TABLE OF CONTENTS This chapter, one of the longer of those within the book, deals with topics just as important as all of those basic circuits immediately surrounding the op amp, discussed earlier. The chapter deals with various and sundry circuit/system issues that fall under the guise of system hardware and housekeeping techniques. In this context, the hardware and housekeeping may be all those support items surrounding an op amp, excluding the op amp itself. This includes issues of passive components, printed circuit design, power supply systems, protection of op amp devices against overvoltage and thermal effects, EMI/RFI issues, and finally, simulation, breadboarding, and prototyping. Some of these topics aren't directly involved in the actual signal path of a design, but they are every bit as important as choosing the correct device and surrounding circuit values.
James Bryant, Walt Jung, Walt Kester
When designing with op amps and other precision analog devices, it is critical that users avoid the pitfall of poor passive component choice. In fact, the wrong passive component can derail even the best op amp or data converter application. This section includes discussion of some basic traps of choosing passive components for op amp applications.
So, good money has been spent for a precision op amp or data converter, only to find that, when plugged into the board, the device doesn't meet spec. Perhaps the circuit suffers from drift, poor frequency response, and oscillations or simply doesn't achieve expected...
