How do you properly terminate a VCA?

Started by Keppy, January 04, 2016, 01:22:07 AM

Previous topic - Next topic

Keppy

I'm planning a project using the CoolAudio clone of the SSM2164 quad VCA, but I'm only using two of the VCAs and I need to terminate the other two. Each VCA is current in, current out. It seems like I should just tie the inputs to the ground reference pin (1/2 supply voltage in my design) and leave the outputs and control pins floating, since that results in no output current regardless of gain. The datasheet quotes a +/-50nA offset current, though, and I don't know what happens if that output tries to send that through an unconnected output.

To complicate things, the outputs are also supposed to be tied to virtual ground with an inverting opamp stage, but the thought of wasting a chip to help me waste half another chip is painful on general principle. :P Terminating the outputs through a resistor is a little less wasteful, but makes the outputs non-compliant. I could connect the outputs to the ground pin, but then any current present on the output is also present on the input, which seems bad unless the current is really, really zero, in which case what's the point?

Can anyone tell me, as well as future viewers and the Google search bots (they failed me! :icon_evil:) the proper way to do this?

http://www.analog.com/media/en/technical-documentation/data-sheets/SSM2164.pdf
"Electrons go where I tell them to go." - wavley

lucem

Just tie the inputs to ground with a low value resistor and terminate the outputs with a high value (100k+) resistor to ground.
Any current flow is basically neglectable and does not affect operation.
I aim to misbehave.

Keppy

"Electrons go where I tell them to go." - wavley