KKKL2151 Electric and Electronics Laboratory II

Laboratory 5: Operational Amplifiers – Characteristics and circuits

Components: Operational Amplifier: LM741, Resistors (5.1kΩ, 10kΩ, 100 kΩ, 1MΩ),
Potentiometer (10 kΩ), Capacitors (0.1 µF)

Objectives:
1. To understand the characteristics of an operational amplifier.
2. To construct and test the inverting op amps circuits.

Instructions:

This experiment consists of TWO sections. All students are required to conduct all
experiments in Section A. In Section B, student will be assigned one question based on the
day that the student is performing the lab.

Monday – Section B (B(1):Q1

Tuesday – Section B (B(1):Q2
Thursday – Section B (B(1):Q3

Students are required to prepare a list of components needed to perform the lab. This list
should be submitted to the lab assistant or technician in order to obtain the required items.
KKKL2151: Makmal Elektrik & Elektronik 2 – Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia

SECTION A: Characteristics of an Operational Amplifier - Inverting Amplifier

Components:
Resistors: 10kΩ, 100kΩ, 1MΩ
Operational Amplifier: LM741

Introduction

An Operational Amplifier (Op-Amp) is basically a three-terminal device which consists of

two high impedance inputs. One is called the Inverting Input, marked with a negative or
“minus” sign (-) and the other one is called the Non-Inverting Input, marked with a positive
or “plus” sign (+). The third terminal represents the op-amp output port. Basically, an op-
amp is a differential amplifier, i.e. it amplifies the difference between the two input
terminals. Figure 1 shows the schematic diagram of an op-amp equivalent circuit.

Figure 1: Operational Amplifier equivalent circuit

The most common and most famous op-amp is the LM741 or simply 741 which is packaged
in an 8-pin mini DIP. The IC contains 20 transistors and 11 resistors. It was introduced by
Fairchild in 1968 to achieve voltage amplification and other operational tasks such as
integration, differentiation etc. Although it has some practical limitations, the 741 is the most
cost effective. Figure 2 shows the pin assignment of the LM 741.

An ideal op amp has the following characteristics:

1. The input impedance is infinite (𝑍! = ∞) that is no current ever flows into either
input of the op-amp.
2. The output impedance is zero (𝑍" = 0) that is the op-amp can drive any load
impedance to any voltage.

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KKKL2151: Makmal Elektrik & Elektronik 2 – Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia

3. The open loop gain is infinite (𝐴#" = ∞).

4. The bandwidth is infinite (𝐵 = ∞).
5. The output voltage is 0 when the input voltage difference is 0 (𝑉$!%% = 0).

Figure 2: LM 741 pin assignment

Ideally, an operational amplifier has zero output impedance (𝑍" = 0). Op-amps senses the
difference between the voltage signals 𝑉$!%% = 𝑉& − 𝑉' , applied to their input terminals and
then multiply it by some pre-determined Gain, A. This means that 𝑉( = 𝐴+𝑉$!%% , =
𝐴(𝑉& − 𝑉' ). The gain A is often referred to as amplifier’s “Open Loop Gain”. However, in
reality, even when both input terminals are connected to ground, there may be a nonzero
output voltage. The non-zero output voltage as referred to the input voltage is called the
offset voltage given by

*!"#
𝑉() = +$
(1)

where 𝐴# is the closed loop voltage gain and 𝑉(,- is the output voltage when both inputs are
connected to ground. If the input signal is very large, the op-amp output typically saturates
within few tenth to 1 V of the positive and negative power supplies. The output voltage gets
clipped-off beyond these voltage saturation levels. Thus the maximum undistorted output
swing possible is always less than (𝑉& − 𝑉' ).

The change in the output voltage is limited by maximum rate of change possible at the output,
thus preventing the output signal to respond immediately to high frequency signals. The
maximum rate of change is called the slew rate (SR) and is given by

$$!"#
𝑆𝑅 = $-
|max (2)

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KKKL2151: Makmal Elektrik & Elektronik 2 – Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia

Procedures:

A(1) Input Offset Voltage

Please take note that pin 8 should not be connected (NC).

1. Build the circuit as shown in Figure 3.

Figure 3: Input Offset Voltage measurement circuit

2. Measure the output voltage, 𝑉(,- . Then, calculate the input offset voltage, 𝑉() using
*!"# .
the formula 𝑉() = +$
where 𝐴# = 1 + .% which is the feedback gain.
&

3. Compare your calculated 𝑉() with the value of the input offset voltage in the data
sheet. Show the comparison in Table 1 together with the % error.

A(2) Output Voltage Swing

1. Build the circuit as in Figure 4. This circuit is used to demonstrate the voltage swing
of the LM741.

Figure 4: Circuit for voltage swing

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KKKL2151: Makmal Elektrik & Elektronik 2 – Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia

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2. Apply sinusoidal voltage input, V/01 1 V33 at 1 kHz and vary the supply voltages
V 4 and V 2 from 15 to 12 V in step of 1 V such that V 4 = |V 2 |.
3. Record the output waveform for each supply voltage value. Show these waveforms in
your report for each case.
4. Then, fix V 4 and V 2 at 12 V and -12 V respectively, with R 5 = 47 kΩ and R' =
10 kΩ. Vary the input voltage for 2, 4 and 6 Vpp at 1 kHz and record the output
voltage waveforms. Show these waveforms in your report. For each case, record the
maximum output voltage swing before the output gets saturated.

A(3) Slew Rate and Bandwidth

1. Build the circuit as in Figure 5. This circuit is used to monitor and calculate the slew
rate of LM741.

Figure 5: Circuit for Slew Rate

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2. Apply square wave input voltage, V/01 1 V33 at 1 kHz. Observe the output signal and
calculate the slew rate.
3. Using the same circuit, adjust the square wave input voltage to obtain 20 Vpp output
voltage out of the LM741.
4. Increase the frequency and observe that somewhere above 10 kHz, the slew rate
distortion tends to get significant. This frequency is the maximum frequency or the
bandwidth at which the op-amp can be operated.
5. Record and include the bandwidth of the op-amp together in Table 2.

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KKKL2151: Makmal Elektrik & Elektronik 2 – Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia

SECTION B: Operational Amplifier (Inverting and Non-Inverting Amplifier)

Components:
Resistors: 10 kΩ, 5.1 kΩ
Operational Amplifier: LM741
Capacitors: 0.1 µF
Potentiometer: 10kΩ

Introduction

Op-amps can be connected into two basic configurations; Inverting and Non-inverting.

Inverting Amplifier

The most widely used constant-gain amplifier circuit is the inverting amplifier, as shown in
Figure 7. It is obtained when the input signal is given at the inverting (-) terminal of an op-
amp, where there is an input resistor 𝑅' , and feedback resistor 𝑅% which is connected between
the input and output, as illustrated in Figure 6.7. The input and output voltages can be
described in the following equations:

𝑉! = 𝑖𝑅' (3)
𝑉( = −𝑖𝑅% (4)

Figure 6: Inverting amplifier

Input impedance 𝑍!6 is

𝑍!6 = 𝑅' ||𝑅! (5)
where 𝑅! is a very high input impedance compared to the input resistance 𝑅' . Hence, input
impedance
𝑍!6 ≈ 𝑅' (6)
while the output impedance

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KKKL2151: Makmal Elektrik & Elektronik 2 – Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia

𝑍(,- ≈ 𝑅" = 0 (7)

Non-Inverting Amplifier

Figure 7: Non-inverting Amplifier

The non-inverting amplifier is obtained when the input signal is given at the (+) terminal of
an op-amp where the output signal is in phase with the input signal as shown in Figure 8.
Since both of the op-amp terminals are virtually grounded, thus input voltage is 𝑉! equal to
the voltage at 𝑅' which is 𝑉' . The following equations describe the input and output voltage
respectively.

𝑅'
𝑉! = 𝑉' = 𝑉
𝑅' + 𝑅% "

𝑅%
𝑉" = <1 + =𝑉
𝑅' !

Input impedance 𝑍 is:

𝐴#"
𝑍= 𝑅
𝐴# !

where 𝐴#" and 𝑅! are both high value op-amp parameters (∞) which can be obtained from the
op-amp specification sheet. While the following equation shows the output impedance:

𝑍" ≈ 𝑍" = 0

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KKKL2151: Makmal Elektrik & Elektronik 2 – Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia

Procedures:

B(1) LM741 in the inverting configuration.

Figure 8: Circuit to nullify input offset voltage

1. Construct the circuit as in Figure 8. Choose the resistor values 𝑅'1 𝑅&1 10 𝑘Ω and
𝑅71 5.1 𝑘Ω. This circuit is used to nullify the input offset voltage using the 10 kohm
potentiometer.
2. Nullify the input offset voltage before assigning any input voltage to the op-amp.
Observe 𝑉(,- and vary 𝑅#89 until 𝑉(,- = 0. Measure 𝑅#89 as 𝑉(,- = 0.
3. What is the range of output-offset voltage that can be achieved by adjusting the
potentiometer over its entire range?

Figure 9: Inverting amplifier with offset null

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KKKL2151: Makmal Elektrik & Elektronik 2 – Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia

4. Modify the previous circuit as in Figure 9. Choose the resistor values 𝑅'1 𝑅&1 10 𝑘Ω
and 𝑅71 5.1 𝑘Ω. Then, supply a 1V DC into the input. Measure the output voltage and
the input voltage, 𝑉( and 𝑉! . Determine the calculated gain, measured gain and the %
error and record your results in Table 3.
5. Next, supply a sinusoidal AC signal of 1 Vpp at 1 kHz to the input. Record the input
and output waveforms. Show these waveforms in your report. Determine the input and
output voltage peak to peak, Vpp. Comment on your observation.
6. Do the following questions. Include your circuit design in your report together with
the input and output waveforms.

Question 1 (for students attending the lab on Monday)

Modify the circuit in Figure 9 so that the voltage gain is 6.
Question 2 (for students attending the lab on Tuesday)
Modify the circuit in Figure 9 so that the voltage gain is 8.
Question 3 (for students attending the lab on Thursday)
Modify the circuit in Figure 9 so that the voltage gain is 10.

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