Operational Amplifiers

Unit-5
 Basic Op-Amp

Operational amplifier or op-amp, is a very high gain differential

amplifier with a high input impedance (typically a few meg-Ohms)
and low output impedance (less than 100 W).

Note the op-amp has two inputs and one output.

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 Basic Op-Amp

The op-amp is a differential amplifier with a

very high open loop gain 25k ≤ AVOL ≤ 500k (much higher for FET
inputs)
high input impedance 500kW ≤ ZIN ≤ 10MW
low output impedance 25W ≤ RO ≤ 100W

3
Operational Amplifiers
Application: As an application of the previous model,
consider the following configuration. Find Vo as a
function of Vin and the resistors R1 and R2.
R2

R1
_
+
+
Vin +
Vo
_ _

Figure : Op amp functional circuit.

 Operational Amplifiers

In terms of the circuit model we have the following:

R2

R1 Ro b
a
+ _ +

Vin Vi Ri AVi Vo
+
_ _

Figure : Total op amp schematic for voltage

gain configuration.
Operational Amplifiers

R2

R1 Ro b
a
+ _ +

Vin Vi Ri AVi Vo
+
_ _

Circuit values are:

R1 = 10 kW R2 = 40 kW Ro = 50 W
A = 100,000 Ri = 1 meg W
 Virtual Ground

Since ZIN is very high, we

assume no current can flow
into any lead of the op amp
When the non-inverting input
pin is at ground, the inverting
input pin is at 0V

The equivalent
circuit.
7
 Terminals on an Op Amp
An op amp is a differential amplifier. This means it amplifies the difference in voltage
between the two input pins. Because of this fact, its output should be 0V when there is no
difference between its inputs, in other words, when its inputs are at equal voltages. In a
perfect ideal op amp, this should be the case when there is no voltage connected to the 2
pins. However, in real life op amps, the output is only 0V when the inputs differ by a small
amount known as the input offset voltage.

LM: linear monolithic

 Op-Amp Introduction
• Op-amps (amplifiers/buffers in general) are drawn as
a triangle in a circuit schematic
• There are two inputs
– inverting and non-inverting
• And one output
• Also power connections (note no explicit ground)

divot on pin-1 end

V+

7
inverting input
2
− 6
output
non-inverting input +
3 4

V−

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 Operational amplifier
• Operational amplifier, or simply OpAmp refers to an integrated
circuit that is employed in wide variety of applications (including
voltage amplifiers)
Noninverting input ii io

vid vo

vo = Ad (vi1 − vi 2) Avo vi
v i1 vi 2 Inverting input
v i1 vi 2

• OpAmp is a differential amplifier having both inverting and non-

inverting terminals
• What makes an ideal OpAmp
➢ infinite input impedance
➢ Infinite open-loop gain for differential signal
➢ zero gain for common-mode signal
➢ zero output impedance
➢ Infinite bandwidth
 Op-Amp Gain

Op-Amps have a very high gain. They can be connected open-loop or

closed-loop.

• Open-loop refers to a configuration where there is no feedback

from output back to the input. In the open-loop configuration
the gain can exceed 10,000.

• Closed-loop configuration reduces the gain. In order to control

the gain of an op-amp it must have feedback. This feedback is a
negative feedback. A negative feedback reduces the gain and
improves many characteristics of the op-amp.

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 Review: Negative Feedback
• Negative feedback is used to “linearize” a high-gain
differential amplifier.
Without feedback With feedback

−
V− − +
V0
V0
+
V+ VIN
A = 105
A = 10 5

V0(V) V0
5 5
4
3
2
1
V+ − V− VIN
50μV 1 2345

−5
Application
 Applications
• Analog Filters

• Analog Compensators in Control Systems

• Application in Communications

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 Operational Amplifiers
My belief is that “operational” was used as a
descriptor early-on because this form of amplifier
can perform operations of
• adding signals
• subtracting signals
• integrating signals,  x (t )dt
The applications of operational amplifiers ( shortened
to op amp ) have grown beyond those listed above.
 Virtual Ground

An understanding of the
concept of virtual ground
provides a better
understanding of how an op-
amp operates.

The non-inverting input pin

is at ground. The inverting
input pin is also at 0 V for an
AC signal.
The op-amp has such high input impedance
that even with a high gain there is no
current from inverting input pin, therefore
there is no voltage from inverting pin to
ground—all of the current is through Rf.

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 The ideal op-amp and its Characteristics
• Infinite voltage gain
– a voltage difference at the two inputs is magnified infinitely
– in truth, something like 200,000
– means difference between + terminal and − terminal is
amplified by 200,000!
• Infinite input impedance
– no current flows into inputs
• Zero output impedance
• Infinitely fast (infinite bandwidth)
– in truth, limited to few MHz range
– slew rate limited to 0.5–20 V/s

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• Specifications:

Sr. Characteristics IC 741 Ideal value

No.
1. Input resistance Ri 2 MΩ ∞

2. Output resistance Ro 75 Ω 0

3. Voltage gain AV 2 x 105 ∞

4. Bandwidth 1 MHz ∞

5. CMRR 90 dB ∞

6. Input offset voltage Vios 2 mV 0

7. Slew rate S 0.5 V/µS ∞

8. PSRR 150 µV/V 0

9. Input bias current IB 50 nA 0

10. Input offset current Iios 6 nA 0

 Summary
• Voltage transfer characteristic of op amp:
vo
Vcc
~10 V slope = A >>1
vp–vn

-Vcc
~1 mV
• A feedback path between an op amp’s output and its
inverting input can force the op amp to operate in its linear
region, where vo = A (vp – vn)
• An ideal op amp has infinite input resistance Ri, infinite
open-loop gain A, and zero output resistance Ro. As a
result, the input voltages and currents are constrained:
vp = vn and ip = -in = 0
 Ideal Op Amp Practical Op Amp

• Zin = ∞ • Zin = 2MΩ

• Zout = 0 • Zout = 100Ω
• AV = ∞ • AV = 105
Voltage Transfer Characteristic

Range where we
operate the op amp
as an amplifier.

Vin
 Ideal Op Amp:
The following assumptions are made for the ideal op amp.

1. Infinite open − loop gain; A  

2. Zero output ohms; Ro = 0

3. Infinite input ohms; Ri =  (a) i1 = i2 = 0: Due

to infinite input
i1 = 0 resistance.
_ _ (b) Vi is negligibly
+ i2 = 0 Vi small; V1 = V2.
+ + +
V1 +
Vo
V2 = V1
_ _ _
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 Ideal Op Amp:

Find Vo in terms of Vin for the following configuration.

R2

R1
_
+
+
Vin +
Vo
_ _

Figure: Gain amplifier op amp set-up.

 Practical Op-Amp Circuits

Inverting amplifier
Noninverting amplifier
Summing amplifier
Integrator
Differentiator

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 Inverting/Noninverting Op-Amps
Inverting Amplifier Noninverting Amplifier
− Rf Rf
Vo = V1 Vo = (1 + )V1
R1 R1

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 Inverting Amplifier

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Inverting
 Noninverting Amplifier

I2

I1
 Summing Amplifier

Because the op-amp has a

high input impedance, the
multiple inputs are
treated as separate inputs.

R R R 
Vo = − f V1 + f V2 + f V3 
 R1 R2 R3 

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 Integrator
The output is the integral
of the input. Integration
is the operation of
summing the area under
a waveform or curve over
a period of time. This
circuit is useful in low-
pass filter circuits and
sensor conditioning
circuits.
1
v o (t) = −
RC  v 1 (t)dt

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 Differentiator

The differentiator
takes the derivative of
the input. This circuit
is useful in high-pass
filter circuits.
dv 1 (t)
v o (t) = − RC
dt

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 Differencing Amplifier
R2

R1
V− −
Vout
V+ +
R1
R2

• The non-inverting input is a simple voltage divider:

– Vnode = V+R2/(R1 + R2)
• So If = (V− − Vnode)/R1
– Vout = Vnode − IfR2 = V+(1 + R2/R1)(R2/(R1 + R2)) − V−(R2/R1)
– so Vout = (R2/R1)(V+ − V−)
– therefore we difference V+ and V−

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Summary of Important amplifier circuits
• Inverting amplifier • Noninverting amplifier

Av = − R2 / R1 Av = 1 + R2 / R1
Z in = R1 Z in = 
Z out = 0 Z out = 0
• Differential amplifier • Howland voltage-to-current
converter for grounded load

G m = −1 / R2
Z in = R1R2 /( R2 + RL )
Z out = 

Z in = R3 + R4 for v1 • Current-to-voltage amplifier

Z out = 0
Rm = − R f
Voltage-to-current converter Z in = 0
Z out = 0
• Current amplifier
G m = io / vin = −1 / R f Avi = −(1 + R2 / R1 )
Z in =  Z in = 0
Z out = 
Z out = 