Feedback in Amplifiers

by Michael Vier

Basics of Op Amps

Operational amplifiers are a very common component in electrical systems. The term Op-Amp specifically refers to an amplifier with two inputs, a positive input and an inverted input, and one amplified output, produced from the difference between the inputs V_out=G*(V₊-V_-), where G is the gain from the amp. Feedback

Since the gain in an op amp is extremely high, usually hundreds of thousands in magnitude<ref>1</ref>, very small differences in input voltages can cause the output to reach the amp's maximum gain. This makes op amps useful as voltage comparators when no feedback is present. But for most practical uses, feedback from the output into the inverted input is needed in order to control the input voltage difference and keep the output from reaching its maximum. When the positive input gets higher, the output goes up, causing the inverted input to rise, thus re-lowering the output. Output and input change for a while as they stabilize at their new values, at which point the positive and inverted inputs are equal and the output is 0.

Works Cited:

<references/>"Op Amps." www.williamson-labs.com. Williams Labs, 2007. Web. 10 Jan 2010.