Instrumentation Amplifiers

Passive Transducer Measurement Configuration:

For passive transducers in a bridge configuration the voltage of interest is the
differential voltage e = VB - VA

Therefore need a difference amplifier with a committed adjustable gain Ad

Want Vo = Ad(VB - VA) = Ad e
VA VB E
R
VCM = 2 2 R+R

Want to reject VCM

R R
IA

Vo = Ad e
Instrumentation Amplifiers:
Active Transducer Measurement Configuration:
For an active transducer the differential voltage e
created by the transducer is of interest
Therefore need a difference amplifier
with a committed adjustable gain Ad
Want Vo = Ad e
Surface whose temperature IA
is to be measured may be at
some non-zero potential (VCM)
relative to ground Vo = Ad e
Want to reject VCM
Instrumentation Amplifiers:
Transducer and Instrumentation Amplifier (IA) Circuit Model:
IA has a committed adjustable differential gain Ad
If e is the differential voltage of interest (v id) IA
Want Vo = Ade
Want a high CMRR to reject VCM
Want high Zin and low Zout
Zd is the
differential input impedance (1 - 100 M)
ZCM is the
common mode input impedance (100 M)
IA not an op-amp
Op amp open loop uncommitted gain
IA closed loop committed gain
IA has higher Zin and CMRR
IA has lower Vos and Ibias and drift with temperature
R1 and R2 are the source impedances of input transducer - R 1 may not equal R2
Instrumentation Amplifiers:
Transducer (Sensor) and Instrumentation Amplifier
Common Mode Voltage Equivalent Circuit:

A Set e = 0

Unwanted parasitic differential voltage Vp produced by VCM

due to imperfections in the transducer and/or transducer connections.
If bridge is balanced Vp = 0 If bridge is not balanced Vp 0

Vp will contaminate Vo Vo Ad e Vo = Ad (e + Vp)

Therefore even if the IA has an infinite CMRR (i.e ACM =0)
still have a common mode output voltage error
Instrumentation Amplifiers:
Transducer (Sensor) and Instrumentation Amplifier
Common Mode Voltage Equivalent Circuit:

A Set e = 0

Assuming the worst case imbalance:

R1 = 0
B

Circuit becomes
Usually specified with a 1k
source impedance imbalance
Instrumentation Amplifiers:

Ad
IA CMMR = A CM

VCM B
Circuit CMRR = Vp

Increasing ZCM reduces Vp

Instrumentation Amplifiers:
Differential Amplifier: (Single op-amp instrumentation amplifier)
To obtain vo in terms of v1and v2 use superposition theorem
Instrumentation Amplifiers:
Differential Amplifier: (Single op-amp instrumentation amplifier)
Short input to v2 (Inverting Configuration)
Instrumentation Amplifiers:
Differential Amplifier: (Single op-amp instrumentation amplifier)
Short input to v1 (Noninverting Configuration)
Instrumentation Amplifiers:
Differential Amplifier: (Single op-amp instrumentation amplifier)
To obtain vo in terms of v1and v2 use superposition theorem
Instrumentation Amplifiers:
Differential Amplifier: (Single op-amp instrumentation amplifier)
Differential Input Impedance: Rin, Rid, Zid, Zd

Zd = 2R1 Zd is limited
Instrumentation Amplifiers:
Transducer and Differential Amplifier Circuit Model:
External Circuit Instrumentation Amplifier

Op Amp

CMRR, Zd and ZCM are important attributes of an IA.

Instrumentation Amplifiers:
Transducer and Differential Amplifier
Common Mode Voltage Equivalent Circuit:

A
D
RS2 RS 1

D B
Ri2+ Rf2
Ri1+ Rf1 + Ro

ZCM

Can assume Ro = 0

CMRR, Zd and ZCM are important attributes of an IA.

Instrumentation Amplifiers:
Three Op Amp Instrumentation Amplifier:
CMRR and Zin are very important attributes of an IA
Can increase Zin of difference amplifier configuration by adding unity gain buffers
or buffers with gain
Instrumentation Amplifiers:
Three Op Amp Instrumentation Amplifier:
CMRR and Zin are very important attributes of an IA
Can increase Zin of difference amplifier configuration by adding buffers
Common mode signals are not amplified if common R1 is used and
connection to ground is removed.
Instrumentation Amplifiers:
Transducer and Three Op Amp IA Circuit Diagram:

External Circuit Instrumentation Amplifier

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