Chapter 3. Op Amp Applications Before exploring op amp circuits for different applications, a summary of the method of analysis of op amp circuits. 3.1. Op Amp Circuit Analysis Analysis of amplifier circuits target to obtain the amplifier gain and impedance parameters or dete of an output signal for a given input signal. ‘Most op amp ci the value uits apply negative feedback in inverting or non-inverting configuration. An op amp without feedback will always be in saturation, even without feedback (offset voltages and currents produce the input to drive amplifier into saturation. The procedure for analysis of op amp circuits is therefore: 1. Confirm whether op-amp is under negative feedback. If not under negative feedback op amp output will be in saturation, irrespective of input. 2. IfOp Amp is under negative feedback, confirm the amplifier configuration. 3. If configuration is standard inverting or non-inverting amplifier, assume op amp is ideal, (unless (1+ Re/Rt) is close in magnitude to do., which is extremely unlikely) and apply the standard gai configuration. 4, If the op amp is under negative feedback and is not using standard configuration: a. Assume ideal op amp (unless otherwise stated) which implies: i. R= 00+ i= 0. No current flows into either input terminal of the ideal amplifier. ii, do —> «. Therefore, under negative feedback, va*0. vp vn. b. Assign variable names for voltages at all nodes and currents into and out of the nodes. c. Apply Kirchhoff's current law for all the notes in the circuit except at the output node (output current is in most cases unknown and needs to be excluded from the equations). 4. Solve the resultant equations, applying ideal op amp + negative feedback assumptions in (a) above. ec. Express vo in terms of vs, hence obtain gain. £, Once voltage relationships are known solutions can be obtained for currents and impedances. formula for the 3.2. Signal Buffer Circuits ‘The high input impedance of the non-inverting amplifier makes it suitable for interfacing signal sources without loading the source. The low output impedance is also attractive for buffer circuits. 3.2.1. The Unity Gain Follower ‘A special case of the non-inverting amplifier is the unity gain buffer or unity gain follower, Figure 3.1(a).. Va yn And since op amp is under negative feedback: val | 40 Va = Up =U It Yo Also: Vs! Mm ‘Therefore: @ 0) = Figure 3.1: Unity Gain Buffer: (a) Circuit; (b) Derivation of Output — Input Relationship 27wy Ithas Rr=0 and Ri =o. The circuit has a gain of I (ve =v»), high input impedance and low output impedang 18 a high impedance load to a low impedance load (i.e. a source that = is nog able to deliver a high current). full derivation of the input output relationship is given in Figure 3.1(b), is used to interface a source requi Example: Unity Gain Buffer: It is required to connect a transducer having an open circuit voltage of IV anda \ source resistance of IM to a load of Ik resistance. Find the load voltage if the connection is don (b) through a unity gain follower. Ans: (a) ImV; (b) IV. This phenomenon is known as the loading effect. It is most evident when a network with high output impedance is connected to a network with a low input impedance. The second network draws a large current (i.e. loads) the first network. This causes a large voltage drop across the output resistance of the first network, hence reducing the voltage presented at the input of the second network. High input impedance buffers are used to avoid the loading effect. 3.2.2. Non-inverting Amplifier with Specified Input Impedance xX Telecommunication signals use coaxial cable to transmit and receive signals. The cable connecting these circuits has a characteristic impedance of say 502 or 7522. To prevent reflections, which cause distortion and ghosting, the input and output circuit impedances must match the characteristic impedance of the cable. Consider the circuit in Figure 3.2(a). COAXIAL CABLE @) Figure 3.2: Non-inverting Amplifier with desired Ra: (a) Circuit; (b) Video input and Output ince the op-amp input resistance is infinite. The input resistance for the amplifier (@) ‘The input current, is = vs/Rm, si eet i amplifier. In Figure ae ‘cases, impedance matching may be required both at the input and the eae ane es 2 arieee 3.2 (b) this concept is used to match the characteristic impedance of a a Se ea the amplifier input, Rov is st at 7502. At the output a matching resistor, Ru rises the OOD! ET Re and Ri are selected to be very high to have little effect on the output impos will be required at the input of the next stage. a Amoter teh np impedance for invering ha f an inverting amplifier is decided by the resistance Ri. sett we 7 sn Nh swt oh enw in Ae= Since the closed loop gsi high value of Ar. The T 1g very large 323. “The input impedance o! Re/Ri, a circuit requiring a high input impedance feedback network (Figure 3.3) ean achieve high 28 ieee*s Figure 3.3: T-Network Feedback It should be noted that in this Circuit, none of Ro, Rs and Re are the load. The load will be connected between ¥% ‘These together form the feedback resistor, and ground. The analysis begis amp. For ideal op amp: ns atthe inverting input terminal of the op ‘Which gives the input current as: And since i 0: ‘Which leads to a solution for ve: ‘And solving for ig KCL at node x gives: And solving for is: Substituting for vs: Re-arranging: And the voltage gain is: ting amplifier had been u: = IMO and a gain of -100 would have achieves high voltage gain with low feedback resistors because by setting a value of Rs that is much lower than sed, an input impedance of IMO would have required a Tequired Rr = 10021 = 100MQ. The T-feedback network value of Ri 29Re, most of the current through R3 flows through Rs. A high current is therefore maintained in Rs which gives large voltage drop in spite of relatively low resistance value. Appli : Interfacing voltage source transducers with high internal impedance. 3.3. Analogue Computation Op amp amplifiers can be arranged to accept signals from different sources and perform mathematical operations on the inputs. Addition and subtraction give an output that is a sum or difference of the input signals and are applied in signal mixers. Integrators and differentiators use the transient characteristics of capacitors to achieve integration or differentiation of the input signal. They are useful in generation of pulses. Logarithmic and exponential amplifiers, which will be considered in a different section can be used to achieve multiplication. ‘These functions can be combined to build analogue computers. Analogue computers were used for simulation of engineering systems before digital computers achieved the computational power that could meet the required performance. 3 Summing Amplifiers ‘Summing amplifiers give as output the sum of the voltages at the input multiplied by a gain factor. ‘They can be inverting (Figure 3.4(a)) or non-inverting (Figure 3.4(c)). » & my Bi hh ic Re Ra} Ri % @ ©) Ye R Wav R » R Re//Re = B+ Ry//Re e a I © i ibuti in ion; (¢) Non- Figure 3.4: Summing Amplifiers: (a) Inverting; (b) Evaluating Contribution of v1 in Superposition © Inverting; (4) Evaluating Contribution of vs in Superposition 3.1.1. The venting summing Amplifier ha at emai Hepat ‘The noninverting summing amplifier is shown in Figure 3.4(a). In this circuit, th erting inpul connected to ground. Thus 30Re Re 2 Ry ~- are therefore selected to be equal (=R), R er + v2 +05) 3.3.1.2. The Non-nverting Summing Amplifier non-inverting summing amplifier is presented in Figure 3.4 inverting amplifier with i Up of the input resistance and the resistances of all the ot! fraction, (e.g. for va: RW/RU(Ret Re Il Re)) to the vol superposition: RoRe : ( ats RAR Ju “ RoR ‘aR + RaRe + RyR,) 2 aan Ret Re i oe RaRe Coie Ree Rie aR) * = RAR, Yee ex +RaRe ia) Ye inverting amplifier and the corresponding output: 1 Total input to the non-i v, += Maat Yap + Ye = (; Re na(re8, ‘This can also be expressed as: fea 4 Bn) the output is given by: 3.1 (©). This circuit can be treated as a normal non- ‘The relationship between each input and vs is throu, igh a potential divider made ther inputs in parallel. Each input therefore contributes a tage vs Figure 3.4(d)). Analysis of the circuit using = Contribution of vz = Contribution of vy = Contribution of ve ReRy RR ci) RoReda + RaRevp + RaRyve) RyRy + R,Ro+ mar) ¢ Te 2 z Where vs is given by the expression above.