OPAMP
CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION
BLOCK DIAGRAM OF OP-AMP
CLASSIFICATION
CIRCUIT APPLICATIONS
Inverting amplifier
Non-inverting amplifier
Differential amplifier
Summing amplifier
IDEALISED CHARACTERISTICS
REFERENCES
INTRODUCTION:
CIRCUIT SYMBOL OF OP-AMP
An operational amplifier, which is often called an op-amp, is a DC-coupled high-gain
electronic voltage amplifier with a differential input and, usually, a single-ended output. An
op-amp produces an output voltage that is typically millions of times larger than the voltage
difference between its input terminals.An op-amp has high input impedence and low output
impedence and has capability of amplifying signals having frequency ranging from zero Hz
to 1 MHz i.e op-amp can be used to amplify d.c as well as a.c input signals.
The op-amp is a complete amplifier having the advantages of an IC such as low cost ,small
size,high reliability,temperatue ratability and low value of offset voltage and
current.Furthermore it is designed in such a way that external components like resistors,
capacitors etc. can be connected to its terminals and external characteristics can be changed.
The operational amplifier was first built with vacuum tubes. The op-amp is one type of
differential amplifier. Other types of differential amplifier include the fully differential
amplifier (similar to the op-amp, but with two outputs), the instrumentation amplifier (usually
built from three op-amps), the isolation amplifier(similar to the instrumentation amplifier, but
which works fine with common-mode voltages that would destroy an ordinary op-amp), and
negative feedback amplifier (usually built from one or more op-amps and a resistive feedback
network).
BLOCK DIAGRAM OF OPERATIONAL AMPLIFIER
Block diagram of an operational amplifier.
The input stage is a differential amplifier. The differential amplifier used as an input stage
provides differential inputs and a frequency response down to d.c. Special techniques are
used to provide the high input impedance necessary for the operational amplifier. The second
stage is a high-gain voltage amplifier. This stage may be made from several transistors to
provide high gain. A typical operational amplifier could have a voltage gain of 200,000. Most
of this gain comes from the voltage amplifier stage. The final stage of the OP AMP is an
output amplifier. The output amplifier provides low output impedance. The actual circuit
used could be an emitter follower. The output stage should allow the operational amplifier to
deliver several milliamperes to a load. Notice that the operational amplifier has a positive
power supply (+V CC) and a negative power supply (-V EE). This arrangement enables the
operational amplifier to produce either a positive or a negative output. The two input
terminals are labeled "inverting input" (-) and "noninverting input" (+). The operational
amplifier can be used with three different input conditions (modes). With differential inputs
(first mode), both input terminals are used and two input signals which are 180 degrees out of
phase with each other are used. This produces an output signal that is in phase with the signal
on the noninverting input. If the noninverting input is grounded and a signal is applied to the
inverting input (second mode), the output signal will be 180 degrees out of phase with the
input signal (and one-half the amplitude of the first mode output). If the inverting input is
grounded and a signal is applied to the noninverting input (third mode), the output signal will
be in phase with the input signal (and one-half the amplitude of the first mode output).
IMPORTANT FEATURES OF OP-AMPLIFIER:
1. Important features of Op AmpHigh open loop gain (ideally infinite) which implies
that even the smallest difference between the two inputs results into saturated output
voltage
2. High input impedance (ideally infinite) implies that there is no current flowing into
the input of an op amp
CLASSIFICATION OF OPERATIONAL AMPLIFIER:
Op-amps may be classified by their construction:
discrete (built from individual transistors or tubes/valves)
IC (fabricated in an Integrated circuit) - most common
Hybrid.
CIRCUIT APPLICATIONS:
There are two basic op-amp circuits known as non- inverting and
inverting amplifier circuits:
An inverting amplifier circuit
The inverting amplifier appears in the above figure. This circuit and its many
variations form the bulk of commonly used operational amplifier circuitry. Single
ended input and output versions were first used, and they became the basis of
analog computation. Today’s modern differential input amplifier is used as an
inverting amplifier by grounding the non-inverting input and applying the
input signal to the inverting input terminal.
Since the amplifier draws no input current and the input voltage approaches zero
when the feedback loop is closed (the two summing point restraints), we may write:
E1/R1 =E0/R0=0
Hence,
E0/E1= -R0/R1
Input impedance to this circuit is not infinite as in the two previous circuits, the
inverting input is
at ground potential so the driving source effectively “sees” RI as the input
impedance. Output
impedance is zero as in the two previous circuits. Closed loop gain of this circuit is –
RO/R1
non inverting amplifier circuit
Differential amplifier:
Sometimes it is necessary to amplify the voltage difference between two input lines neither of
which is grounded. In this case, the amplifier is called differential -amplifier. This circuit of
an op-amp differential amplifier is shown below:
differential amplifier circuit
As already known,in a differential amplifier neither input is grounded. This reduces the
amount of noise appears simultaneously on both input terminals and the amplifying circuitary
rejects it being a common mode signal. It is a combination of inverting and non-inverting
amplifiers.
SUMMING AMPLIFIER:
The Summing Amplifier is a very flexible circuit based upon the standard Inverting
Operational Amplifier configuration. We saw previously in the Inverting Amplifier tutorial
that the Inverting Amplifier has a single input signal applied to the Inverting input terminal. If
we add another input resistor equal in value to the original input resistor, Rin we end up with
another operational amplifier circuit called a Summing Amplifier, "Summing Inverter" or
even a "Voltage Adder" circuit as shown below.
summing amplifier circuit
The Summing Amplifier is a very flexible circuit indeed, enabling us to effectively "Add" or
"Sum" together several individual input signals. If the inputs resistors, R1, R2, R3 etc, are all
equal a unity gain inverting adder can be made. However, if the input resistors are of different
values a "scaling summing amplifier" is produced which gives a weighted sum of the input
signals
IDEALISED CHARACTERISTICS:
PARAMETER IDEALIZED CHARACTERISTIC
Voltage Gain, (A) Infinite - The main function of an operational
amplifier is to amplify the input signal and the more
open loop gain it has the better, so for an ideal
amplifier the gain will be infinite.
Input impedance, (Zin) Infinite - Input impedance is assumed to be infinite to
prevent any current flowing from the source supply
into the amplifiers input circuitry.
Output impedance, (Zout) Zero - The output impedance of the ideal operational
amplifier is assumed to be zero so that it can supply as
much current as necessary to the load.
Bandwidth, (BW) Infinite - An ideal operational amplifier has an infinite
Frequency Response and can amplify any frequency
signal so it is assumed to have an infinite bandwidth.
Offset Voltage, (Vio) Zero - The amplifiers output will be zero when the
voltage difference between the inverting and non-
inverting inputs is zero.
From these "idealized" characteristics above, we can see that the input resistance is infinite,
so no current flows into either input terminal (the current rule) and that the differential
input offset voltage is zero (the voltage rule). It is important to remember these two
properties as they help understand the workings of the amplifier with regards to analysis and
design of operational amplifier circuits.
However, real Operational Amplifiers such as the commonly available uA741, for example
do not have infinite gain or bandwidth but have a typical "Open Loop Gain" which is defined
as the amplifiers output amplification without any external feedback signals connected to it
and for a typical operational amplifier is about 100dB at DC (zero Hz). This output gain
decreases linearly with frequency down to "Unity Gain" or 1, at about 1MHz and this is
shown in the following open loop gain response curve.
References
www.scribd.com
www.ftp.com
www.circuitapplications.com
www.avaxhome.com
