Lab 3 Report

Operational Amplifiers Part 1

Kevin Bradshaw & Yuan Tian
ECEN 325-503
Instructor: Sebastian Hoyos
September 23, 2015
Items
1
2
3
4
5
6
7

Pre-lab
Title Page
Intro /Theory / Procedure
Summary
Experimental Results /
Analysis / Discussion
Problems Encountered
Conclusion
Questions
Total

Grade Assigned
20%
5%
10%
40%
5%
5%
15%
100%

Student's Grade

Objectives

Understand the underlying principles of the operational amplifier.

Evaluate the differences between inverting and non-inverting
amplifiers.
Analyze the outputs to operational amplifiers and understand how they
could be essential for the building blocks of microelectronics.

Procedure
Part A: Input Offset Current Measurement
The first part of this lab consisted building a simple operational amplifier (opamp) with two equivalent resistors feeding into each input and to ground.
This was done in order to calculate the respective DC input currents. Then,
finding the difference between the currents into both input terminals
determined the input offset current. The measurements from the Digital
Multimeter (DMM) and results from the calculations for these currents can be
found in Table 1.
Part B: DC Offset Voltage Measurement
In order to reduce the internal unbalances of the op-amps used in the lab,
the offset voltage would need to be as close to zero as possible. To do this,
first the non-inverting op-amp from the pre-lab was built with the respective
resistor values that were calculated. Then the output offset voltage was
measured using the DMM and recorded. Finally, the input offset voltage was
calculated by dividing the output over the circuit's gain. These
measurements and results are recorded in Table 2. Using these results, a
20k potentiometer was connected to the offset pins of the op-amp (pins 1
and 5) in order to vary the resistance to compensate for the offset voltage.
These values used for the potentiometer are also recorded in Table 2 and are
used for the rest of the lab.
Part C: Inverting Amplifier
In this part of the lab, the inverting amplifier from the pre-lab was
constructed using the values that were already calculated plus the
potentiometer that was kept on the configuration. A 1Vpp 1 kHz sine wave
was applied to the inverting terminal and was displayed onto the bench
oscilloscope (output signal is shown in Figure 1). The output voltage, peak to
peak voltages, and closed loop gain were measured calculated, and recorded
in Table 3. Then the input voltage was increased from 1Vpp to 3Vpp in
increments of 0.2 Volts. These values are recorded in Table 4. This was done

to find the maximum value input amplitude before distortion of the signal
occurred on the oscilloscope. The maximum value and it's respective
distorted output waveform can be seen in Figure 2.

Figure 1: Inverting Amplifier

Input and Output Voltages at 1
Vpp

Figure 2: Inverting Amplifier

Input and Output Voltages at 3
Vpp

Following this, the FFT screen function on the oscilloscope was used to
perform a distortion analysis for the input signal set to 2.5 Vpp. With the
appropriate settings on the oscilloscope, the differences between the first
harmonic and the second and third harmonic were measured and are
recorded in Table 5. This display can be seen in Figure 3. Then, changing the
input to 2 Vpp, the transfer characteristic function was analyzed by changing
the display mode on the oscilloscope. This display allows the upper and
lower limits of the output voltage to be seen when the op-amp is driven to
saturation by increasing the input voltage (sketch is shown in Figure 4). This
resulted in a decreasing linear region until the limits that flat-lined to output
voltages. This was expected because the non-inverting input for an inverting
amplifier always stays at zero while the inverting input has a negative gain.
The precise voltage values for the upper and lower limits were 5.2 Volts and
-5.2 Volts. The slope had a value of -5.
Figure 3: Inverting Amplifier
FFT Display

Figure 4: See attached handdrawn sketch for the

saturation limits of the
inverting amplifier.

Part D: Inverting Amplifier Distortion analysis using NI Elvis Dynamic Signal

Analyzer SFP.
For this part of the lab, the same inverting amplifier was still used but was
analyzed with the NI Elvis software in order to obtain the bode plots. The
inputs of the circuit were connected to the analog inputs of the prototype
board and the function generator on the bench. Then the output was
connected to the NI Elvis output port. Using a 1Vpp 1kHz sine wave again, the
Dynamic Signal Analyzer was then used from the NI Elvis software. With the
appropriate settings, the bode plot for this part can be viewed in Figure 5.
Afterwards, the input voltage was increased to 3 Vpp and the results from this
can be seen in Figure 6. By comparing these figures, the peak magnitude
(dB) can be seen to be moved from the first harmonic to third harmonic. This
is because each harmonic tone increases by 1kHz every time. Using this
frequency spectrum, the RMS Voltage can then be calculated.
Figure 5: Inverting Amplifier Distortion Analysis at
1 Vpp

Figure 6: Inverting Amplifier Distortion Analysis

at 3 Vpp

Part E: Non-inverting Amplifier

The final part of this lab consisted of repeating the same steps in Part C and
Part D of this lab but with the non-inverting op-amp from the pre-lab.
Part C procedures for the non-inverting amplifier:

The output voltage, peak to peak voltages, and closed loop gain were
measured calculated, and recorded in Table 6. With the appropriate settings
on the oscilloscope, the differences between the first harmonic and the
second and third harmonic were measured and are recorded in Table 7. See
Figures 7 through 9 for each signal of the non-inverting amplifier.
Figure 7: Non-Inverting
Amplifier Input and Output
Voltages at 1 Vpp

Figure 8: Non-Inverting
Amplifier Input and Output
Voltages at 3 Vpp

This resulted in a decreasing linear region until the limits that flat-lined to
output voltages. This was expected because the non-inverting input for an
inverting amplifier always stays at zero while the inverting input has a
negative gain. The precise voltage values for the upper and lower limits were
5.2 Volts and -5.2 Volts. The slope had a value of 5 and can be seen in Figure
10.
Figure 9: Non-Inverting
Amplifier FFT Display

Figure 10: See attached handdrawn sketch for the

saturation limits of the noninverting amplifier.

Part D procedures for the non-inverting amplifier:

With the appropriate settings, the bode plot for this part can be viewed in
Figure 10. Afterwards, the input voltage was increased to 3 Vpp and the
results from this can be seen in Figure 11. By comparing these figures, the
peak magnitude (dB) can be seen to be moved from the first harmonic to
third harmonic. This is because each harmonic tone increases by 1kHz every
time. Using this frequency spectrum, the RMS Voltage can then be
calculated.
Figure 10: Non-Inverting Amplifier Distortion
Analysis at 1 Vpp

Figure 11: Non-Inverting Amplifier Distortion

Analysis at 3 Vpp

Data Tables
Table 1: Measured Resistances, Voltages and
Currents (Circuit 1)

Resistance

Voltage

Currents

VP

0.24787 M

-10.81 mV

43.61 nA

Vn

0.24756 M

-10.83 mV

43.79 nA

-0.14 nA

Input offset Current

Table 2: DC Offset Voltage

Output
R Configuration

R1
Value

4.07K

CH1
Value

Input

V pp

38.52K

Table 3: Inverting Amplifier

Configuration
Measured
(V) CH2 V pp (V)

1.02

V pp (V)
1.20
1.40
1.60
1.80
2.00
2.20
2.40
2.60
2.80

Input
Voltage
1.07 mV

Voltage
5.65 mV

-5.20

V out

Closed Loop
Gain

2.486 V

-5.1

Table 4: Increasing Amplitude

Measurements
CH1

V pp

1.24
1.48
1.68
1.88
2.04
2.28
2.52
2.68
2.88

(V)

Potentiomete
r
0.88K 0.70K

CH2

V pp
6.20
7.28
8.32
9.28
10.3
11.3
12.0
12.2
12.2

(V)

3.00

3.08

12.2

Table 5: Distortion Analysis (Inverting

1KHz

2KHz

3KHz

2.5V

V pp

13.5 dB

-22.1 dB

-20.9 dB

(1KHz2KHz)
35.6 dB

3.5V

V pp

13.5 dB

-20.9 dB

-2.55 dB

30.8 dB

(1KHz3KHz)
33.4 dB
16.0 dB

Table 6: Non-Inverting Amplifier Configuration

V pp

CH1
Value

(V)

CH2

1.04

V pp

(V)

5.20

Measured

V out

Closed Loop
Gain

2.45 V

Table 7: Distortion Analysis (Non-inverting

Amplifier)

2.5V

V pp

1KHz

2KHz

3KHz

12.7 dB

-29.3 dB

-26.1 dB

(1KHz2KHz)
42 dB

(1KHz3KHz)
38.8 dB

Applicable Calculations
V =IR
V out
=V
R2
1+
R1
Slope=

( y 2 y 1)
(x 2x 1)

Discussion
1. Op-amp Measurements and Specified Values Comparison:
The following table consists of comparable values from the lab and the
datasheet for the 741 op-amp.

Input Offset Current

Input Offset Voltage
Maximum Peak
Output Voltage Swing

Measured
0.14 nA
1.0767 mV

Specified
20 nA
1 mV

12.2 V

14 V

2. Data from plots in Part C, D, and E:

The data from these plots are discussed in the procedure with each
corresponding figure.
3. Simulated and Theoretical Op-amp Comparisons:
The PSpice simulation from the first inverting op-amp from the pre-lab
has a closed loop gain of 5.003. The theoretical ideal gain based on the
calculation is 5. According to Figure 1, the ratio of the output voltage
and the input voltage is equal to 4.81. The slope according to the
transfer characteristic shown on the oscilloscope was 4.9.
These four are all very similar and show that the error in the transfer
function only changes the closed loop gain by a small factor. This is
why in most cases the ideal op-amp can be used to calculate the
transfer function.
4. Distortion Measurements:
For the inverting amplifier, the output voltage produced was 2.53V
peak. This corresponds to the RMS value of 2.53*0.7 which is about
1.771V. In dBVrms, this is equal to 20log10(1.771) = 4.964 dBVrms. The
Signal-to-Noise-And-Distortion (SINAD) is indicated on the plot as
around 58.90 dB.
For the non-inverting amplifier, the output voltage produced was 2.42V
peak. This corresponds to the RMS value of 2.42*0.7 which is about
1.694V. In dBVrms, this is equal to 20log10(1.694) = 4.578 dBVrms. The
Signal-to-Noise-And-Distortion (SINAD) is indicated on the plot as
around 58.09 dB.
5. Potentiometer used to null offset voltage:
The reason why a potentiometer can be used to null the offset voltage
is because when this component is added to the offset null pins on the
op-amp, it provides additional resistance to the inverting input. This
increases the voltage and cancels the voltage at the non-inverting
input. Therefore, it brings the difference between the input voltages
down closer to zero.

6. Gain of less than unity configuration:

Yes, it is possible to have a gain of less than unity using a finite noninverting amplifier by making the ratio of R1/R2 very small and by
having a large open loop gain. By doing this, the error in the closed
loop gain allows for the function to be a fraction of unity. This isn't
possible for an ideal case because the closed loop gain is always
greater than one. A simpler way would be adding a voltage divider at
the output voltage. Either way, any configuration defeats the purpose
of having an amplifier in the circuit.
Problems Encountered
The bandwidth of the bench DMM is much more limited compared to the
oscilloscope, which resulted in the measured values significantly smaller
than actual values. To compensate for this, we used the peak-to-peak voltage
differences measured by the cursors on the oscilloscope.

Conclusion
The purpose of this lab was to understand the fundamental concepts of the
operational amplifier. By building inverting and non-inverting amplifiers, the
transfer characteristic functions can be compared to show that in both cases,
the closed loop gain is set to the resistors in the inverting input. This also
shows that the error in finite cases of both types of amplifiers are equal. The
difference between both are set by where the external input voltage is
applied.
For non-ideal cases, in order to calculate values close to theoretical gain, a
potentiometer can be added to the offset pins of the op-amp. This was
applied in this lab so that the closed loop gain of the simulation, theoretical,
and calculated types can be compared. The upper and lower limits of the
circuit was also investigated by adjusting the input voltage to obtain the
saturation limits. This is a very important characteristic of op-amps that can
be used in a variety of applications.
The harmonic tones of each circuit can be analyzed by the Dynamic Signal
Analyzer. This was another method to verify the characteristic function of
each op-amp. This method shows the signal on a bode plot in the frequency
domain in order to observe the noise along with the signal. Since this op-amp
is not ideal, there is noise incorporated with each harmonic tone. This is
important when building circuits that balance the signal-to-noise ratio by
manipulating the open loop gain of the circuit. All of these characteristics for

op-amps are crucial to be able to use a essential electrical concepts for a

variety of applications.