Digital Pots Reside In SOT23 Package

Two new linear-taper digital potentiometers have been developed that have fixed end-to-end resistance and a 32-tap wiper contact. MAX5160 and MAX5161 can replace mechanical potentiometers that become dirty and unreliable over time. The digital devices are well-suited for handheld instruments with adjustable LCD bias supplies. MAX5161 comes in a 3 x 3-mm SOT23-6 package and uses 70% less space than similar devices in 8-pin SOPs. A 5 ppm/°C ratiometric temperature coefficient lets MAX5161 be used in programmable gain amplifier configurations requiring stable gain over temperature. MAX5161 also comes in 6-pin SOT23 with a two-wire digital control. MAX 5160 comes in an 8-pin µMAX package with three-wire digital control. Both devices come with three end-to-end resistances of 50 kiloohms, 100 kiloohms or 200 kiloohms.