Opamp Characteristics

DC Characteristics
1. Input Bias Current

In an ideal op-amp no current is drawn into the terminals as the value of input impedance is
infinity. But practically input terminals do conduct a small DC current to bias the input
terminals. The input bias current is the average of base currents (dc currents) entering through
both the input terminals of the op-amp.

IB = (IB+ + IB-) / 2
Currents are very small of the order 10-3 to 10-14 A

2. Input Offset Current

It is defined as the algebraic difference between the input bias currents entering the input
terminals and expressed as an absolute value.

Ios = | IB+ + IB- |

To eliminate the effect of input offset current a compensating resistor is used.

3. Input Offset Voltage

Due to some unavoidable imbalance inside the op-amp output voltage will not be zero even if
input voltage is zero. A small voltage has to be applied at the input terminals to make output
voltage zero. This voltage is called Input Offset Voltage.

4. Thermal Drift

Bias current, offset voltage and offset current changes with temperature. A circuit carefully
nulled at room temperature may not remain so when temperature is increased. This is called
Thermal drift. Offset current drift is expressed in nA/oC and offset voltage drift in mV/oC. These
indicate the change in offset for each degree Celsius change in temperature.

AC Characteristics
1. Slew rate

Slew rate is defined as the maximum rate of change of output voltage. Its unit is V/μs.
Mathematically it is given by the relation
 d V0
Slew rate (S R) = ( )maximum
dt

For 741 op-amps, the maximum slew rate is 0.5V/μs. This means that the output voltage can
change a maximum of 0.5 V in 1μs. The slowest slew rate is specified at unity gain. Slew rate
limiting is caused by a limitation in the internal circuitry of an op-amp to drive capacitive loads.
Op-amp with slew rate greater than 100V/μs are referred to as high speed operational amplifiers.

2. CMRR (Common mode rejection ratio)

Relative sensitivity of an op-amp to a difference signal as compared to a common mode signal is

called common mode rejection ratio (CMRR). It gives the figure of merit for the operational
amplifier.

ACM
CMRR, ρ = | | , usually expressed in dB.
ADM

ACM = Common Mode Gain

ADM = Differential Mode Gain