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11.1: INTRODUCTION

  • Page ID
    58473
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    The operational amplifier is an extremely versatile general-purpose linear circuit. Clearly a primary reason for studying this device is to determine how it can best be used to solve design problems. Since this book is in­tended as a text book and not as a handbook, we hope to accomplish our objective by giving the reader a thorough understanding of the behavior of the operational amplifier so that he can innovate his own applications, rather than by giving him a long list of connections that others have found useful. Furthermore, there are a number of excellent references(A few of these references are: Philbrick Researches, Inc., Applications Manual of Com­puting Amplifiers. G. A. Korn and T. M. Korn, Electronic Analog and Hybrid Computers, 2nd Edition, McGraw-Hill, New York, 1972. J. G. Graeme, G. E. Tobey, and L. P. Huelsman (Editors), Operational Amplifiers, Design and Applications, McGraw-Hill, New York, 1971. Analog Devices, Inc., Product Guide, 1973. National Semiconductor Corpora­tion, Linear Applications Handbook, 1972.) available that provide extensive collections of operational-amplifier circuits, and there is little to be gained by competing with these references for com­pleteness.

    We have already seen several operational-amplifier connections in the examples used in preceding sections. In this and the following chapter we shall extend our list of applications in order to illustrate useful basic tech­niques. We hope that the reader finds these topologies interesting, and that they help provide the concepts necessary for imaginative, original design efforts. Some of the common hazards associated with the use of operational amplifier are discussed, as is the measurement and specification of per­formance characteristics. The vitally important issue of amplifier compen­sation for specific applications is reserved for Chapter 13.


    This page titled 11.1: INTRODUCTION is shared under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by James K. Roberge (MIT OpenCourseWare) via source content that was edited to the style and standards of the LibreTexts platform; a detailed edit history is available upon request.