Amplifier and Comparator Chips Information
Amplifier and comparator chips are board-level components for amplifying voltage, current, or power. There are several basic types of amplifier and comparator chips. Differential amplifier chips are designed to amplify a small difference between two signal levels and ignore any common level shared between them. Instrumentation amplifier chips are precision amplifier circuits with both high-impedance differential inputs and high common-mode rejection. The differential gain can be adjusted by changing the value of a single resistor.
Logarithmic amplifier chips (log amp chips) produce an output voltage that is directly proportional to the logarithm of the input voltage. Operational amplifier chips (op amp chips) are general-purpose, closed loop devices used to implement linear functions. They compare two incoming signals and release a third that is an amplified measure of the difference between the two. Power operational amplifier (POA) chips are used to increase the power of low-level signals in applications that drive low impedances or reactive loads. Pulse width modulated (PWM) amplifier chips generate a current that switches between high and low output levels. Sample-and-hold amplifier chips freeze analog voltage instantly. During this process the HOLD command is issued and analog voltage is available for an extended period. Specialized amplifier and comparator chips are also available.
Performance Specifications and Available Features
Amplifier and comparator chips differ in terms of performance specifications and available features. Specifications for differential amplifier chips include bandwidth, gain, minimum gain, supply voltage, supply current, offset voltage, slew rate, and harmonic distortion (second and third harmonics).
Features include number of leads, package type, and power-down options. Specifications for instrumentation amplifier chips include input common-mode voltage range to negative rail, rail to rail (input or output), gain, minimum stable closed loop gain, maximum supply current, maximum voltage offset, typical common mode rejection ratio, typical power supply rejection ratio, maximum input bias current, typical unity gain bandwidth, typical slew rate, input voltage noise, and input current noise.
Specifications for power operational amplifier chips include supply voltage range, internal power dissipation, quiescent current, and power bandwidth. Features for these amplifier and comparator chips include on-chip electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection, rail-to-rail outputs, and embedded current limits. Parameters for PWM amplifier chips include output current, input offset voltage, supply voltage range, internal power dissipation, and quiescent current. Specialized amplifier and comparator chips also differ in terms of specifications and features.
Related Products & Services
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Analog Comparators
Analog comparators are amplifiers that compare the magnitude of voltages at two inputs. An analog comparator is an operational amplifier with negative feedback removed, and with no feedback and very high gain, the output voltage goes to one extreme to the other.
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Audio Amplifier Chips
Audio amplifiers are used in circuits and systems to process audio signals.
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Buffer Amplifiers
Buffer amplifiers have unity gain. They are used to match impedances between two devices, or as isolators.
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Current Sense Amplifiers
Current sense amplifiers are integrated circuits with operational amplifiers and sense resistors that are used in measuring the amplitude and direction of current in circuits.
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Differential Amplifier Chips
Differential amplifier chips are designed to amplify the difference between two input signals. They can amplify a small difference between two signal levels and ignore any common level shared between them.
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Instrumentation Amplifier Chips
Instrumentation amplifier chips are precision amplifier circuits with both high-impedance differential inputs and high common-mode rejection.
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Isolation Amplifiers
Isolation amplifiers electrically isolate input and output signals, often by inductive couplings. Isolation amplifiers, or iso-amps as they are sometimes called, may be used to protect components from potentially dangerous voltages or to amplify low-level analog signals in applications with multiple channels.
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Operational Amplifiers
Operational amplifiers (op amps, op-amps) are general-purpose, closed-loop devices that are used to implement linear functions.
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Power Operational Amplifiers
Power operational amplifiers (POA) are used to increase the power of low-level signals in applications that drive low impedances or reactive loads. They dissipate excess energy as heat, deliver extensive current, and can sustain relatively high supply voltages.
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PWM Amplifier Chips
Pulse width modulated (PWM) amplifier chips generate a current that switches between high and low output levels. PWM amplifiers have a much higher power capability for a given volume than linear amplifiers. They are also less expensive.
