The DAC8551 is a small, low-power, voltage output, 16-bit digital-to-analog converter (DAC). It is monotonic, provides good linearity, and minimizes undesired code-to-code transient voltages. The DAC8551 uses a versatile 3-wire serial interface that operates at clock rates to 30 MHz and is compatible with standard SPITM, QSPITM, MicrowireTM, and digital signal processor (DSP) interfaces. The DAC8551 requires an external reference voltage to set its output range. The DAC8551 incorporates a power-on-reset circuit that ensures the DAC output powers up at 0 V and remains there until a valid write takes place to the device. The DAC8551 contains a power-down feature, accessed over the serial interface, that reduces the current consumption of the device to 200 nA at 5 V.