Operational Amplifiers

An operational amplifier (Op Amp)

is an amplification circuit that is
commonly used in a wide variety
of applications.
Its schematic
diagram is as shown and has 5
terminals:
1) Inverting input (-)
2) Non-inverting input (+)
3) Positive power supply
4) Negative power supply
5) Output

Op amps are typically integrated

onto a chip like the one shown
here. Internally, they consist of a
number of transistors, but we will
not concern ourselves with the
internal workings in this course.

Positive
Power
Supply
Noninverting
Input
Inverting
Input

+
_
Negative
Power
Supply

Output

Operational Amplifiers
The voltages and currents associated with an op-amp are defined as shown
(assuming supply voltages of + and . )
= voltage on non-inverting
input (w.r.t. ground).
= voltage on inverting input
(w.r.t. ground).
= voltage on output (w.r.t.
ground).
= current flowing into noninverting input.
= current flowing into
inverting input.

+
_
_

Operational Amplifiers
The op-amp is essentially an amplifier
that produces an output which is
proportional to the voltage difference
between the input terminals:
= ( )
Where is a large positive number
(~106 ).
If the input gets too large, the op amp
cannot produce an output larger than
and the op amp output is
saturated at = . Similarly, if the
input is too negative, the output
saturates at = .
The behavior of the op amp is
characterized by the picture shown or
by the piecewise mathematical
equation given

negative
saturation
region

linear
region

,
= ,
,

positive
saturation
region

<
,

<
.

>

Ideal Op Amp Equations

Virtual Short Condition
Using typical numbers, ~106 , = 20 (upper limit), then the linear region
occurs when < 20. Hence, for an op-amp operating in its linear
mode, 0.
= .

Infinite Input Resistance Condition

For op amps, the equivalent resistance seen looking into the input terminals is
very large ~1 (ideally infinite). In which case, the current flowing into (or
out of) the input terminals is very small (ideally zero) resulting in the ideal
constraint that
= = 0.

These equations form the starting point from which we analyze any op amp
circuit.

Analyzing Op Amp Circuits

Example (Assessment Problem
5.1):
(a) Assuming ideal operation of the
op amp, find as a function of
.
(b) Specify the range of to avoid
saturation of the op amp.

16kW

80kW

+
_

_
+

10V

-15V

Step 1: Use the infinite input

resistance condition ( = 0) and KCL
at the inverting input.
= + = 0.

(a) Put the results of Steps 1 and 2

together.

+
= 0 = 5 .
16
80

Step 2: Use the virtual short condition

( = ) and the fact that the noninverting input terminal is connected to
ground ( = 0).

= 0 = and = .

(b) In order to avoid saturation, the

output of the op amp must satisfy
15 < < 10
15 < 5 < 10
2 < < 3.

16

80

Example (Exercise 5.4)

Find , the current
flowing through the load
resistor.

5kW
10kW

_
6kW
+

_
5V +

_
3V +

3k

4k

40kW

Example (Exercise 5.6)

Find 1 , , 2 , .

2kW

+
1
15V _

50kW
20kW

+
_
150mV +

-15V

25k

Example (Exercise 5.36)

Sketch if the source
voltage is as shown below.

120kW

7.5kW

()

15V

0.5V
1

-0.5V

+
_ ()

-15V

6.8k