SJCET – EECE Dept.

ANALOGY & DIGITAL ELECTRONICS

EET05104
Unit 2 – Applications of OPAMP & Special ICs
Lecture 2-3: Applications– Pt. 2
By DAVID JUMA, BSc.
EECE Department
Juma, BSc.:
Mr. David
SJCET – EECE Dept. ANALOGY & DIGITAL ELECTRONICS

Lecture 2-3: Outline

1 Introduction

2 Monostable Multivibrators
Juma, BSc.:

3 Astable Multivibrators

4 Triangular Wave Generator

Mr. David
Mr. David Juma, BSc.: SJCET – EECE Dept.
Lecture 2-3 : Applications of Opamp
SJCET – EECE Dept. Lecture 2-3 : Applications of Opamp
Introduction
 Multivibrators are important group of
regenerative circuits which are mostly used for
timing applications. These are non-sinusoidal
oscillators.
 They are classified as:
Juma, BSc.:

 Astable Multivibrator (free running multivibrator): Has

two states which are both unstable states (quasi-
stable state)
 Monostable multivibrators (One-shot multivibrators):
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Has one stable state and one unstable state

 Bistable multivibrators: (Both two states are stable
states)
Lecture 2-3 : Applications of Opamp
SJCET – EECE Dept. Lecture 2-3 : Applications of Opamp
Introduction
 Op-amp Monostable Multivibrator (one-shot
multivibrator) circuits are positive-feedback (or
regenerative) switching circuits that have only one
stable state, producing an output pulse of a
specified duration T.
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 An external trigger signal is applied for it to

change state and after a set period of time,
either in microseconds, milliseconds or
seconds, a time period which is determined by RC
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components, the monostable circuit then returns

back to its original stable state were it
remains until the next trigger input signal
SJCET – EECE Dept. Lecture 2-3 : Applications of Opamp
Monostable Multivibrator
Basic Op-amp Monostable Circuit
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R1
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R2
SJCET – EECE Dept. Lecture 2-3 : Applications of Opamp
Monostable Multivibrator
 At initial power on (that is t = 0), the output (VOUT) will
saturate towards either the positive rail, (+Vcc) or to
the negative rail, (-Vcc), since these are the only two
stable states allowed by the op-amp (+Vsat or –Vsat).
 Lets assume for now that the output Vo is at +Vsat i.e.
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in its stable state. Then the voltage at the non-

inverting input, VB will be equal to +(β.Vcc) where β is
the feedback fraction.
 Diode D1 conducts and the voltage across the capacitor
i.e. Vc gets clamped to 0.7V.
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 The voltage at the non-inverting input terminal is

controlled by the potential divider of R1R2 to β.Vo
i.e. + β.Vsat in the stable state
SJCET – EECE Dept. Lecture 2-3 : Applications of Opamp
Monostable Multivibrator
 If a negative pulse is applied to the non-inverting
input, the 0.7V voltage at VA now becomes greater
than the voltage at VB since VB is now negative.
 Thus the output of the op-amp changes the state
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from +Vsat to -Vsat. The result is that the

potential at VB is now equal to –βVcc.
 The diode now is reverse biased and the capacitor
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starts charging exponentially to –Vsat through the

resistance R. The time constant of this charging is
t = RC
SJCET – EECE Dept. Lecture 2-3 : Applications of Opamp
Monostable Multivibrator
 The voltage at the non-inverting terminal is
now - βVsat.
 When the capacitor voltage, Vc becomes just
slightly more negative than –βVsat, the output
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of the opamp changes its state back to +Vsat.

 The capacitor now starts charging towards
+Vsat through R until Vc reaches 0.7V as
capacitor gets clamped to the voltage.
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SJCET – EECE Dept. Lecture 2-3 : Applications of Opamp
Waveforms of Monostable Multivibrator
Juma, BSc.:
Mr. David
SJCET – EECE Dept. Lecture 2-3 : Applications of Opamp
Waveforms of Monostable Multivibrator
Juma, BSc.:
Mr. David
SJCET – EECE Dept. Lecture 2-3 : Applications of Opamp
Monostable Multivibrator

Note this:
 The voltage across the capacitor as a function
of time is give by:
Juma, BSc.:
Mr. David
SJCET – EECE Dept. Lecture 2-3 : Applications of Opamp
Monostable Multivibrator
Juma, BSc.:
Mr. David
SJCET – EECE Dept. Lecture 2-3 : Applications of Opamp
Monostable Multivibrator
Juma, BSc.:
Mr. David
Lecture 2-3 : Applications of Opamp
SJCET – EECE Dept. Lecture 2-3 : Applications of Opamp
Astable Multivibrator

..  This has two quasi-

stable states i.e. both
states are unstable.
 Another name for this
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multivibrator is free
running multivibrator.
Mr. David
SJCET – EECE Dept. Lecture 2-3 : Applications of Opamp
Astable Multivibrator

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Mr. DDavid Juma, BSc.:
SJCET – EECE Dept. Lecture 2-3 : Applications of Opamp
Astable Multivibrator

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Mr. David
SJCET – EECE Dept. Lecture 2-3 : Applications of Opamp
Astable Multivibrator

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 Lecture 2-3 : Applications of Opamp
Astable Multivibrator

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SJCET – EECE Dept. Lecture 2-3 : Applications of Opamp

Astable Multivibrator
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Juma, BSc.:
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SJCET – EECE Dept. Lecture 2-3 : Applications of Opamp

Astable Multivibrator
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Juma, BSc.:
Mr. David
SJCET – EECE Dept. Lecture 2-3 : Applications of Opamp

Astable Multivibrator
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Lecture 2-3 : Applications of Opamp
SJCET – EECE Dept. Lecture 2-3 : Applications of Opamp

Recall the Circuit of Integrator

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 Lecture 2-3 : Applications of Opamp

Integrator
square wave input signal
 Lecture 2-3 : Applications of Opamp
Integrator
Output waveform for square wave input signal
SJCET – EECE Dept. Lecture 2-3 : Applications of Opamp
Integrator
Summary of the input and output of Integrator

Vin (t) Vo(t)

Step Ramp
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Square wave Triangular wave

Sine wave Cosine wave

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SJCET – EECE Dept. Lecture 2-3 : Applications of Opamp
Triangular Wave Generator
 Triangular wave is a periodic, non-sinusoidal
waveform with a triangular shape.
 The most important feature of a triangular wave is
that it has equal rise and fall times while a sawtooth
wave has un-equal rise and fall times.
Juma, BSc.:

 The applications of triangular wave include sampling

circuits, thyristor firing circuits, frequency generator
circuits, etc.
 There are several methods for generating triangular
waves but here we will focus on method using
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opamps. This circuit is based on the fact that a

square wave on integration gives a triangular wave
SJCET – EECE Dept. Lecture 2-3 : Applications of Opamp
Triangular Wave Generator
Output waveform for square wave input signal
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Mr. David
SJCET – EECE Dept. Lecture 2-3 : Applications of Opamp
Triangular Wave Generator
Our circuit consists of 2parts:
1) Square wave generator (2) Integrator

1. Square wave generator

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 Resistor R1 and capacitor C1 determines the

frequency of the square wave.
 Resistor R2 and R3 forms a voltage divider setup
which feedbacks a fixed fraction of the output to the
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non-inverting input of the IC.

SJCET – EECE Dept. Lecture 2-3 : Applications of Opamp
Triangular Wave Generator
1. Square wave generator (cont…)
 Initially, when power is not applied the voltage
across the capacitor C1 is 0.
 When the power supply is switched ON, the C1 starts
charging through the resistor R1 and the output of
the opamp will be high (+Vcc).
Mr. David Juma, BSc.:

 A fraction of this high voltage is fed back to the non-

inverting pin by the resistor network R2, R3.
 When the voltage across the charging capacitor is
increased to a point that the voltage at the inverting
pin is higher than the non-inverting pin, the output
of the opamp swings to negative saturation (-Vcc).
SJCET – EECE Dept. Lecture 2-3 : Applications of Opamp
Triangular Wave Generator
1. Square wave generator (cont…)
 The capacitor quickly discharges through R1 and starts
charging in the negative direction again through R1.
 Now a fraction of the negative high output (-Vcc) is fed back
to the non-inverting pin by the feedback network R2, R3.
 When the voltage across the capacitor has become so
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negative that the voltage at the inverting pin is less than

the voltage at the non-inverting pin, the output of the
opamp swings back to the positive saturation.
 Now the capacitor discharges through R1 and starts charging
in positive direction.
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 This cycle is repeated over time and the result is a square

wave swinging between +Vcc and -Vcc at the output of the
opamp.
SJCET – EECE Dept. Lecture 2-3 : Applications of Opamp
Triangular Wave Generator
2. Integrator
 Let’s assume the positive side of the square wave is first
applied to the integrator.
 By virtue capacitor C2 offers very low resistance to this sudden
shoot in the input and C2 behaves something like a short
circuit.
juma, BSc.:

 The feedback resistor R5 connected in parallel to C2 can be put

aside because R5 has almost zero resistance at the moment.
 A serious amount of current flows through the input resistor R4
and the capacitor C2 bypasses all these current. As a result the
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inverting input terminal (tagged A) of the opamp behaves like a

virtual ground because all the current flowing into it is drained
by the capacitor C2.