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SSLAB
PRECISION RECTIFIER USING OP AMP

Model No: IC- 78

CONTACT: M/s. SSLAB EQUIPMENTS

#125.East Gandhi Nagar,

Rampally x Road,

Nagaram,Hyderabad-83

Tele: 040-27120787,9866075881,9849768136

E-Mail : sslab_2k5@yahoo.com,sslab2k5@gmail.com

Web site: sslabindia.com

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Precision Rectifier CircuitsRectifier circuits are used in the design of power supply
circuits. In such applications, the voltage being rectified are usually much greater
than the diode voltage drop, rendering the exact value of the diode drop unimportant
to the proper operation of the rectifier.Other applications exists, however, where this
is not the case. For example, in instrumentation applications, the signal to be
rectified can be of very small amplitude, say 0.1 V, making it impossible to employ
the conventional rectifier circuits. Also the need arises for very precise transfer
characteristics.

Precision Half-Wave Rectifier- The SuperdiodeThere are many applications for

precision rectifiers, and most are suitable for use in audio circuits. A half wave
precision rectifier is implemented using an op amp, and includes the diode in the
feedback loop. This effectively cancels the forward voltage drop of the diode, so very
low level signals (well below the diode's forward voltage) can still be rectified with
minimal error.

Limitations• The circuit has some serious limitations. The main one is speed. It will
not work well with high frequency signals. • For a low frequency positive input signal,
100% negative feedback is applied when the diode conducts. The forward voltage is
effectively removed by the feedback, and the inverting input follows the positive half
of the input signal almost perfectly. • When the input signal becomes negative, the
op amp has no feedback at all, so the output pin of the op amp swings negative as
far as it can. • When the input signal becomes positive again, the op amp's output
voltage will take a finite time to swing back to zero, then to forward bias the diode
and produce an output. This time is determined bythe op amp's slew rate, and even
a very fast op amp will be limited to low frequencies.

Exercise 13.24:Consider the operational amplifier in Figure 13.33(a), with R= 1 kΩ.

For vI = 10 mV, 1 V, and -1 V, what are the voltages that result at the rectifier output
and at the output of the op am? Assume that the op amp is ideal and its output
saturates at ±12 V. The diode has a 0.7-V drop at 1-mA current, and the voltage
drop changes by 0.1 V per decade of current change
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Precision HWR

Saturating type Precision HWR

In positive half cycle, output of op-amp is positive so diode D is forward biased.

From the above circuit diagram

V^+=Vin
V^-=Vo
The output of op-amp is given by
Vo^’=A [V^+ – V^- ]
Vo^’=A [Vin – Vo ]
Now from KVL
Vo^’=VD+Vo
Comparing the above two equations of Vo^’
A[Vin-Vo ]=VD+Vo
AVin-AVo=VD+Vo
AVin=VD+Vo+AVo
AVin=VD+Vo (A+1)
AVin=VD+Vo A (since.. (A+1) ≈ A)
A[Vin-Vo ]=VD
Vin-Vo=VD/A≈0 (Since ..A is very large)
∴Vin=Vo
In negative half cycle, output of op-amp is negative so diode 'D' is reverse biased. Thus op-
amp is in open loop configuration & goes into saturation. In negative half cycle, input voltage
magnitude is negative.
∴Vo^’=-Vsat
And output voltage across load is zero
∴Vo=0 V
Thus in negative half cycle op-amp goes into negative saturation. This type of rectifier is
called Saturating type of precision half wave rectifier.

Limitation:
The op-amp takes long time to come out of saturation and to go back in linear range. Time of
one cycle depends on the frequency of input signal. If input frequency is very high, the time
duration of the negative half cycle is very small. So it is not possible for op-amp to come out
of negative saturation. Thus this type of circuit is suitable for low frequency input signals.
To overcome this problem, non-saturating type of precision half wave rectifiers are suitable
for low as well as high frequency signals.
The transfer characteristic of the above rectifier is shown below.
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Precision Full Wave Rectifier

In PFWR, for both the half cycles output is produced & in one direction only. The diagram
below shows an inverting type of Precision FWR with positive output. It is also called as
absolute value circuit because output signal swing is only in positive direction. So we get
absolute value of input signal.

In positive half cycle of applied ac input signal, output of first op-amp (A1) is Negative.
Therefore diode D2 is forward biased & diode D1 is reverse biased. Here op-amp A1 works
as an inverting amplifier with gain =(-R/R)=-1
Therefore output of op-amp A1 is ,V=(-1) Vin=-Vin
Op-amp A2 works as an inverting adder. The two inputs to the op-amp A2 are voltage V
(output of A1) and input voltage Vin. Thus output of op-amp A2i.e. Output voltage is given
as ∴Vo=-[R/R Vin+R/(R⁄2) V ] ∴Vo=-[Vin+2V]
Substituting V=-V_in ∴Vo=Vin
In negative half cycle of applied ac input signal, output of first op-amp (A1) is positive.
Therefore diode D2 is reversed biased & diode D1 is forward biased.
Due to virtual ground concept output of op-amp A1is zero. (∴V=0)
Thus output of op-amp A2, i.e. Output voltage is given as
∴Vo=-[R/R Vin+R/(R⁄2) V ]
∴Vo=-[R/R Vin+R/(R⁄2) (0) ]
But in negative half cycle input magnitude is negative therefore we get,
∴Vo=-[R/R (-Vin ) ]
∴Vo=Vin
Thus in both the half cycles output is positive & in one direction & also have same
magnitude. Thus it is also called as non-saturating type of PFWR because op-amp A1 is not
going in saturation.
The transfer characteristics and input-output waveforms of PFWR are shown below,
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