The Operational Amplifier IC:

1. An amplifier that is readily built inside an Integrated Circuit Chip.

2. It offers almost ideal characteristics required by an amplifier which are: High Resistance at
the input. Low resistance at the output.

3. Apart from the Power Suppy pins, the IC has two inputs where the signal to be amplified is
741: 8-pin (2 Op-Amps) applied, and an output pin, from where the amplified output is taken.

4. Signal input lines are called: INVERTING (-), and NON-INVERTING (+)

5. The Gain of the op-amp amplifier can be adjusted as required using resistors connected
externally to the IC.

6. The op-amp can amplify DC input signals, something that could not be done by the transistor
amplifier covered so far during this year.

7. Draw-back: The IC requires a DUAL-RAIL power supply (i.e. Positive and Negative Supply
connected in series. The input signals and output however are applied/measured w.r.t. 0V
LM358: 8-pins (2 Op-Amps)
8. Op-amp ICs are available in different configurations as shown.

U1

7
3
6
2

4
1
5
UA741

Symbol

LM324: 14-pins (4 Op-Amps)

 +15V The Operational Amplifier IC:
+15V
1. Considering the UA741 Op-Amp IC, pin 7 is connected to the positive rail of the DC power supply
U2 Pin 4 is connected to the negative rail of the DC supply. Method of producing the dual rail supply

7
RV1 is shown below. For a +/-15V supply, two power supplies of 15V are connected in series, with the
3
R1 6 centre connection becoming the 0V/GND reference.
2
46%

10k
2. Circuit 1: Input signal applied to the Inverting (-) input will appear with opposite polarity

4
1
5
UA741
1k +88.8 at the output.
Volts

+88.8 -15V
R2 3. Circuit 2: Input signal applied to the Non-Inverting (+) input will appear with the same
-15V Volts
10k
polarity at the output.

4. Circuit 3: When both are inputs equal (connected to 0V as shown), by theory they should cancel
Circuit 1
out each other so that the output will be 0V. In practice, due to the fact that internally the IC
has a circuit formed of 21 transistors that usually have slightly varying characteristics (eg Slightly
different DC current gain B), at the output, a small negative or positive voltage may appear. Pins
1 and 5 of the IC (offset null pins) are used as shown so that by varying pot RV3, this offset is
cancelled out.
+15V
+15V

+15V +15V
RV2 U3
7

U4
3
63%

7
6 B1
2 3 15V +88.8
6
1k
R6 2
Volts
R3
4
1
5

+88.8 UA741 10k

1k +88.8
Volts

4
1
5
Volts
UA741
+88.8 0V (GND)
-15V mV
-15V

45%
B2 Volts
RV3 15V
+88.8
R4 20k
100k
Circuit 2

-15V R5
10k
-15V
Circuit 3
Forming a Dual Rail Power Supply.