VFC is important in achieving
accurate conversions. The integrating period is equal to the
counting period. This can be used to great advantage to
reject unwanted signals of a known frequency. Figure 15
shows that response nulls occur at the inverse of the integra-
tion period and its multiples. If 60Hz is to be rejected, for
instance, the counting period should be made equal to, or a
multiple of, 1/60 of a second.
small, however, or the negative output limitation of the
integrator (–0.2V) may cause saturation. Additionally, a
large integrator capacitor may be used to limit the required
integrator waveform swing to approximately 100mV (see
“Integrator Capacitor”).
Figure 12 shows a circuit for operating from the minimum
power supplies, avoiding saturation of the integrator ampli-
fier and loss of accuracy. CINT is chosen for a +10 0mV to
7 5mV integrator voltage swing (referred to the noninverting
comparator input). The offset voltage applied to the
comparator’s noninverting input is derived from a resistive
voltage divider from VREF.
The relationship of the allowable operating voltage ranges
on important pins is show in Figure 13. Note that the
integrator amplifier output cannot swing more than 0.2V
below ground. Although this is not “normal” for an opera-
tional amplifier, a special internal design of this type opti-
mizes high frequency performance. It is this characteristic
which necessitates the offsetting of the noninverting com-
parator input in voltage-to-frequency mode to avoid nega-
tive output swing.
COUNTING THE OUTPUT
In evaluation and use of the VFC100, you may want to
measure the output frequency with a frequency counter.
Since synchronization of the VFC100 causes it to await a
clock edge for any given output pulse, the output frequency
is essentially quantized. The quantized steps are equal to one
®
VFC100
11
Clocked
Logic Output
One-Shot
54
14 10
7
6
15
1
+V
CC
12
98
13
5V
Reference
16
+15VDC
0.1µF
+15VDC
–V
CC
–15VDC
0.1µF
0.1µF
C
1
11
0 to 10V
Input
Logic
Ground
f
O
= 0 to 100kHz
0.1µF
+V
L
4000 Counts
C
÷ 4000
(M = 4000)
D
Q
Q
68pF
2222k
CMOS Inverters
Counter “N”
Maximum Count:
N = M/2 = 2000
To Processor
µP or Display
Computed Result
V
IN
' = 20V x(N/M)
Reset
R
IN
f
C
200kHz
0.05µF
–V
CC
FIGURE 14. Diagram of a Voltage-to-Frequency Converter and Counter System.
R
IN
Clocked
Logic Output
One-Shot
54
14 10
7
6
15
1
+V
CC
11
12
98
13
5V
Reference
16
–V
CC
–V
CC
+ 2 to +V
CC
– 2
–V
CC
+ 4 to +V
CC
– 2
> 3V
< 0.1V
> –7.5V
–V
CC
+ 4 to +V
CC
– 2
5V
+V
CC
or C
OS
> 7.5V
> –0.2V
7.5V to
28.5V
7.5V to 28.5V –V
CC
+V
CC
–0.5V
to 30V
> 4V
> 2V
15V to
36V
–V
CC
FIGURE 13. Relationships of Allowable Voltages.
FREQUENCY-TO-VOLTAGE MODE
The VFC100 can also function as a frequency-to-voltage
converter by supplying an input frequency to the comparator
input as shown in Figure 16. The input resistor, RIN, is
connected as a feedback resistor. The voltage at the integra-
tor amp output is proportional to the ratio of the input
frequency to the clock frequency. The transfer function is
VOUT = (FIN/fCLOCK) 20V.
This transfer function is complementary to the voltage-to-
frequency mode transfer function, making voltage-to-fre-
quency-to-voltage conversions simple and accurate.
Direct coupling of the input frequency to the comparator is
easily accomplished by driving both comparators with
complementary frequency input signals. Alternatively, one
of the comparator inputs can be biased at half the logic
voltage (using VREF and a voltage divider) and the other
input driven directly.
The proper timing of the input frequency waveform is shown
in Figure 16. The input pulse should go low for one clock
cycle, centered around a falling edge of the clock. The
minimum acceptable input pulse width must fall no later
than 200ns before a negative clock edge and rise no sooner
®
VFC100 12
FIGURE 16. Circuit and Timing Diagram of a Frequency-to-Voltage Converter.
1/10T 1/T 10/T
●●
–20dB/decade
slope
Frequency (T = Integrating Period)
0
–10
–20
–30
–40
–50
Frequency Response (dB)
FIGURE 15. Frequency Response of an Integrating Analog-
to-Digital Converter.
Clock
0V– 200ns
+V
CC
+V
CC
200ns
Minimum Input Pulse Maximum Input Pulse
0V–
200ns 200ns
R
IN
Clocked
Logic Output
One-Shot
54
14 10
7
6
C
INT
V
OUT
Clock
Input
15
1
+V
CC
11
12
No
Connection
Required
98
13
5V
Reference
16
f
IN
+15VDC
+15VDC –15VDC
(Preferred)
IN
f
(Limits)
IN
f
–V
CC
–V
CC
tor. Figure 18 shows the output ripple and settling time as a
function of the CINT value.
The ripple frequency is equal to the input frequency. Its
magnitude can be reduced by using a large integrator capaci-
tor value, but at the sacrifice of slow settling time at the
voltage output in response to an input frequency change. The
settling time constant is equal to RIN x C
INT. A better
compromise between output ripple and settling time can be
achieved by using a moderately low integrator capacitor
value and adding a low-pass filter on the analog output. The
cutoff frequency of the filter should be made below the
lowest expected input frequency to the frequency-to-voltage
converter.
The system in Figure 20 makes use of both voltage-to-
frequency and frequency-to-voltage modes to send a signal
across an optically isolated barrier. This technique is useful
not only for providing safety in the presence of high volt-
ages, but also for creating high noise rejection in electrically
noisy environments. The use of a common clock frequency
causes the two devices to have complementary transfer
functions, which minimizes errors.
Optical coupling is facilitated by use of the output one-shot
feature. The output pulse is shortened (see “Shortened Out-
put Pulses”) to allow for the relatively slow turn-off time of
the LED. The timing diagram in Figure 19 shows how the
accumulated delay of both optical couplers could produce
too long an input pulse for the frequency-to-voltage con-
verter, VFC2, of Figure 20.
An output filter is used to reduce the ripple in the output of
VFC2. In order to most effectively filter the output, both
input and output VFCs are offset. By connecting R1 to VREF,
than 200ns after the falling clock edge. An input pulse which
remains low for more than one falling edge of the clock will
produce incorrect output voltages. Positive (active high)
input pulses can be accepted by reversing the connections to
pins 14 and 15. Figure 17 shows a digital conditioning
circuit which will accept any input duty cycle and provide
the proper pulse width to the comparator. Each rising edge
at this circuit’s input generates the required negative pulse at
the inverting comparator input. The noninverting compara-
tor is driven by a complementary signal.
The integrator amplifier output is designed to drive up to
10,000pF and 5k loads in frequency-to-voltage mode. This
allows driving long lines in a large system.
Ripple voltage in the voltage output is unavoidable and is
inversely proportional to the value of the integrator capaci-
®
VFC100
13
FIGURE 17. Digital Timing Input Conditioning Circuit for Frequency-to-Voltage Operation.
Clock
f
IN
R
IN
Clocked
Logic Output
One-Shot
54
14 10
7
6
1nF
Clock
15
1
+V
CC
11
12
98
13
5V
Reference
16
+15VDC
–15VDC
D
C
Q
R
Logic
“1”
f
IN
D
C
Q
Q
4013 Dual “D” (V
IN
=13V max)
0–100kHz
0.1µF
0.1µF
+V
CC
–V
CC
Q
1
Q
2
V
OUT
–V
CC
100
10
1
0.1
0.01
0.001
Ripple Voltage (Vp-p)
C
INT
100pF 1000pF 0.01µF 0.1µF 1µF 10µF
f
FS
1MHz
f
FS
= 100kHz
Settling Time
f
FS
10kHz
1000
100
10
1
0.1
0.01
Settling Time to 0.1% (ms)
FIGURE 18. Frequency-to-Voltage Mode Output Ripple and
Settling Time vs Integrator Capacitance.
an accurate offset is created in the voltage-to-frequency
function. Zero volts input now creates a 10kHz output. This
offset is subtracted in the frequency-to-voltage conversion
on the output side, by VREF and R5.
MORE PULSE POSITION RESOLUTION
Since output pulses must always align with clock edges, the
instantaneous output frequency is quantized and appears to
have phase jitter. This effect can be greatly reduced by using
a high speed clock so that available clock edges come more
frequently. This would also create a high full-scale fre-
quency, but the technique shown in Figure 21 offers an
alternative. A high speed clock is used to produce high
resolution of the output pulse position, but a low full-scale
frequency can be programmed.
When an output pulse is generated, the next rising edge of
the high frequency clock is delayed for a programmable
number of clock counts. Since the integrator reset period
(which sets the full-scale range) is determined by the time
from rising edge to rising edge at the VFC’s clock input once
the comparator is tripped, the effective clock frequency is
fCLOCK/16. The circuit shown can be programmed for an N
from 2 to 16. Since an output pulse must propagate through
the VFC before the next rising edge of the clock arrives,
maximum clock frequency is limited by the delay time
shown in the timing diagram.
With output pulses now able to align with greater resolution,
the output has lower phase jitter. Using this technique, the
output is suitable for ratiometric (period measurement) type
counting. This counting technique achieves the maximum
possible resolution for short gate periods (see Burr-Brown
Application Note AN-130).
Mylar®, Teflon® Du Pont Co.
®
VFC100 14
1
f
0
f
1
CK
0
CK
Input Pulse
Loaded Here Must Be
High Here
FIGURE 19. Timing Diagram and Oscilloscope Trace of Isolated Voltage-to-Frequency/Frequency-to-Voltage System.
FIGURE 20. Circuit Diagram of Isolated Voltage-to-Frequency/Frequency-to-Voltage System.
Clocked
Logic Output
One-Shot
54
14 10
7
6
15
1
+V
CC
12
98
13
5V
Reference
16
+8V
0.1µF
+8V
–V
CC
f
1
250pF
C
2
–8V
0.1µF
00k
R
IN
1
0.1µF
C
1
V
IN
= 0 to 5V
11
1.8k
Clocked
Logic Output
One-Shot
54
14 10
7
6
15
1
+V
CC
12
98
13
5V
Reference
16
+15VDC
0.1µF
+15VDC
–V
CC
–15VDC
0.1µF
00k
R
5
1
C
3
11
NC
0.05µF
0.1µF
OPA 111
A
1
C
4
0.02µF
R
6
.3k11 .3k11
R
7
C
5
0.01µF
200kHz
Clock
OC
HCPL-2731
2
10k
2.2k
+15VDC
OC
1
CK
1
HCPL-2731
1.8k
+8V 2.2k
+15VDC
V
OUT
0 to 5V
R
IN
R
IN
CK
0
1kHz Low-Pass Filter
–V
CC
–V
CC
Optical
Coupler
Optical
Coupler
®
VFC100
15
FIGURE 21. Circuit Diagram for Increased Pulse Position Resolution.
1.6MHz
Clock
CK
O
f
12345678910111213141516
300ns
Clocked
Logic Output
One-Shot
54
14 10
7
6
CK
15
1
+V
CC
11
12
98
13
5V
Reference
16
+15VDC
0.1µF
+15VDC
0.1µF 0.1µF
–V
CC
f
OUT
0 to 50kHz
+V
L
20k
500
R
1
0 to 10V
Input
±1%
Range
C
1
–15VDC
0.1µF
1.6MHz
Clock TTL Data U/D
Load RCC
Logic “1” Data “16”
74LS191
2M
R
2
–V
CC
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