Renesas X9241AYVIZ

Overview

X9241AYVIZ from Intersil is a quad digital controlled potentiometer (XDCP™) IC with nonvolatile storage, 2-wire I²C interface, 64-tap resolution per channel, -40°C to +85°C industrial temperature range, and 20-lead TSSOP RoHS-compliant package. It functions as four independent digitally adjustable resistors for precision analog control in embedded signal conditioning circuits.

For engineers reviewing the X9241AYVIZ datasheet, X9241AYVIZ pinout, X9241AYVIZ application, or X9241AYVIZ equivalent, this device supports register-oriented wiper control, cascaded resistor arrays up to 200kΩ, nonvolatile data retention for 100 years, and direct read/write of wiper positions via I²C - critical for recalibration-critical systems requiring power-up recall from DR0.

Technical Context

The X9241AYVIZ implements four monolithic CMOS resistor arrays, each with 63 segments and 64 tap points controlled by a 6-bit volatile Wiper Counter Register (WCR). Each array pairs with four nonvolatile Data Registers (DR0–DR3), enabling storage of up to four distinct wiper positions per potentiometer.

It uses a standard 2-wire I²C-compatible interface with slave address formed by fixed 0101b prefix and user-configurable A0–A3 pins. The device supports global and individual register transfers, increment/decrement wiper commands, and cascade mode where adjacent arrays are electrically linked - all managed through an 8-bit instruction byte format with P1/P0 and R1/R0 field decoding.

Key Specifications

Pinout & Package

Package: 20-lead Thin Shrink Small Outline Package (TSSOP), RoHS-compliant, body dimensions 6.5 mm × 4.4 mm × 1.2 mm (D × E × A), lead pitch 0.65 mm.

Key Features

Applications

Equivalent & Alternatives

The following parts are listed as comparable options for similar digital potentiometer applications.

Compared with AD5242BRUZ10 and MCP42010-I/P, the X9241AYVIZ uniquely delivers four independent nonvolatile pots with register-based recall, cascade scalability, and industrial temperature support - making it optimal for recalibration-critical, multi-parameter analog systems where layout space and bus compatibility constrain alternatives.

Availability

X9241AYVIZ is available at Aetrix Electronics and suitable for industrial sensor calibration, medical instrument offset trimming, audio signal level control, and laser diode bias adjustment requiring stable component supply across extended product lifecycles.

Supply support for X9241AYVIZ includes scheduled delivery planning, volume procurement assistance, BOM continuity management, traceable sourcing, and lifecycle availability coordination for OEM customers, industrial embedded developers, connected-device designers, and electronics production programs.

Manufacturer

Intersil Corporation is a leading provider of precision analog and power management solutions, now part of Renesas Electronics, with deep expertise in high-reliability industrial and infrastructure ICs.

The X9241A family was designed specifically for recalibration-critical analog systems requiring nonvolatile, multi-position digital potentiometry in compact industrial-grade packages.

FAQ

What is the default wiper position after power-up for the X9241AYVIZ?

The X9241AYVIZ automatically loads the contents of Data Register 0 (DR0) into each potentiometer's volatile Wiper Counter Register (WCR) upon power-up completion. This behavior is guaranteed when VCC ramps within specification (≥0.2 V/ms) and reaches 90% before applying signals to pot pins. No host intervention is needed to restore calibrated positions - DR0 must be pre-programmed during manufacturing or field calibration to ensure correct startup state for X9241AYVIZ.

Does the X9241AYVIZ support true 4-wire (Kelvin) sensing for precision resistance measurement?

No, the X9241AYVIZ does not support 4-wire sensing. Its VH/RH and VL/RL pins serve only as fixed terminal connections to the resistor array, and VW/RW is the single wiper output node. There are no dedicated sense lines or separate force/sense terminals. For precision applications requiring low-resistance measurement accuracy, external calibration against known standards is required - the X9241AYVIZ provides programmable resistance but not built-in metrology-grade sensing.

Can the X9241AYVIZ be used as a 2-terminal variable resistor, and how is that configured?

Yes, the X9241AYVIZ can operate as a 2-terminal variable resistor by connecting either VH/RH or VL/RL to the wiper VW/RW, leaving the unused terminal open. For example, shorting VH0 to VW0 creates a variable resistor between VL0 and VW0 (or VH0), with resistance ranging from near-zero (WCR=0x3F) to full RTOTAL (WCR=0x00). This configuration is explicitly supported in the datasheet and maintains full 64-tap resolution and nonvolatile storage for X9241AYVIZ.

What is the maximum allowable voltage difference between VH and VL terminals on the X9241AYVIZ?

The absolute maximum voltage difference (ΔV = |VH − VL|) across any single X9241AYVIZ potentiometer is 10 V, as specified in the Absolute Maximum Ratings table. Exceeding this risks permanent damage to the internal FET switches and resistor array. This limit applies independently per channel - e.g., Pot 0 can sustain 10 V while Pot 1 operates at 5 V. All terminal voltages must also remain within -3.0 V to +5 V relative to VSS, per the VTERM specification for X9241AYVIZ.

How does cascade mode affect wiper control and register addressing in the X9241AYVIZ?

In cascade mode (enabled by setting CM bit = 1 in a WCR), two adjacent potentiometers (e.g., Pot 2 and Pot 3) are electrically linked so their resistor arrays form one continuous chain. Only one wiper remains active (others disabled via DW bit = 1), and movement crosses array boundaries seamlessly. Register addressing remains unchanged - DR0–DR3 per pot still store independent values - but global transfer commands (e.g., Global XFR WCR to Data Register) synchronize all four channels. Cascade mode requires external wiring per Figure 9 and disables individual wiper control for linked arrays in X9241AYVIZ.