The digitally controlled potentiometers are implemented using 255 resistive elements in a series array. Between each pair of elements are tap points connected to wiper terminals through switches. The position of each wiper on the array is controlled by the user through the Up/Down (U/D) or 2-wire bus interface. The wiper of each potentiometer has an associated volatile Wiper Counter Register (WCR) and four nonvolatile Data Registers (DRs) that can be directly written to and read by the user. The contents of the WCR controls the position of the wiper on the resistor array though the switches. At power-up, the device recalls the contents of the default data registers DR00, DR10, DR20, DR30, to the corresponding WCR. Each DCP can be used as a three-terminal potentiometer or as a two terminal variable resistor in a wide variety of applications including the programming of bias voltages, the implementation of ladder networks, and three resistor programmable networks.