OP-AMP BASIC APPLICATIONS Differential Amplifier

Summing Amplifier

I2 = If
I1+I2+I3 + In = If
(V2–V’)/R1 V’/Rf  (1)
V1/R1+V2/R2+V3/R3+….+Vn/Rn Vo/Rf
I1 = If
(V1–V’)/R1 (V’-VO)/Rf (2)

Example: Show that the amplifier below

produces an output whose magnitude is the
average of the input voltages.
Integrator
An op-amp integrator simulates mathematical
integration which is basically a summing process
that determines the total area under the curve
of a function.

Example: Determine the weight of each input

voltage for the scaling adder and find the output
voltage.

IR = IC
Vi/R = – C (dVout/dt)
1
RC 
vo (t )  vi (t )dt

The integrator is most commonly used in analog

computers and ADC and signal-wave shaping
circuits.
Basic Op-amp Applications (M. LATINA) p. 1
A constant input voltage produces a ramp on the IC = IR
output of the integrator. C (dVin/dt) = -Vout/R
 dV 
vo   i  RC
 dt 
- The differentiator is most commonly
used in waveshaping circuits to detect high
frequency components in an input signal and
also as a rate–of–change detector in FM
modulators.
The rate at which the capacitor charges, and The output is negative when the input is a (+)
therefore the slope of the ramp , is set by the going ramp and positive when the input is a (-)
ratio IC/C. going ramp.
Since IC = Vin/Ri, the rate of change or the slope
of the integrator’s output voltage is

Example: Given the circuit

Example: Determine the output voltage of the

op-amp differentiator for the input shown.

(a) Determine the rate of change of the output

voltage.
(b)Draw the output waveform.

Differentiator
A differentiator produces an output that is
Comparator
proportional to the rate of change of the input
A comparator is a specialized op-amp circuit
voltage.
used to determine when an input exceeds a
certain level. In this application, the op-amp is
used in the open-loop configuration, with the
input voltage on one input and a reference
voltage on the other.

Basic Op-amp Applications (M. LATINA) p. 2

Zero-Level Detection
Because of the open-loop voltage gain, a very
small difference voltage between the + and –
inputs drive the amplifier output either +Vsat or –
Vsat.
Nonzero-Level Detection
Vref can also be set by other means, e.g. a
battery or a zener diode.
Vref can also be set by the voltage-divider
network:
Example: The input signal is applied to the
circuit. Make a sketch of the output showing its
Basic Op-amp Applications (M. LATINA)
proper relationship to the input signal. Assume
the maximum output levels of the op-amp are
±12V.
Effect of noise on comparator circuit:
Any time there is a transition through the
reference voltage level, no matter how tiny that
transition may be, the output of the comparator
will switch states, producing a square wave with
"glitches."
Reducing noise effects with Hysteresis (Schmitt
Trigger)
A comparator with hysteresis is also known as a
Schmitt trigger. This hysteresis will cause the
output to remain in its current state unless the
AC input voltage undergoes a major change in
magnitude.
p. 3
 Example: Determine the upper and lower trigger
points and the hysteresis for the comparator
circuit in the figure. Assume that +Vsat=
+15 Vand ‒Vsat V.

The amount of hysteresis is defined by the

difference of the two trigger levels and are given
by the following formulas:

Output Bounding with One Zener

A single zener diode can be used to limit the
output voltage to the zener voltage in one
direction and to the forward-biased zener
voltage on the other.

When the input voltage Vin exceeds VUTP, the

output voltage drops to its negative maximum, -
Vsat, and the voltage fed back to the non-
inverting input is VLTP. The input voltage must
now fall below VLTP before the device will switch
back to its other voltage level. This means that a
small amount of noise voltage has no effect on
the output.

Output Bounding with Two Zener

Two zener diodes would limit the output voltage

to the zener voltage plus the forward voltage
drop (0.7V) of the forward-biased zener voltage.

Basic Op-amp Applications (M. LATINA) p. 4

 daybreak the photo signal rises and the
comparator turns the lamp off.

Comparator Application #1

Example: Determine the output voltage

waveform.

Comparator Application #2
Window Comparator

The window comparator detects when an input

voltage is between two limits, an upper and a
lower called a “window”.

Comparator Application
Comparators are used in control circuits. A
simple example is found in nighttime sensing
street lamps. The lamps use a comparator to
compare a signal from a light-sensitive photo
detector with a reference signal. At nightfall the
photo signal falls below the reference signal,
and the comparator turns the street lamp on. At

Basic Op-amp Applications (M. LATINA) p. 5