Operational Amplifiers (Opamps)

The introduction of the μA741 operational amplifier (opamp, op-amp, op amp) integrated circuit in 1968 significantly changed the analog design philosophy from on where every amplifier circuit was designed with individual transistor amplifiers, to a more "packaged" approach. Due to the opamp's unique characteristics (see below), it became possible to apply simple formulas to standard configurations for creating many circuits. There are many "cookbooks" available that contain hundreds of configurations covering everything from simple amplifiers to complex filters, differentiators, integrators, multi-break-point frequency responses, even logarithmic amplifiers.

Standard nodal analysis can be used to perform opamp circuit analysis, including the properties of superposition. Here are a few of most often found opamp configurations that are found either by themselves, or as part of more complex circuits.

Ideal opamps assume the following properties:

  * Infinite open loop gain
  * Zero output impedance
  * Infinite input impedance
  * Infinite bandwidth

Non-Inverting
Operational Amplifier OpAmp Non-Inverting

 

Inverting
Operational Amplifier OpAmp Inverting

 
Differentiating
Operational Amplifier OpAmp Differentiating



At any single frequency
the gain is:

Integrating
Operational Amplifier OpAmp Integrating

 

At any single frequency
the gain is:
Differential
Operational Amplifier OpAmp Differential

 




Webmaster: Kirt Blattenberger, BSEE, UVM 1989