INTRODUCTION

Comparator
Comparators are the second most widely used components in electronic circuits, after operational
amplifiers. A voltage comparator is a circuit that compares the instantaneous value of an input
signal νin(t) with a reference voltage Vref and produces a logic output level depending on whether the
input is larger or smaller than the reference level.
The most important application for a high-speed voltage comparator occurs in an analog-to-
digital converter system. In fact, the conversion speed is limited by the decision-making response time
of the comparator. Other systems may also require voltage comparison, such as zero-crossing detectors,
peak detectors, and full-wave rectifiers. Comparator designs are presented as the single-ended auto-
zeroing comparator is examined, followed by simple and multistage differential comparators,
regenerative comparators, and fully differential comparators. Several design principles are introduced
that can be used to minimize input offset voltage and clock-feedthrough effects.

Comparator Characteristics
1. Operation Speed –- According to change of conditions in the input, a comparator circuit switches
at a good speed between the saturation levels and the response is instantaneous.

2. Accuracy - Accuracy of the comparator circuit causes the following characteristics:

(a) High Voltage Gain - The comparator circuit is said to have a high voltage gain
characteristic that results in the requirement of smaller hysteresis voltage. As a result of
the comparator output voltage switches between the upper and lower saturation levels.

(b) High Common Mode Rejection Ratio (CMRR) - The common mode input voltage
parameters such a noise is rejected with the help of a high CMRR.

(c) Very Small Input Offset Current and Input Offset Voltage –- A negligible amount of
Input Offset Current and Input Offset Voltage causes a lesser amount of offset problems.
To reduce further offset problems, offset voltage compensating networks and offset
minimizing resistors can be used.

Comparators are key components for analog-digital converters and consequently for modern
wireless and mobile communication. Electronic circuits for latest mass applications like WIFI or WLAN
modems, mobile phones, and smart phones are realized as so-called systems on chip (SoC). Such SoCs
are realized in nanometer CMOS technology and contain a lot if digital circuits for digital signal
processing but they also contain analog circuits which often form the key devices for good overall
performance. The importance of comparators nowadays is often underestimated. They are, however,
important to obtain high-performance analog-digital converters and wireless receivers and transmitters.
The improvement of analog-digital converters is the final issue in bringing the digital signal processing
as close as possible to the antenna. Therefore, comparators need to be improved also. Sense-amplifier
type comparators are also important for SRAMs and DRAMs as well as some optical receivers.
 In fact, progress in CMOS technology and circuits design allows the revolution on modern
wireless and mobile communication. UMTS, HSPA+, and LTE as well as Ultra Wide Band (UWB) and
Software Defined Radio were important keywords in research of the last years for SoCs. All these
applications require high-sample rate analog-digital converters, which rely on high-performance
comparators. For application in mobile devices, low-voltage operation and low power consumption are
important issues of comparators.
LIST OF MATERIALS
Comparator Circuit:

Label Description
R1 4.7kω ¼w
R2 4.7kω ¼w
Q1 uA741
SCHEMATIC DIAGRAM
Comparator:
PCB LAYOUT DESIGN & REAL WORLD DESIGN

PCB LAYOUT

REAL WORLD DESIGN

TECHNICAL DISCUSSION

Theoretically, a comparator is a specialized op-amp circuit that compares two input voltages and
produces an output that is always at either one of two states, indicating the greater or less than
relationship between the inputs. Comparators provide very fast switching times, and many have
additional capabilities (such as fast propagation delay or internal reference voltages) to optimize the
comparison function.

For less critical applications, an op-amp running without negative feedback (open-loop) is often
used as a comparator. Although op-amps are much slower and lack other special features, they have very
high open-loop gain, which enables them to detect very tiny differences in the inputs. In general,
comparators cannot be used as op-amps, but op-amps can be used as comparators in noncritical
applications. Because an op-amp without negative feedback is essentially a comparator, we will look at
the comparison function using a typical op-amp.

One application of an op-amp used as a comparator is to determine when an input voltage

exceeds a certain level. Because of the high open-loop voltage gain, a very small difference
voltage between the two inputs drives the amplifier into saturation, causing the output voltage to go to
its limit. However, since most op-amps have maximum output voltage limitations near the value of their
dc supply voltages, the device would be driven into saturation. In many practical situations, noise
(unwanted voltage fluctuations) appears on the input line. This noise voltage becomes superimposed on
the input voltage, and can cause a comparator to erratically switch output states.

In order to understand the potential effects of noise voltage, consider a low-frequency sinusoidal
voltage applied to the non-inverting (+) input of an op-amp comparator used as a zero-level detector.
When the sine wave approaches 0, the fluctuations due to noise may cause the total input to vary above
and below 0 several times, thus producing an erratic output voltage.

As a recap, we constructed a summing amplifier, a pulse generator, and a white-noise generator

during the first experiment. From the pulse generator and white noise generator as the input for our
summing amplifier, the output produced by the summing amplifier will be connected to our inverting
input in our comparator circuit. That’s why it is emphasized by the instructor that our noise, pulse
generator and summing amplifier must produce an output that is compatible with our comparator circuit.
The goal in this experiment is to show that the output of comparator is a replica of the output in our
pulse generator. Even if we added noise using summing amplifier comparator will use its charging
discharging effect, to reproduce the same output of the pulse generator.