You can use three discrete transistors to build an operational amplifier with an open-loop gain greater than 1 million (Figure 1). You bias the output at approximately one-half the supply voltage ...

Over the last 5 years some outstanding advances have been made in monolithic operational amplifiers. These devices have progressed from the point where they were an expensive curiosity, with marginal ...

The operational amplifier, or op amp, is one of the most basic building blocks used in analog circuits. Ever since single-chip op amps were introduced in the 1960s, thousands of different types have ...

Andy recommends favorite resources for basic op amp circuits and includes a portion of TI's AN-20. Test your knowledge with our op amp quiz; answer explanations are included. By 1969, a fledgling ...

Power operational amplifiers (POPs) are becoming increasingly common in control circuitry. Their primary advantages over conventional amplifiers are reduced part counts, increased reliability, and ...

Why discretes tend to win out over ICs when it comes to designing ‘folded cascode’ charge amplifiers. By Tolga Aydemir Integrated circuits (ICs) are vital in helping to reduce the cost, size and ...

Are your jellybeans getting stale? [lcamtuf] thinks so, and his guide to choosing op-amps makes a good case for rethinking what parts you should keep in stock. For readers of a certain vintage, the ...

The term instrumentation amplifier (INA) often is misused, referring to the application rather than the architecture of the device. Historically, any amplifier that was considered precision (i.e., ...