AMP02

REV. D

–8–

The voltage gain can range from 1 to 10,000. A gain set resistor

is not required for unity-gain applications. Metal-film or wire-

wound resistors are recommended for best results.

The total gain accuracy of the AMP02 is determined by the tol-

gain equation accuracy of the AMP02. Total gain drift com-

bines the mismatch of the external gain set resistor drift with

that of the internal resistors (20 ppm/

°C typ). Maximum gain

drift of the AMP02 independent of the external gain set resistor

is 50 ppm/

°C.

All instrumentation amplifiers require attention to layout so

thermocouple effects are minimized. Thermocouples formed be-

tween copper and dissimilar metals can easily destroy the

0.5

µV/°C. Resistors themselves can generate thermoelectric

EMFs when mounted parallel to a thermal gradient.

The AMP02 uses the triple op amp instrumentation amplifier

configuration with the input stage consisting of two transimped-

ance amplifiers followed by a unity-gain differential amplifier.

The input stage and output buffer are laser-trimmed to increase

gain accuracy. The AMP02 maintains wide bandwidth at all

gains as shown in Figure 26. For voltage gains greater than 10,

the bandwidth is over 200 kHz. At unity-gain, the bandwidth of

the AMP02 exceeds 1 MHz.

Figure 26. The AMP02 Keeps Its Bandwidth at

High Gains

COMMON-MODE REJECTION

Ideally, an instrumentation amplifier responds only to the differ-

ence between the two input signals and rejects common-mode

voltages and noise. In practice, there is a small change in output

voltage when both inputs experience the same common-mode

voltage change; the ratio of these voltages is called the common-

mode gain. Common-mode rejection (CMR) is the logarithm

of the ratio of differential-mode gain to common-mode gain, ex-

pressed in dB. Laser trimming is used to achieve the high CMR

of the AMP02.

APPLICATIONS INFORMATION

INPUT AND OUTPUT OFFSET VOLTAGES

Instrumentation amplifiers have independent offset voltages

associated with the input and output stages. The input offset

component is directly multiplied by the amplifier gain, whereas

output offset is independent of gain. Therefore, at low gain,

output-offset-errors dominate, while at high gain, input-offset-

put (RTO) is calculated as follows:

specifications and G is the amplifier gain.

a combination of input and output drift specifications. Input

offset voltage drift is multiplied by the amplifier gain, G, and

summed with the output offset drift:

the output offset voltage drift. Frequently, the amplifier drift is

referred back to the input (RTI) which is then equivalent to an

input signal change:

G

For example, the maximum input-referred drift of an

AMP02EP set to G = 1000 becomes:

100

µV /°C

1000

= 2.1

µV/°C

INPUT BIAS AND OFFSET CURRENTS

Input transistor bias currents are additional error sources which

can degrade the input signal. Bias currents flowing through the

signal source resistance appear as an additional offset voltage.

Equal source resistance on both inputs of an IA will minimize

offset changes due to bias current variations with signal voltage

and temperature. However, the difference between the two bias

currents, the input offset current, produces an error. The mag-

nitude of the error is the offset current times the source resistance.

A current path must always be provided between the differential

inputs and analog ground to ensure correct amplifier operation.

Floating inputs, such as thermocouples, should be grounded

close to the signal source for best common-mode rejection.

GAIN

The AMP02 only requires a single external resistor to set the

voltage gain. The voltage gain, G, is:

G

=

50 k

Ω

+1

and

50 k

Ω

G –1