The phase wheel is a visual aid demonstrating the relationship between the accumulator and the sinusoidal output of a DDS. The phase wheel is the perimeter of the circle and represents the full capacity of the accumulator- in this case, a 6-bit accumulator (N equals 6), which leads to a total of 64 possible accumulator values. These values, from 0 to 63, appear as small circular tick marks evenly distributed along the phase wheel. The zero tick mark, also labeled 2 to the N, constitutes the accumulator roll over point and corresponds to the point of reference for angle to amplitude conversion (the 0-degree point). The solid magenta arrow emanating from the center of the phase wheel represents the value of the accumulator at a particular instant in time, in this case denoted arbitrarily by the kth cycle of the system clock. At this particular instant, the accumulator has a value of 19 corresponding to the angle, theta. Subsequent cycles of the system clock cause theta to increase in a counter-clockwise direction. Now assume the DDS has an FTW of 10, in which case the accumulator will increment by 10 on each cycle of the system clock. Hence, the dashed magenta arrow emanating from the center of the phase wheel represents the value of the accumulator after k plus one cycles of the system clock. A value of 29 is shown in this example, which also represents a new angle because theta has grown by ten 64ths of the circle.