TIDA-010982

Field transmitter platform, 4mA to 20mA loop-powered interface reference design

TIDA-010982

Design files

Overview

This reference design gives an example implementation of a 4–20mA interface for 2-wire loop-powered sensors. The design enables evaluation of the AFE881H1 and AFE882H1 in a lower power application-like environment with a 1.8V signal chain. The AFE881H1 and AFE882H1 integrate a high-precision 16-bit digital-to-analog converter (DAC) and a HART® modem. The reference design provides a serial peripheral interface (SPI) and universal asynchronous receiver-transmitter (UART) interface on a pin header to connect to a microcontroller (MCU). This pin header provides 3.3V and 1.8V to power a MCU and a 1.25V reference voltage to be used for an analog-to-digital converter (ADC).

Features
  • Implementation of 4–20mA loop interface for 2-wire loop-powered sensor
  • Complete 1.8V signal chain allows low power consumption and maintains high accuracy
  • AFE88xH1 16-bit DAC with integrated reference and HART modem
  • MCU interface providing power output (1.8V, 3.3V, 1.25V reference voltage), SPI and UART interface
Download View video with transcript Video

A fully assembled board has been developed for testing and performance validation only, and is not available for sale.

Design files & products

Design files

Download ready-to-use system files to speed your design process.

PDF | HTML
TIDUFE3.PDF (3462 KB)

Reference design overview and verified performance test data

SLVRBT5.ZIP (429 KB)

Detailed overview of design layout for component placement

SLVRBT4.ZIP (305 KB)

Complete listing of design components, reference designators, and manufacturers/part numbers

SLVRBT7.ZIP (6845 KB)

Files used for 3D models or 2D drawings of IC components

SLVC884.ZIP (1282 KB)

Design file that contains information on physical board layer of design PCB

SLVRBT6.PDF (890 KB)

PCB layer plot file used for generating PCB design layout

SLVRBT3.ZIP (954 KB)

Detailed schematic diagram for design layout and components

Products

Includes TI products in the design and potential alternatives.

Precision DACs (≤10 MSPS)

AFE881H116-bit low-power analog front end (AFE) with DAC, ADC and HART® modem for sensor transmitters

Data sheet: PDF | HTML
Precision DACs (≤10 MSPS)

AFE882H1Low-power AFE with HART ®, 16-bit DAC, 12-bit ADC for PLC and sensor transmitter applications

Data sheet: PDF | HTML
Series voltage references

REF35650-nA quiescent current, 12-ppm/°C drift, ultra-low-power precision voltage reference

Data sheet: PDF | HTML
TVS diodes

TVS330133 V Bidirectional Flat-Clamp surge protection device

Data sheet: PDF | HTML
Analog switches & muxes

TMUX12195-V, 2:1 (SPDT), 1-channel general-purpose analog switch with 1.8-V input logic

Data sheet: PDF | HTML
Linear & low-dropout (LDO) regulators

TPS7A03Nanopower-IQ 200nA 200mA low-dropout (LDO) voltage regulator with fast transient response

Data sheet: PDF | HTML
Precision op amps (Vos<1mV)

OPA391Micropower, single, high-precision low-bias-current RRIO op amp with high speed-to-power ratio

Data sheet: PDF | HTML
Voltage translating flip-flops, latches & registers

SN74LV8T165 1.65-V to 5.5-V 8-bit parallel-load shift register with voltage translation

Data sheet: PDF | HTML

Technical documentation

star
= Top documentation selected by TI
No results found. Please clear your search and try again.
View all 1
Type Title Date
* Design guide Field Transmitter Platform: 4mA to 20mA Loop-Powered Interface Reference Design PDF | HTML Jul 23, 2025

Support & training

TI E2E™ forums with technical support from TI engineers

View all forum topics

Content is provided "as is" by TI and community contributors and does not constitute TI specifications. See terms of use.

If you have questions about quality, packaging or ordering TI products, see TI support.