D/A converter

views updated

D/A converter (DAC) Short for digital-to-analog converter. A device, usually in integrated-circuit form, that can accept a digital signal in the form of an n-bit parallel data word and convert it into an equivalent analog representation. Digital output signals from, say, a microprocessor may thus be converted into a form that is suitable for driving analog devices such as motors, meters, or other analog actuators. The resolution of a D/A converter is a measure of the change in analog output for a change of one least significant bit in the input. See also A/D converter.

More From encyclopedia.com