Precision amplifiers claim new standards

Precision operational amplifiers combine ultralow noise with lower power, smaller package size and higher bandwidth than competing 36V amplifiers.

Texas Instruments has introduced two new precision operational amplifiers that combine ultralow noise with lower power, smaller package size and higher bandwidth than competing 36V amplifiers.

The OPA211 and OPA827 enable breakthrough performance for test and measurement, instrumentation, imaging, medical, audio and process control applications.

These are the first devices developed using TI's groundbreaking BiCom3HV complementary bipolar 36V silicon germanium (SiGe) process.

"The OPA211 and OPA827 represent a new class of precision amplifiers and demonstrate TI's commitment to the high-voltage industrial market", said Art George, Senior Vice President of TI's High-Performance Analog Business.

"These new amplifiers deliver extremely high accuracy with significant improvements in power consumption, bandwidth and package size characteristics, which will enable next-generation performance in industrial applications".

The OPA211 is a bipolar-input operational amplifier that achieves 1.1nV/(rt)Hz voltage noise and 80MHz gain bandwidth product (GBW) with a supply current of only 3.6mA.

The device provides 100uV offset voltage, 0.2uV/C offset voltage drift and less than 1us settling time for driving precision analogue-to-digital convertors in data acquisition systems.

It also offers rail-to-rail output swing, which enhances dynamic range.

The OPA211 operates over a +/-2.25 to +/-18 V supply range and is available in MSOP-8 or DFN-8 packages.

The 3 x 3mm DFN package requires about one-third the area of a standard SO-8 package.

Bipolar op amps excel in limiting errors related to offset voltage and are used in applications where the source impedance is low.

The OPA827 is a JFET-input operational amplifier that combines outstanding DC precision with excellent AC performance.

DC characteristics include 4.5nV/(rt)Hz voltage noise, 250uV offset voltage, 1uV/C offset voltage drift and 400nV peak-peak frequency noise.

AC specifications include 18MHz GBW, 22V/us slew rate and 0.0004% total harmonic distortion (THD) at 1kHz.

The OPA827 operates over a +/-4 to +/-18V supply range with a supply current of only 4.5mA.

The MSOP-8 package represents a 50% reduction compared with SO-8 packages.

JFET op amps offer very low bias current and are suited for applications where source impedance is high.

TI provides customers with a state-of-the-art signal chain solution for precision applications: analogue-to-digital convertors such as the ADS8505 and digital-to-analogue convertors such as the DAC8811.

The OPA211 and OPA827 are optimised to work with TI's TMS320T high-performance DSP platforms and MSP430 ultra-low-power microcontroller family.

TI's BiCom3HV process focuses TI's state-of-the-art manufacturing technology on the future needs of high-voltage industrial applications.

The process offers high speeds with low noise, low power consumption and much smaller packaging than previously available.

The BiCom3HV process is the first 36-V industrial process to utilise SiGe, which leads to significantly faster transistors than previously available.

Excellent transistor matching along with precision SiCr resistors delivers increased accuracy, dynamic range and stability over the working temperature range.

The reduction in transistor size is made possible by using silicon-on-insulator (SOI) technology.

The minimum NPN transistor is up to 11 times smaller than those available in the most advanced processes from the competition.

SOI also brings other advantages such as low leakage currents and reduced interaction between transistors.

The BiCom3HV process is ideal for the next generation of industrial voltage operational amplifiers (bipolar-input and FET-input), instrumentation amplifiers, programmable gain amplifiers and precision references.

The OPA211 is sampling now, with volume production scheduled for Q2 2007.

The device is available in DFN-8, MSOP-8 and SO-8 packages and is priced at US $3.45 in 1000-piece quantities (suggested resale pricing).

The OPA827 is sampling now, with volume production scheduled for Q2 2007.

The device is available in MSOP-8 and SO-8 packages and is priced at US $5.75 in 1000-piece quantities (suggested resale pricing).

All devices are specified for operation from -40 to +125C.

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