should I connect a resistor to the output pin of the DAC?
Or could I connect a 1.25 V zener diode to the output of the LM317? Is this fix it? If yes, which would be better.
Per schematic this is connections for Vref of LM317 :
The R2, R3 values approximate, you need to calc them to give you
0V Vout when Vdac is 0, and Vdac = 5 V for Vout = 5V.
I only approximated them.
Vdac____Vref____Vout
__0_____-1.25_____0
_+5_____+3.75__+5
When you do your calcs it may be that the Vrefneg must be larger,
say -2.5V, in order to get the equations satisified. Thats becuse if Vdac
= 0V there is a V divider R2, R3 not allowing the full -1.25V to the
LM317 ref pin. You can see in sim its not going all the way to Vout = 0
when Vdac = 0. Becuse the -1.25 Vref is being attenuated by the divider.
Just work all that out with simple Kirchhoff law of the Vref pin circuit.
Again the Vref pin must range from -1.25V to 3.75V for Vout going
from 0V to 5V.
Notice the polarity on the 1.25 V source its - (NEGATIVE) 1.25V
Notice I also changed R1 to connect to the -1.25V.
Regards, Dana.