**AD5235BRUZ250: A Comprehensive Technical Overview of the 256-Tap Digital Potentiometer**

The AD5235BRUZ250 from Analog Devices represents a significant advancement in digital potentiometer (digipot) technology, offering engineers a highly integrated and programmable solution for resistance-based applications. This device is a **non-volatile, 256-position digital potentiometer** that combines the flexibility of programmable resistance with the convenience of digital control, effectively replacing mechanical potentiometers and trim pots in a wide array of modern electronic systems.

At its core, the AD5235 functions as a **three-terminal variable resistor**. Its key specifications are defined by the "250" suffix, indicating a nominal end-to-end resistance of 250 kΩ. The 256 taps provide a fine resolution, allowing for a **settable resistance of approximately 977 Ω per step (250 kΩ / 256)**, which is crucial for precision adjustment applications. The device features a versatile serial peripheral interface (SPI) that enables easy communication with microcontrollers and digital processors for setting the wiper position and reading back its status.

A defining characteristic of the AD5235BRUZ250 is its **integrated non-volatile memory (EEMEM)**. This allows the wiper's last position to be stored automatically upon shutdown and recalled immediately upon power-up, eliminating the need for system recalibration and ensuring consistent performance across cycles. This feature is indispensable for applications requiring a specific preset state after being powered on.

The device operates over a wide supply voltage range, typically from **2.7 V to 5.5 V**, making it suitable for both 3 V and 5 V systems. Its performance is robust across an industrial temperature range of -40°C to +85°C. Furthermore, it offers additional programmable features such as a **digital output general-purpose logic pin** and sophisticated wiper control commands, enhancing its utility in complex digital systems.

Typical applications for the AD5235BRUZ250 are extensive. It is perfectly suited for **programmable voltage division**, gain and offset adjustment in precision operational amplifier circuits, LCD screen contrast and brightness control, power supply calibration, and as a building block in programmable analog circuits where software-based control is paramount.

**ICGOODFIND**: The AD5235BRUZ250 stands out as a superior digital potentiometer solution, merging high resolution, non-volatile memory, and robust digital control into a single IC. It provides design engineers with unparalleled flexibility and reliability, making it an excellent choice for upgrading systems from manual trimming to automated, software-controlled precision.

**Keywords**: Digital Potentiometer, Non-Volatile Memory, SPI Interface, Programmable Resistance, Voltage Divider.