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Although the op-amp is employed in a truly impressive array of many different circuits, all
are based in part on one or both of the following two fundamental circuit configurations: the
inverting and non-inverting DC amplifiers. You will gain an appreciation of the power of the
op-amp as a basic building block along with some of its inherent limitations through
experimental investigation of these two basic circuits.
Op-amp circuits may be linear or non-linear, depending on what theyre designed to do. We will
look at various non-linear effects when the input signal is a sinusoid by observing the input and
output on a dual-trace oscilloscope; frequency domain effects will be observed with a spectrum
analyzer. These instruments will both be thoroughly discussed in lab.
From your linear frequency response data, construct two Bode Plots, one for each of the two
different circuit gains. Discuss the meaning of the gain-bandwidth product relationship and
verify it from your data. Discuss your results for slew-rate. Numeric data should be discussed
with realistic precision using only as many significant figures as your data warrants. Finally,
discuss the two types of non-linearity you observed and their consequences.
V. QUESTIONS
1. Some op-amps are not unity-gain stable. Investigate and explain what this means.
2. The LM324 is capable of single-supply operation. Explain what this is and show how to use
the LM324 as an audio amplifier using a single-supply having a gain of +24dB. This circuit
will require the use of blocking capacitors. Explain what they are, why theyre used and what
the effects of having them in this circuit are.
3. Is there a relationship between an op-amps slew-rate and its frequency response? Explain.
4. When an op-amp is configured to behave as a voltage-follower, its closed-loop gain is 1[V / V ] .
Why is this a useful circuit? Can this configuration show gain of any type at all (refer to our
textbook, Ch-1)?
5. Your measurement of cutoff frequency assumes a low-pass filter model having only a single
dominant pole in its transfer function. Actual op-amps typically have more complicated
transfer functions with more poles than this. Why are we justified in using the so-called
dominant-pole model ? What would happen to the measured phase shift if the -3dB corner
frequency actually was caused by two or more internal poles very close together in frequency?
6. The LM324 is not a rail-to-rail op-amp. Investigate what this means and confirm from your
data that the LM324 is indeed not a true rail-to-rail device.
7. When using a device like the LM324, why are the supply rails bypassed with 100nF
capacitors? Adding these bypass capacitors is considered a standard of good engineering
practice. Develop a simple theoretical model showing why they are typically necessary and
what is being bypassed.
8. In Fig. 1 two capacitors appear across the two supply rails. What is their purpose and how
should they be physically placed on the actual circuit?