Analog signal chain: top 10 latest Op Amps for your system design
Date: 01/06/2022
From simple temperature sensor to today's advanced AI powered automation systems, they all need analog interface to connect to the outside world. With the fast growth of automation in every sector, the number of sensors connected to a system is increasing exponentially. Sensors normally produce very low power signal. They need to be amplified, and then digitised using analog to digital converter. In the analog-front-end area of amplifiers, drivers, and analog to digital converters, the innovations is not that frequent and wide-spread compared to digital logic electronics. However small improvement in performance is significant in design improvements of high- reliable precision electronic systems.
In this 3 series article we are providing some key information on latest amplifiers, analog to digital converter, analog front-end chips ( devices packing both amplifiers and ADCs) launched in recent years.
Precision is compulsion these days, and so is the accuracy. What is also important is chips consuming less power, and taking lesser physical space. Based on the application you are targeting, there are lots of other specifications need to be looked at to fulfill your end application requirements.
Op- Amps: This basic integrated circuit device is being used in electronics since ICs started replacing discrete transistor-based circuits. To have more control and flexibility over your design, engineers still use a separate op amp instead of integrated analog front-end. We try to list top 10 new operational amplifiers (Op Amps) launched recently in the market. The leading vendors of operational amplifier ICs in the market includes: Analog Devices, Texas Instruments, STMicroelectronics, Rohm, NJRC, Microchip, Renesas and NXP.
1. TSV772 from STMicro:
STMicroelectronics made TSV772 operates at a low voltage of 2V. It is a dual op amp featuring rail-to-rail i/p and o/ps, 20MHz gain-bandwidth (GBW), slew rate of 13V/µs, 7nV/vHz input noise density, 4kV ESD capability (HBM), and maximum input-offset voltage of 200µV (at 25°C) . The TSV772 is characterized for an output capacitance of 47pF, simplifying use as an A/D converter input buffer.
This device can operate even with deeply discharged battery and suggested application include smoke detectors, solar generators, telecom infrastructure equipment, and computer servers.
The TSV772 family includes dual-channel 50MHz TSV792 and 22MHz TSV7722. The TSV7722 is optimized for low-side current sensing and is trimmed for a common-mode close to ground.
ST supplies sample of this part through its free sample program and can be ordered from its own ST' eSTore. Indicative price is $0.73 for orders of 1000 units.
2. BD8758xY series from ROHM Semiconductor
The BD8758xY series rail to rail input and output operational amplifier from ROHM Semiconductor offers RF noise and EMI immunity for automotive and industrial equipment applications, where RF noise is immense. This amps are designed for use in automotive engine control units and and factory automation equipment.
This device is part of ROHM's EMARMOUR Series designed to operate in RF noise enviroments, where it will prevent malfunctions due to noise without the need to take special application measures.
This device is available with online distributors: Digi-Key, Mouser, Farnell.
3. NJU77000/001 and the NJU77000A/001A from NJRC
NJRC made NJU77000/001 and the NJU77000A/001A are single CMOS operational amplifiers featuring an ultra-low operating current of 0.29 microA (typ.).
The NJU77000/001 and the NJU77000A/001A are single CMOS operational amplifiers with an ultra-low operating current (0.29µA typ. VDD=+5V), low voltage operation (+1.5V min.), high precision (offset voltage : 0.35 mV typ. / temperature drift : 0.65µV/°C typ. ), low bias current (1pA typ.) and Input/Output Rail to Rail that are suitable for sensor applications.
These op amps feature functions such as RF noise immunity, high tolerance to capacitive oscillation and two types of pin assignment, which can provide easiness to design and handle to engineers.
NJU77000/001, and the NJU77000A/001A are suggested for medical devices and gas detectors.
4. ADA4077-2 from Analog Devices
Op Amp ADA4077-2 from Analog Devices is a high precision operational amplifier designed for applications in process control, chemical and environmental monitoring, motor control and electronic test and instrumentation.
The ADA4077-2 has a typical bandwidth of 3.9 MHz and 7-nV/ÖHz voltage noise at 1 kHz while consuming only 400 µA typical at 25°C with ±15-Vdc nominal power supplies. Available in two grades for offset and thermal drift, the device provides design engineers with the flexibility to meet budget and packaging requirements. ADI claims this device offers better performance than the similar competing op amps in the market.
ADA4077-2 suggested as ideal front end amplifier in designing sensor interfaces for applications such as process control input modules, where high accuracy, precision, and linearity are critical to accurate measurement of sensor output.
ADA4077-2 Precision Operational Amplifier Key Features:
· Low offset voltage: 25µV maximum (B-Grade)
· Low offset voltage drift: 0.25 µV/°C maximum (B-Grade)
· Low input bias current: <1.0 nA maximum
· Input voltage range: V- +1.2 V to V+ -2 V
· Low noise: 7 nV/vHz typical
· Low supply current: 400 µA per amplifier typical
· Specified for dual voltage supply operation from ±5 V to ±15 V
5. THS770006 from TI:
Texas Instruments has made available a precision fully-differential operational amplifier (op amp) that delivers 16-bit full-scale precision up to 200 MHz IF. This analog IC targets telecom equipment applications such as LTE and multi-carrier GSM wireless base stations and also for high-end apps such as high-speed data acquisition, test and measurement, medical imaging and defense equipments. The THS770006 op amp has an output third-order intercept (OIP3) of 48 dBm and the lowest distortion in its class, with a third-order intermodulation distortion (IMD3) of -107 dBc at 100 MHz, at least 14 dB better than competitive amplifiers.
This ADC driver amp is designed to gel well with TI's fast analog-to-digital converter (ADC) 16-bit, 130-MSPS ADS5493. THS770006 offers overdrive recovery of 7.5 ns (maximum) to help minimize the impact of lost or erroneous data from jammers and blockers.
Package: 4-mm x 4-mm QFN-24
Price: Starts at $4.10 in 1K pieces
6. ISL28210 from Renesas (Earlier Intersil)
Renesas owned earlier Intersil branded ISL28210 is a good design choice for process control analog I/O, gas or fluid flow sensors, biometric high-impedance buffers for medical instrumentation. It is also suggested for industrial applications requiring high voltage signal conditioning such as data acquisition, ATE, and power distribution systems. The ISL28210 is an industrial temperature grade, 40V Precision JFET-input op amp.
The ISL28210 operates in a wide 9V to 40V voltage range. This op amp features innovative bias current cancellation techniques that deliver optimal performance at 300 Femto-Amps. The IS28210's input offset is just 300microV, with typical offset drift of 1 microV/°C. The device has a voltage noise of 580nVpp between 0.1Hz to 10Hz and input bias current is typically 300fA at 25°C and an low 4.5pA maximum at 60°C, making the device suitable for instrumentation amps, charge amps and photodiode amps for emerging medical and laboratory instrumentation. The ISL28210 also delivers a slew rate of 20V/microsecond with fast 900ns settling time resulting in good transient performance for ATE and data acquisition analog frontends.
Designed on Intersil's proprietary precision silicon-on-insulator (SOI) bipolar process technology, the ISL28210 exhibits latch-up immunity and high ESD ratings of HBM 4keV and machine model 400V.
Package: 8-lead SOIC
Operating temperature range: -40°C to +125°C
7. TLV9061 from TI
If you are looking for a tiny op amp. TI TLV9061 is single 5.5 V with with rail-to-rail input- and output-swing capabilities. This not so expensive device in available in a package of size 1.65 mm × 1.20 mm.
TI said these op amps are designed specifically for low-voltage operation (1.8 V to 5.5 V) with performance specifications similar to the OPAx316 and TLVx316 devices.The applications include: E-bikes, Smoke detectors, HVAC: heating, ventilating, and air conditioning, Motor control: AC induction, Refrigerators, Wearable devices, Laptop computers, Washing machines, Sensor signal conditioning, Power modules, Barcode scanners, Active filters ans Low-side current sensing.
For more details visit: https://www.ti.com/lit/ds/symlink/tlv9061.pdf
8. TSV791 and TSV792 from STMicrolectronics
The TSV791 and TSV792 from STMicrolectronics offer ail-to-rail input stage and the slew rate of 30 V/µs and suitable for low-side current measurement. With a operating voltage of single supply 2.2 V to 5.5 V, these op amps can handle output capacitor up to 1 nF and is fully specified on a load of 22 pF, making them suitable for analog to digital converter input buffer.
For more details visit: https://www.st.com/en/amplifiers-and-comparators/tsv792.html
9. OPA288 from Texas Instruments
The OPA288 from Texas Instruments feature zero-drift zero-crossover technology, where it eliminates temperature drift and flicker noise, offset errors due to common mode limitations to deliver high precision and linearity over the entire input range. This device is suggested for industrial, testandmeasurement, medical and safety equipment applications.
To learn more about this product visit:
https://www.ti.com/product/OPA388
10. TSU111 from STMicroelectronics
To give you an example of one more precision op amp, TSU111 from STMicroelectronics is one of the most precise nanoPower operational amplifier by a wide margin. This device consumes very less current of 900 nano Amperes at 25°C. The beauty of this chip is it has a maximum input offset voltage of 150 µV and a typical gain bandwidth product of 11.5 kilo hertz.
To learn more about this product visit: https://blog.st.com/tsu111-precise-nano-power-op-amp/
11. TS1001 op amp from Silicon Labs
The TS1001 op amp from Silicon Labs is the first and only single-supply operational amplifier to cut power requirements at least in half compared to any other amplifier, as per its maker. The TS1001 is fully specified to operate on a 0.8V supply while consuming less than 0.6µA supply current.
12. MCP6V51 from Microchip
The Microchip made MCP6V51 zero-drift op amp is protected against high-frequency interference having on-silicon electromagnetic interference (EMI) filters.
MCP6V51 amplifier employs self-correcting zero-drift architecture to achieve ultra-high Direct Current (DC) precision, providing a maximum offset of ±15 microvolts (µV) and only ±36 nanovolts per degree Celsius (nV/°C) of maximum offset drift. Applications suggested include process control, industrial factory automation,and building automation. MCP6V51 operates in wide voltage range of 4.5V to 45V.
The MCP6V51 is available in both 5-lead SOT-23 and 8-lead MSOP packages. Prices begin at $0.98 USD per 10,000 units for the SOT-23-5 package.
If you know better op amp than these above please suggest to include in this list.
