Chapter 20

Special-Purpose
Op-Amp Circuits

Objectives
Analyze and explain the operation of an
instrumentation amplifier
Analyze and explain the operation of an isolation
amplifier
Analyze and explain the operation of an OTA
Analyze and explain the operation of active diode
circuits
Analyze and explain several special types of op-amp
circuits

Instrumentation Amplifiers
A basic instrumentation
amplifier is shown
Op-amps A1 and A2 are
noninverting, providing
high input impedance
and voltage gain
Op-amp A3 is a unity
gain differential
amplifier
Resistor RG sets the gain

Instrumentation Amplifiers
Instrumentation amplifiers are normally used to
measure small differential signal voltages that are
superimposed on a common-mode voltage often
larger than the signal voltage
Devices such as remote pressure or temperature
transducers may have long lead lengths that will pick up
common-mode electrical noise
The instrumentation amplifier at the end of the line must
amplify the small signal from the remote sensor and
reject the large common-mode voltage

Isolation Amplifiers
The difference between an isolation amplifier and
an instrumentation amplifier is that the isolation
amplifier has an input stage, an output stage and
and power supply section that are all electrically
isolated from each other
Transformer coupled isolation is commonly used
An isolation amplifier is capable of operating with three
independent grounds, for the input signal, the output
signal, and the power supply

Isolation Amplifiers

Isolation Amplifiers
The isolation amplifier is used in applications that
require no common ground between a transducer
and the process circuits where interfacing to
sensitive equipment is required
In chemical, nuclear and metal-processing industries,
millivolt signals many exist in the presence of large
common-mode voltages in the kV range
The isolation amplifier can amplify small signals from
very noisy equipment and provide a safe output to
sensitive equipment such as computers

Operational Transconductance
Amplifiers (OTAS)
The OTA is primarily a voltage-to-current
amplifier in which the output current equals the
gain times the input voltage
Like the conventional op-amp, the OTA has:
Two differential input terminals
High input impedance
High CMRR

Operational Transconductance
Amplifiers (OTAS)
The double circle
symbol at the output
represents an output
current source that is
dependent on a bias
current

Operational Transconductance
Amplifiers (OTAS)
Unlike the conventional op-amp, the OTA has:
A bias-current input terminal
A high output impedance
No fixed open-loop voltage gain

By definition, the transconductance of an

electronic device is the ratio of the output current to
the input voltage
Voltage is the input variable
Current is the output variable
Voltage-to-current gain is the transconductance, gm

Operational Transconductance
Amplifiers (OTAS)
The transconductance
of the amplifier is
determined by the
amount of bias
current, which is set
by the dc supply
voltages and the bias
resistor RBIAS

Operational Transconductance
Amplifiers (OTAS)
One feature of an OTA is that the voltage gain can
be controlled by the amount of bias current
By changing the resistance, you can produce a change
in IBIAS, which changes the transconductance
A change in the transconductance changes the voltage
gain
Variations in the bias voltage, applied to RBIAS, will
cause a change in the bias current

Operational Transconductance
Amplifiers (OTAS)
Amplitude Modulator
The voltage gain is varied by applying a modulation
voltage to the bias input

Active Diode Circuits

A clamping circuit or clamper is used to add a dc level to a
signal voltage
Clampers are referred to as dc restorers because they are used to
restore a dc level to a signal that has been processed through
capacitively coupled amplifiers

Active Diode Circuits

Diode limiters cut off or limit voltage above or below
specified voltage levels

Active Diode Circuits

When the input voltage is less than the reference
voltage, the op-amp differential input voltage is
positive
The positive output of the op-amp forward biases the
diode
The op-amp operates as a voltage-follower
When the input is greater than the reference voltage,
the op-amp output is negative
The negative output of the op-amp reverse biases the
diode, so the diode is effectively open

Active Diode Circuits

Peak Detector
Used to detect the
peak input voltage and
store that peak voltage
on a capacitor

Active Diode Circuits

The basic operation of the peak detector is:
Input voltage is applied to the noninverting input
through Ri
The high-level output voltage of the op-amp forwardbiases the diode and charges the capacitor
The capacitor charges until its voltage reaches a value
equal to the input voltage and thus both inputs are at the
same voltage
When the capacitor voltage is greater than or equal to
the input voltage, the diode is reverse biased, and the
capacitor holds the peak voltage

Other Op-Amp Circuits

Constant-Current
Source
Delivers a load current
that remains constant
when the load resistance
changes
As long as VIN and Ri
remain constant, IL will
be constant

IL = VIN/Ri

Other Op-Amp Circuits

Current-to-Voltage
Converter
Converts a variable
input current to a
proportional output
voltage

Vout = IiRf

Other Op-Amp Circuits

Voltage-to-Current
Converter
Input voltage controls
output current (load)

IL = Vin/R1

Summary
A basic instrumentation amplifier is formed by
three op-amps and seven resistors, including the
gain-setting resistor, RG
An instrumentation amplifier has high input
impedance, high CMRR, low output offset, and
low output impedance
The voltage gain of a basic instrumentation
amplifier is set by a single external resistor

Summary
An instrumentation amplifier is useful in
applications where small signals are embedded in
large common-mode noise
A basic isolation amplifier has three electrically
isolated parts: input, output, and power
Most isolation amplifiers use transformer coupling
for isolation
Isolation amplifiers are used to interface sensitive
equipment with high-voltage environments

Summary
The operational transconductance amplifier (OTA) is
a voltage-to-current amplifier
The output current of an OTA is the input voltage
times the transconductance
In an OTA, transconductance varies with the bias
current; therefore, the gain of an OTA can be varied
with a bias voltage or a variable resistor
Diode clampers add a dc level to an ac signal
Diode limiters cut off voltage above and below
specified levels. Limiters are also called clippers