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  • Exploring Op Amps

    Operational amplifiers are often misunderstood but the basis for many analog designs.
    Andy Turudic
    Nonlinearities

    So…LTspice of the K2-W Op Amp Reveals the Mad Scientists’ Fingerprints (Part 3)

    June 4, 2024
    LTspice simulation of the K2-W Vacuum Tube Op Amp’s design reveals the mad science that created a commercial revolution in 1950s and 1960s analog computing.
    182656696 © Wisconsinart | Dreamstime.com
    Nonlinearities

    So…The First Stage of the K2-W Op Amp is Neither Balanced Nor Differential (Part 2)

    May 27, 2024
    Design analysis of the K2-W Vacuum Tube Op Amp’s design and operation reveals the mad science that created a commercial revolution in 1950s and 1960s analog computing.
    105562587 © Golubovy | Dreamstime.com and EIM Technology
    Analog

    Analog Fundamentals Book Plus Lab Kit Closes Kickstarter with $113k of $5.5K Goal

    May 24, 2024
    A book for hobbyists, engineers, Makers, and Arduino devs, "Fundamental Analog Circuits & Semiconductors,” with lab kits, successfully funded on Kickstarter.
    Dreamstime_wisconsinart_1344232661
    Nonlinearities

    So…The K2-W Analog Computer Op Amp Has Mad Scientists’ Fingerprints on It (Part 1)

    May 20, 2024
    In the first of three parts, Andy hypothesizes that the K2-W Analog Computer Op Amp’s design has some unrevealed mad science in its input-stage design.
    ROHM Semiconductor
    Power

    ROHM Stakes Claim to the Lowest-Power Op Amp

    May 10, 2024
    The LMR1901YG-M offers ultra-low power consumption for battery-powered sensor amplifiers and portables.

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    Automotive-Rated Dual Op Amp Blends Medium Voltage and Accuracy

    Nov. 28, 2023
    This AEC-Q100-qualified dual op amp from STMicroelectronics merges two difficult-to-combine attributes in a MiniSO-8.
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    Our “Digitized” Cars Still Need Those Precision Op Amps

    Oct. 24, 2023
    New high-accuracy, high-stability op amps from STMicroelectronics, targeting automotive applications, work in temps up to 175°C.
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    Operational Amplifiers

    What You Need to Know About Signal Path Development

    June 7, 2023
    Download this Electronic Design PDF eBook by Analog and Signal Path Consultant, Michael Steffes.
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    Operational Amplifiers

    Why are Specification and Characterizations for Op Amps and FDAs Different and Confusing?

    June 7, 2023
    From input offset voltage to slew rate to gain bandwidth product, specifications for operational amplifiers can vary widely amongst different vendors.
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    Analog

    What Signal-Path Developments are Still Missing from Textbooks?

    May 24, 2023
    Here’s what you didn’t learn in school, such as how to really combine the distortion terms in cascaded amplifiers.
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    Automotive

    Automotive-Qualified Micropower Op Amp Endures Harsh Temperatures

    April 5, 2023
    With its minimal current consumption and 150°C operating temp, the TSU111H op amp developed by STMicroelectronics delivers an unusual combination of properties.
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    Analog

    Three Major Design Pitfalls Plaguing New Analog Signal-Path Designers

    March 6, 2023
    Wouldn’t it be great to not repeat the same amplifier application errors many new designers fall into? Read on to head off these common confusions and oversights.
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    Analog

    Simple Amplifier Options Improve Dynamic Range in ADC Interfaces

    Feb. 14, 2023
    In a signal-conditioning op-amp application there are a number of different approaches to take—what noise and SFDR advantages might one offer over another.
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    Power

    EMI Reduction Techniques for Op Amps

    July 26, 2021
    How damaging is EMI to op amps in a circuit design? And what methods are used to minimize these effects? Circuit designers may be surprised at the clever ways op amps can be used...
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    Analog

    What’s All This Varactor-Input Amplifier Stuff, Anyway?

    Sept. 9, 2016
    Paul Rako revisits the varactor-input amplifier built by Bob Pease, creating his own updated version and running it through Spice simulations.
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    Analog

    Tighten The Gap Between ADC Datasheet Specs And The Real World

    Sept. 25, 2012
    Intersil's Michael Steffes details how every semi company tests new analog-to-digital converter products in the lab in order to obtain data-sheet values for SFDR and SNR, then...
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    Analog

    Move Beyond Active Filter Design Mythology To Improve Your Discrete Op-Amp-Based Designs

    Aug. 27, 2010
    Michael Steffes challenges conventional approaches to Sallen Key Filter design. He says today's components and VFAs offer greater flexibility. This opinion piece links to more...