An operational amplifier, often abbreviated as OPAMP, refers to an electronic device or integrated circuit that acts as a high-gain voltage amplifier with differential inputs and a single output. It is an essential component in many analog circuits and is widely utilized in a variety of applications, including signal conditioning, amplification, filtering, and many more.
The OPAMP typically operates on direct current (DC) and is characterized by its extremely high gain, open-loop configuration, and low output impedance. It consists of several key elements, most notably two differential inputs, inverting and non-inverting, which receive input signals that are compared to amplify a desired output signal. Moreover, an OPAMP contains a high-gain amplifier stage that amplifies the difference between the two input signals, a power supply for seamless operation, and output circuitry to generate the final output signal.
OPAMPs are designed to be ideal and exhibit certain properties like infinite bandwidth, infinite gain, and infinite input impedance in an open-loop configuration. However, in practical applications, these ideal conditions are compromised, and thus external components are often used to achieve specific performance requirements.
The versatility and reliability of OPAMPs make them essential in various domains, such as audio systems, instrumentation, telecommunications, and control systems. Their ability to provide high voltage amplification, excellent linearity, and good frequency response makes OPAMPS a fundamental building block in modern electronic circuit design.
