Nodal Analysis of Ideal Operational Amplifier Circuits EE 210 Circuit Analysis

Tony Richardson Introduction Ideal op amp analysis by the two rules method is fast and easy, but can be confusing. The difficulty lies in knowing where to start and when to apply the rules. A method for ideal op amp analysis is presented here which many find to be more straightforward than the two rules method. The disadvantage to this method is that it requires a bit more algebra than the two rules approach. The method is based on the two rules and nodal analysis (Kirchhoff's current law). The Nodal Analysis Method The notation that will be used to represent the op amp terminal voltages and currents is shown in Figure 1. i1 v1 v2 + io vo

i2 Figure 1: Definitions of Voltages and Currents There are two steps in the nodal analysis method: 1) Use nodal analysis (Kirchhoff's current law) to sum currents at both the inverting and noninverting op amp input terminals. Express the currents in terms of the voltages v1, v2, and vo (and other node voltages as necessary). Remember that in an ideal op amp, currents i1 and i2 are zero. (That is one of the rules in the two rules method.) Solve each of the equations for v1 and v2 respectively. In many cases, one of the input terminals is directly connected to a voltage source or ground, the corresponding terminal voltage is then known and it is not necessary to apply Kirchhoff's current law. 2) Set the expressions for v1 and v2 equal to one another. (Remember that in an ideal op amp they are equal that is the other rule in the two rules method.) Solve the resulting equation for the output voltage vo. Inverting Amplifier Example Consider the op amp circuit shown in Figure 2. (This circuit is called an inverting amplifier.) Since the noninverting terminal is connected to ground we know that v2 is equal to zero. We sum currents at the inverting node (I treat currents that leave the terminal as positive) and obtain the second of the following two equations (remember that the current entering the op amp is equal to zero): v 2=0 v 1v a v 1v o =0 Ra Rf

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Solving the second equation for v1 yields: v2=0 v / R v / R v 1= a a o f 1/ Ra 1/ Rf

Rf Ra va + v1 v2 + Ro

+ vo

Figure 2: An Inverting Amplifier Setting the expressions on the right side of each equation equal to one another gives: v a /Ra v o / Rf =0 1 /Ra 1/ Rf Finally, solving for vo produces the desired result: v o= Rf v Ra a

Summing Amplifier Example Now consider the summing amplifier shown in Figure 3. Recognizing that the voltage at the noninverting terminal is also equal to zero and summing currents at the inverting terminal yields the following set of equations: v2=0 v 1v a v 1v b v 1v o =0 Ra Rb Rf Solving the second equation for v1 gives: v 2=0 v / R v /R v /R v 1= a a b b o f 1/ Ra 1/R b1/ Rf After setting the right sides of these two equations equal to each other and solving for vo we obtain: v o=
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Rf Rf va vb Ra Rb
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vb va

Rb Ra v1 v2 +

Rf

Ro

+ vo

Figure 3: A Summing Amplifier Noninverting Amplifier Example A noninverting amplifier is shown in Figure 4. Since i2 is equal to zero, there is no voltage drop across Ra and v2 is equal to va. Summing currents at the inverting terminal yields the second equation in the set below: v2=v a v 1 v1 v o =0 R1 Rf va

Ra

v2 + v1

vo

R1

Rf

Figure 4: A Noninverting Amplifier Solving the second equation for v1, v 2=va v o / Rf v 1= 1/ R11/ Rf Setting the right sides equal to each other and solving for vo gives: v o= 1

Rf R Rf v a= 1 va R1 Rf

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A Final Example Consider the amplifier shown in Figure 5. We obtain the following set of equations after summing currents at both nodes: v 1v a v1v o =0 Ra Rb v 2v s v 2 =0 R1 R2

Rb va vs Ra R1 v1 v2 + R2 vo

Figure 5: A Final Example Solving for v1 and v2 yields: v 1= v a / Ra vo / Rb v a Rbvo Ra = 1/ Ra 1/ Rb Ra Rb R2 v2=vs R1R2

Setting the right hand sides of both equations equal to each other gives: v a Rbvo Ra R2 =vs Ra Rb R1R2 Solving for the output voltages produces: v o= Ra R b R2 Rb vs va Ra R1R2 Ra Rb

In the special case where Ra = Rb and R1 = R2 this reduces to v o=vsva and the output voltage is equal to the difference of the two input voltages.

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