Operational Amplifier

(Op-Amp)

Circuit Diagram of an Op-Amp (IC 741)

Current Mirror

Level Shifter

Differential Amplifier

Output Stage

Gain Stage

Operational Amplifier (Op-Amp)

An Op-Amp is a very high gain amplifier having a

number of differential amplifier stages
It has high input impedance (typically a few Mega
ohm)
It has a low output impedance (less than 100)

Op-Amp Model
+Vcc

V-

V+

RO

Rin

Vo
V+

VO

V-

-Vcc

vo= Av(v+-v-)

Symbol

In a good Op-Amp
Av

Rin

Ro 0

If v+ is even slightly higher than v-, vo=+Vcc

If v+ is even slightly lower than v-, vo=-Vcc

Cannot be used
as an amplifier
by itself!
4

Consider the circuit shown below

v 0 vo Av v

R2

vin v vo v
v

R1
R2 RO Rin

+Vcc
R1

V-

Vin

RO

Rin

Vo
V+

Vout

-Vcc

For Av, we get

1 v in
vo

R2 RO R1
v0

R2 vout
RO R2

Gain

1
1
1
vo
1
v

vin
R2 RO R1 Rin R2 Ro R1

vout
R
2
vin
R1

vo
Av

1
1
1
vo
1

vin

R2 RO R1 Rin R2 Ro R1

and

vo
0
Av

The (-) terminal is effectively

at ground. This is referred to
as Virtual Ground
5

Interesting Points

With Av,

R2

Gain = -R2/R1
(does not depend on Av)
R1

V-

Vin

RO

Rin

Vo
V+

Zin

Vout

(+) is at Ground
(-) is at Virtual Ground

-Vcc

Zo

Zin =R1
Zout=RO||R2RO

Concept of Virtual Ground

1. V- 0 V (-) terminal is at ground potential
2. No Current Enters the (-) terminal of the Op-Amp
Valid only when there is feedback connection
between the output and the (-) terminal.

Characteristics of an ideal OP-Amp

Input Resistance Ri =
Output Resistance Ro= 0
Voltage Gain Av =
Bandwidth = (i.e. can work over a wide range
of frequencies)
Perfect balance i.e vo = 0 when v1 = v2
Characteristics do not drift with temperature
7

Ideal Op-Amp analysis

i1=0
V1

Vd = V1-V2
V2

Vo
-

i2=0

i) Ri = ,
No current enters into op-amp
Voltage Gain Av = or, vo/ vd=
or, vd = vo/ = 0 [since vo is finite]
Therefore, v1 - v2 = 0
or,
ii) v1 = v2

Simple OP-AMP Circuits

1. Inverting Amplifier
Using KVL,
v 1 i 1 R1 = 0
i1 = v1/R1
&
0 i 1 Rf v o = 0
or, vo = -i1Rf = -v1Rf/R1
v0/v1 = -Rf/R1

2. Non Inverting Amplifier

10

v v v1

v1 vo v1
i

R1
Rf

Gain

1
1
vo R f
R1 R f
vo R f
1

vo
R1

v1

Input Impedance =
Output Impedance = Ro

11

3. Voltage Follower

v o = v1

Ideal circuit to test Op-Amp

High Input Impedance and Low
Output Impedance also makes it
useful for interfacing transducers
and sensors to other circuits

12

4. Summing Amplifier
Rf

Use superposition
(i.e. consider one
source at a time and
add their respective
outputs)
Can also be done
directly

V1
V2
V3

R1
R2

R3
+

Vo

Rf
Rf
Rf
vo v1
v2
v3
R2
R3
R1

13

Difference Amplifier (or Voltage Subtractor)

R2

Use Superposition
(can also be done directly)

R1
V1

If v2=0,
If v1=0,

Therefore,

R2
vo1 v1
R1

R1

V2

Vo

R2

R2 R2
vo 2 v2
1
R1 R2 R1
R2
v2
R1

R2
vo vo1 vo 2
(v2 v1 )
R1
Difference Gain = R2/R1

14

Integrator
v
i 1
R

C
t

1
vo idt with vo (0) 0
C0

V1

R
i

Therefore,

Vo

1
vo
v1dt with vo (0) 0

RC 0

vo

15

Differentiator

v1

1
idt with v1 (0) 0
C 0

V1

vo iR

Vo

Therefore,
or

1
v1
vo dt

RC 0
vo RC

dv1
dt

16

20K

Example
Find vo in the given
circuit.

10K

v10K

3V
2V

v+

+ vo

+
20K

20 4
v v 2

30 3
vo v v (3)

20
10
vo
1 3
1
v
20
10 20 10
v0 3v 6 10 V

17

Example

Find the gain vo/vi in the

given circuit.
v v 0

Virtual Ground at (-)

vi
v

R1
R

R
vi
R1

vo v v v 2v

R2
R R R
2R
vo v 1 2
R

Gain

R 2 R2
vo
AV

vi
R1

R 2 R2
1
vi

R
R1
R 2 R2

vi
R1

18

Voltage Controlled Current Source

(with grounded load)
v vIN vO v
i1

2v vO vIN
2R
2R
v v
v
3
i2
L
vL v
2R
R
2
v v v v vO 3v v vO 2v
iL O L L

R
R
R
R

i1
vIN

i1

R1
2R

i2

2R

v
R2

R3

vO

2R
R5
i2

R4
vL
R

vIN
Therefore, iL
R

Note that iL does not depend

on RL, implying that we have
got a current source!

iL
RL

General Condition:
R1=R2 & R3=R4+R5
19

Creating an effectively Negative Resistance

What is Negative Resistance?

Normal
Resistance

vi
Ri
ii

Negative
Resistance

vi
Ri
ii
20

Creating an effectively Negative Resistance

R

ii

R
vO vi 1
Ri
vi vO
vi
ii

R
Ri
vi vO vi

Ri
R

+
-

+
vi
-

Let vO = opamp output voltage

and v+=v-=vi

Therefore,

Ri

vi
Ri
ii

vi
Ri
ii

Negative
Resistance
21

Using Capacitors to make Inductors

(practical to do only small values of inductances)
ii
RL

ii

+
vi
-

RL

+
vi

L=RLRC

for 2fCRL<<1
Using phasors, show that

vi RL j RCRL

RL j RCRL
ii
(1 j CRL )
22

Precision Rectifier
The simple half-wave and full-wave rectifiers we
saw earlier have one big drawback They do not
work for small voltages (say a few millivolts). The
input voltage must cross the threshold which
forward biases the diode for rectification to occur.
Using Op-Amps, we can design rectifiers which do
not have this disadvantage.

23

Half-Wave Precision Rectifier

R2

D2

vO

R1

D1

vi

vO

vi

Slope = - R2/R1

You will be making this circuit in EC102 Lab next semester

24

What happens when you reverse the diodes?

R2

D2

vO
R1

D1

vi

vO

vi

Slope = - R2/R1

Build a full wave rectifier using these two half-wave

rectifiers and a difference amplifier needs three opamps!
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Full-Wave Precision Rectifier

R

D2
vO

slope = -1

D1

vi

vi

+
R

2R

2R

vO

Use good resistors with tight

tolerances for this circuit to work,
i.e. 1% resistors,
26