Typical Performance Characteristics (Continued)
Power Drain vs VSUPPLY
Output Saturation Voltage vs
IOUT (Pin 3)
Nonlinearity Error, Precision
F-to-V Converter (Figure 7)
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Typical Applications
PRINCIPLES OF OPERATION OF A SIMPLIFIED
VOLTAGE-TO-FREQUENCY CONVERTER
The LM231/331 are monolithic circuits designed for accu-
racy and versatile operation when applied as
voltage-to-frequency
(V-to-F)
converters
or
as
frequency-to-voltage (F-to-V) converters. A simplified block
diagram of the LM231/331 is shown in Figure 3 and consists
of a switched current source, input comparator, and 1-shot
timer.
The operation of these blocks is best understood by going
through the operating cycle of the basic V-to-F converter,
Figure 3, which consists of the simplified block diagram of
the LM231/331 and the various resistors and capacitors con-
nected to it.
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The voltage comparator compares a positive input voltage,
V1, at pin 7 to the voltage, Vx, at pin 6. If V1 is greater, the
comparator will trigger the 1-shot timer. The output of the
timer will turn ON both the frequency output transistor and
FIGURE 3. Simplified Block Diagram of Stand-Alone
Voltage-to-Frequency Converter and
External Components
=
the switched current source for a period t 1.1 RtCt. During
this period, the current i will flow out of the switched current
DETAIL OF OPERATION, FUNCTIONAL BLOCK
DIAGRAM (Figure 2)
=
source and provide a fixed amount of charge, Q i x t, into
the capacitor, CL. This will normally charge Vx up to a higher
level than V1. At the end of the timing period, the current i will
turn OFF, and the timer will reset itself.
The block diagram shows a band gap reference which pro-
vides a stable 1.9 VDC output. This 1.9 VDC is well regulated
over a VS range of 3.9V to 40V. It also has a flat, low tem-
perature coefficient, and typically changes less than
over a 100˚C temperature change.
Now there is no current flowing from pin 1, and the capacitor
1
⁄2
%
C
L will be gradually discharged by RL until Vx falls to the level
of V1. Then the comparator will trigger the timer and start an-
other cycle.
The current pump circuit forces the voltage at pin 2 to be at
=
=
1.9V, and causes a current i 1.90V/RS to flow. For Rs 14k,
=
The current flowing into CL is exactly IAVE i x (1.1xRtCt) x
=
i
135 µA. The precision current reflector provides a current
f, and the current flowing out of CL is exactly Vx/RL VIN/RL.
If VIN is doubled, the frequency will double to maintain this
balance. Even a simple V-to-F converter can provide a fre-
quency precisely proportional to its input voltage over a wide
range of frequencies.
equal to i to the current switch. The current switch switches
the current to pin 1 or to ground depending on the state of
the RS flip-flop.
The timing function consists of an RS flip-flop, and a timer
comparator connected to the external RtCt network. When
the input comparator detects a voltage at pin 7 higher than
pin 6, it sets the RS flip-flop which turns ON the current
switch and the output driver transistor. When the voltage at
2
pin 5 rises to
⁄3 VCC, the timer comparator causes the RS
flip-flop to reset. The reset transistor is then turned ON and
the current switch is turned OFF.
However, if the input comparator still detects pin 7 higher
than pin 6 when pin 5 crosses 2
⁄ VCC, the flip-flop will not be
3
reset, and the current at pin 1 will continue to flow, in its at-
tempt to make the voltage at pin 6 higher than pin 7. This
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