Information about Amplifier and Comparator Chips

Amplifier and comparator chips are board-level components for amplifying voltage, current, or power. There are several basic types of amplifier and comparator chips. Differential amplifier chips are designed to amplify a small difference between two signal levels and ignore any common level shared between them. Instrumentation amplifier chips are precision amplifier circuits with both high-impedance differential inputs and high common-mode rejection. The differential gain can be adjusted by changing the value of a single resistor. Logarithmic amplifier chips (log amp chips) produce an output voltage that is directly proportional to the logarithm of the input voltage. Operational amplifier chips (op amp chips) are general-purpose, closed loop devices used to implement linear functions. They compare two incoming signals and release a third that is an amplified measure of the difference between the two. Power operational amplifier (POA) chips are used to increase the power of low-level signals in applications that drive low impedances or reactive loads. Pulse width modulated (PWM) amplifier chips generate a current that switches between high and low output levels. Sample-and-hold amplifier chips freeze analog voltage instantly. During this process the HOLD command is issued and analog voltage is available for an extended period. Specialized amplifier and comparator chips are also available. <p>

Analog Comparators

Analog comparators are amplifiers that compare the magnitude of voltages at two inputs. An analog comparator is an operational amplifier with negative feedback removed, and with no feedback and very high gain, the output voltage goes to one extreme to the other.

Audio Amplifier Chips

Audio amplifiers are used in circuits and systems to process audio signals.

Buffer Amplifiers

Buffer amplifiers have unity gain. They are used to match impedances between two devices, or as isolators.

Current Sense Amplifiers

Current sense amplifiers are integrated circuits with operational amplifiers and sense resistors that are used in measuring the amplitude and direction of current in circuits.

Differential Amplifier Chips

Differential amplifier chips are designed to amplify the difference between two input signals. They can amplify a small difference between two signal levels and ignore any common level shared between them.

Instrumentation Amplifier Chips

Instrumentation amplifier chips are precision amplifier circuits with both high-impedance differential inputs and high common-mode rejection.

Isolation Amplifiers

Isolation amplifiers electrically isolate input and output signals, often by inductive couplings. Isolation amplifiers, or iso-amps as they are sometimes called, may be used to protect components from potentially dangerous voltages or to amplify low-level analog signals in applications with multiple channels.

Operational Amplifiers

Operational amplifiers (op amps, op-amps) are general-purpose, closed-loop devices that are used to implement linear functions.

Power Operational Amplifiers

Power operational amplifiers (POA) are used to increase the power of low-level signals in applications that drive low impedances or reactive loads. They dissipate excess energy as heat, deliver extensive current, and can sustain relatively high supply voltages.

PWM Amplifier Chips

Pulse width modulated (PWM) amplifier chips generate a current that switches between high and low output levels. PWM amplifiers have a much higher power capability for a given volume than linear amplifiers. They are also less expensive.