Operational amplifiers (op
amps) were launched in May by Microchip Technology Inc. (Chandler, AZ,
U.S.; www.microchip.com) and are the first with the mCal, an on-chip,
one-shot calibration circuit. Power-up offset voltage calibration is
performed using an internal power on-reset detector.
The
result of the dual calibration capabilities is a low initial voltage
offset and a means to minimize drift over time and temperature, which
are extremely important for applications involving instrumentation and
sensor conditioning. The high-bandwidth (50 MHz), low-power MCP651/2/5
(MCP65X) op amps provide low bias and quiescent currents, high
output-drive capability, and a rail-to-rail output for better
performance across the operating-voltage range. This feature set is
designed to make the op amps ideal for demanding applications in
consumer, industrial, and medical markets.
The
op amps’ high output-drive current of 95 mA enables them to drive heavy
loads and results in better performance across a range of applications.
Rail-to-rail output gives them greater dynamic range, even at lower
operating voltages, for more-accurate performance across the entire
operating-voltage range.
“This new amplifier
family is expected to enable new markets for Microchip by expanding its
CMOS op amp portfolio into higher-speed applications,” says Kevin
Tretter, senior product marketing manager with Microchip’s analog and
interface products division.
Applications
requiring high speed and precision are appropriate for the op amps.
This includes consumer electronics, such as microphone preamplifiers,
optical detector circuitry, and digital scales, as well as medical
markets such as patient monitoring and instrumentation.
Evaluation Board
The
op amps supplier also launched the MCP651 evaluation board to provide a
simple means for measuring the op amp’s input offset voltage under a
variety of conditions. The measured input offset voltage includes the
input offset voltage specified in the MCP651 datasheet, plus changes
due to power-supply voltage, common-mode voltage, output voltage, input
offset-voltage drift over temperature, and 1/f noise.
Like
other op amps from the supplier, the new family is also supported by
two free development tools, the FilterLab Analog Filtering Software
tool and the Mindi Online Simulator tool. FilterLab provides full
schematic diagrams of the filter circuit with component values, as well
as displaying the frequency responses. Mindi enables designers to
quickly generate circuit diagrams, simulate circuits, and specify
passive components for a variety of active-filter, amplifier, and
power-management applications. Circuits developed using the Mindi tool
can be downloaded to a PC or workstation, and are often ported directly
into system diagrams.
