MCT 411: ELECTRONICS II

Dr. Kafayat O. Shobowale

Course Outline

Ideal operational Amplifier. Connection as non-inverting and inverting amplifier. The

differential amplifier, transfer characteristics of the differential amplifier (Differential
amplifier as a modulator and multiplier). Operational amplifier parameters (common-mode
rejection ratio, offset voltages and currents etc.) Class A, AB, B and push-pull power
amplifiers. Analysis of power amplifiers and head sinks. Thermal stabilization. Complimentary
and quasi-complimentary output stages. Application of analogue integrated circuits such as
wideband amplifiers, instrumentation amplifiers, multiplier circuits, voltage-controlled
oscillators and phase locked loops. Design techniques for advanced analogue circuits
containing transistors and operational amplifiers.

Ideal operational Amplifier

● The ideal op-amp model is a key building block of designing analog filters, amplifiers,
oscillators, sources, and more
Operational amplifiers (op-amps), are an essential building block of analog electronic systems.
In different configurations with a few other components, op-amps can be used to process and
manipulate an analog voltage signal in many different ways. This includes many kinds of filters
(low-pass, high-pass, band-pass, integrator, differentiator), amplifiers (buffer, inverting, non-
inverting, differential, summing, instrumentation), oscillators, comparators, sources (voltage,
current), converters (voltage-to-current, current-to-voltage), and even some nonlinear
applications. These applications are tremendously useful!

An ideal operational Amplifier is an amplifier with the following characteristics:

● Infinite input impedance
● Infinite open-loop gain for the differential signal
● Zero gain for the common-mode signal
● Zero output impedance
● Infinite Bandwidth
● Zero noise
It has positive and negative inputs which allow circuits that use feedback to achieve a wide
range of functions.

Figure 1: Ideal Operational amplifier symbol

Using op amps, it's easy to make amplifiers, comparators, log amps, filters, oscillators, data
converters, level translators, references, and more. Mathematical functions like addition,
subtraction, multiplication, and integration can be easily accomplished.

Practical, real-world op amps have finite characteristics but in most applications, are close
enough to the ideal to make a huge range of inexpensive, high-performance analog applications
possible. They are the building block for analog design. One key to op amp design is nodal
analysis. Since the input impedance is infinite, the current in and out of the + and − input nodes
defines the circuit's behavior.

Recap!

So, an ideal op amp is defined as, a differential amplifier with infinite open loop gain, infinite
input resistance and zero output resistance.
The ideal op amp has zero input current. This is because of infinite input resistance. As the
input resistance of ideal op amp is infinite, an open circuit exists at input, hence current at both
input terminals is zero.
There is no current through the input resistance, there will be no voltage drop between the input
terminals. Hence no offset voltage appears across the inputs of an ideal operational amplifier.
If v1 and v2 are the voltages of inverting and non-inverting terminals of op amp, and v1 = v2
then in ideal case,

The bandwidth of operation of an ideal op-amp is also infinite. That means the op-amp
perform its function for all ranges of frequencies of operation.

Ideal vs. Non-Ideal

Today, an op-amp is an integrated circuit (IC) containing a few dozen individual transistors
and passive components. Historically, before the age of ICs (1960s-1970s), most amplifiers or
analog signal processing stages would be purpose-designed for a specific application to avoid
the op-amp’s relatively high complexity and cost. But now that IC op-amps have only a few
pins and cost just a few pennies, it usually makes sense to take advantage of their enormous
potential for making analog designs simpler.

Most op-amps aspire to perform like the ideal op-amp, a theoretical model that both works
well in simulation and makes it easy to solve circuits by hand. As a result, most design and
analysis will treat the op-amp as being ideal.

This ideality breaks down in real-world non-ideal op-amps. These limitations are crucial for
knowing when you can approximate your analysis as an ideal op-amp, and when you can’t.
They can also help you choose the correct op-amp to implement your design.

Connection as non-inverting and inverting amplifier

The operational amplifier is a high-gain multistage differential amplifier. It has two inputs and
one output, where the input terminals are named as inverting terminal and non-inverting
terminal. The inverting terminal of the Op-Amp is marked with positive (+) polarity, whereas
the noninverting represents the negative (-) polarity terminal.

Depending on the circuit configuration, the operational amplifier is classified into two types
namely,
 • Inverting Amplifier
• Non-Inverting Amplifier

Inverting Amplifier
An operational amplifier which is designed to produce an output signal that is 180° out of
phase with the applied input signal is called an inverting amplifier.

Therefore, in case of an inverting amplifier, if the input signal has positive phase then the
amplified output signal will have negative phase and vice-versa. The inverting operational
amplifier is the simplest and most extensively used configuration of the operational amplifiers.

Figure 2: Inverting amplifier

A typical circuit of an inverting amplifier is depicted in Figure 2. From this circuit, a feedback
signal is provided in the operational amplifier so that the circuit can perform the closed loop
operation. Please note that the feedback provided is the negative one, which increases the
accuracy of operation of the circuit. The closed loop gain of the inverting amplifier (also in
Figure 2) is given by the following expression:

Where, R2 is the feedback resistance and R1 is the resistance between source and input
terminal. Inverting amplifiers are used in a number of applications like phase shifter,
integration, signal balancing, mixer circuits, etc.

Non-Inverting Amplifier

A type of operational amplifier in which the input signal and the amplified output signal have
the similar phase, then the amplifier is known as non-inverting amplifier. Thus, in case of a
non-inverting amplifier, if the input signal has a positive phase, then the amplified output
signal will also have the positive phase and the same is true for negative phase.

Figure 3: Non-inverting amplifier

The typical circuit configuration of a non-inverting amplifier is shown in Figure 3. In this

amplifier, the input signal is applied at the non-inverting terminal, while the feedback is
provided at the inverting terminal. Thus, the non-inverting amplifier has a negative feedback.

The following expression gives the closed loop gain of the non-inverting amplifier,

Non-inverting amplifiers are used in circuits where high input impedance is required. They
are used as a voltage follower, isolation of cascaded circuits, to perform mathematical
simulations, etc.

Difference between Inverting Amplifier and Non-Inverting Amplifier

Basis of Difference Inverting Amplifier Non-Inverting

Amplifier
Definition A type of operational A type of operational
amplifier which generates an amplifier which generates an
amplified output signal that amplified output signal that
is 180° out of phase with the is in phase with the applied
input signal is called an input signal is called a non-
inverting amplifier. inverting operational
amplifier.
Input In case of an inverting In a non-inverting amplifier,
amplifier, the input signal is the input signal is applied at
applied at the negative the positive (called non-
(called inverting) terminal of inverting) terminal.
the amplifier.
Phase difference between In the inverting amplifier, The non-inverting amplifier
input & output signals there is a phase difference of has a phase difference of 0°
180° between the input between the input and output
signal and output signal. signals. Therefore, the input
Hence, the input and output and output signals are in-
signals are out of phase in phase with each other in case
case of an inverting of a noninverting amplifier.
amplifier.
Feedback In the inverting amplifier, the In the non-inverting
feedback is provided at the amplifier, the feedback
same terminal at which the signal (negative terminal)
input signal is applied. and input signal (positive
terminal) are connected to
different terminals.
Ground Terminal The positive terminal of the The negative terminal of the
inverting amplifier is noninverting amplifier is
connected to the ground. connected to the ground.
Feedback ground In the inverting amplifier, the In the non-inverting
feedback is not connected to amplifier, the feedback is
ground. connected to ground through
a resistance (in our case R1).
Nature of output The inverting amplifier The output produced by a
produces an inverted output noninverting amplifier is
which is expressed with non-inverted in nature and
negative polarity. expressed with positive
polarity.
Expression of closed loop The closed loop gain of an The closed loop gain of a
gain inverting amplifier is non-inverting amplifier is

Thus, the gain of the

Hence, the gain of the non-
inverting amplifier is just a
inverting amplifier is the sum
ratio of resistances.
of 1 and the ratio of
resistances.
Gain polarity The polarity of gain of an The polarity of gain of a non-
inverting amplifier is inverting amplifier is
negative. positive.
Gain value The gain of an inverting The gain of a non-inverting
amplifier may be less than, amplifier is always more
more than or equal to unity than 1.
(1).
 Input impedance The input impedance of an The input impedance of a
inverting amplifier is equal noninverting amplifier is
to R1 (refer Figure 2). extremely high.
Applications The applications of inverting The applications of the non-
amplifiers are: in trans- inverting amplifiers are: in
resistance amplifiers, at the the circuits that require high
output stage in the circuits input impedance, isolation of
designed with different types cascaded circuits, changing
of sensors, integrator gain considerations, voltage
circuits, phase shifter, etc. followers, etc.

The most significant difference is that an inverting amplifier introduces a phase shift of 180°
between the input and output signals, whereas a non-inverting amplifier has 0° phase shift (no
phase shift) between input and output signals. Both inverting and non-inverting amplifiers use
negative feedback which increases the controllability of the gain of the amplifier.