Instrumentation Amplifiers
Passive Transducer Measurement Configuration:
For passive transducers in a bridge configuration the voltage of interest is the
differential voltage e = V
B
- V
A
Therefore need a difference amplifier with a committed adjustable gain A
d
Want V
o
= A
d
(V
B
- V
A
) = A
d
e
V
CM
=
Want to reject V
CM
V V E
A B
2 2
R
R R
R+DR
IA
V
o
= A
d
e
Instrumentation Amplifiers:
Active Transducer Measurement Configuration:
For an active transducer the differential voltage e
created by the transducer is of interest
Therefore need a difference amplifier
with a committed adjustable gain A
d
Want V
o
= A
d
e
Surface whose temperature
is to be measured may be at
some non-zero potential (V
CM
)
relative to ground
Want to reject V
CM
IA
V
o
= A
d
e
Instrumentation Amplifiers:
Transducer and Instrumentation Amplifier (IA) Circuit Model:
IA has a committed adjustable differential gain A
d
If e is the differential voltage of interest (v
id
)
Want V
o
= A
d
e
Want a high CMRR to reject V
CM
Want high Z
in
and low Z
out
Z
d
is the
differential input impedance (1 - 100 MW)
Z
CM
is the
common mode input impedance (100 MW)
IA not an op-amp
Op amp open loop uncommitted gain
IA closed loop committed gain
IA has higher Z
in
and CMRR
IA has lower V
os
and I
bias
and drift with temperature
R
1
and R
2
are the source impedances of input transducer - R
1
may not equal R
2
IA
Instrumentation Amplifiers:
Transducer (Sensor) and Instrumentation Amplifier
Common Mode Voltage Equivalent Circuit:
Unwanted parasitic differential voltage V
p
produced by V
CM
due to imperfections in the transducer and/or transducer connections.
If bridge is balanced V
p
= 0 If bridge is not balanced V
p
0
V
p
will contaminate V
o
V
o
A
d
e V
o
= A
d
(e + V
p
)
Therefore even if the IA has an infinite CMRR (i.e A
CM
=0)
still have a common mode output voltage error
A
B
Set e = 0
Instrumentation Amplifiers:
Transducer (Sensor) and Instrumentation Amplifier
Common Mode Voltage Equivalent Circuit:
Assuming the worst case imbalance:
R
1
= 0
Circuit becomes
Usually specified with a 1kW
source impedance imbalance
A
B
A
B
Set e = 0
Instrumentation Amplifiers:
A
A
d
CM
V
V
CM
p
Increasing Z
CM
reduces
V
p
IA CMMR =
Circuit CMRR =
A
B
Instrumentation Amplifiers:
Differential Amplifier: (Single op-amp instrumentation amplifier)
To obtain v
o
in terms of v
1
and v
2
use superposition theorem
Instrumentation Amplifiers:
Differential Amplifier: (Single op-amp instrumentation amplifier)
Short input to v
2
(Inverting Configuration)
Instrumentation Amplifiers:
Differential Amplifier: (Single op-amp instrumentation amplifier)
Short input to v
1
(Noninverting Configuration)
Instrumentation Amplifiers:
Differential Amplifier: (Single op-amp instrumentation amplifier)
To obtain v
o
in terms of v
1
and v
2
use superposition theorem
Instrumentation Amplifiers:
Differential Amplifier: (Single op-amp instrumentation amplifier)
Differential Input Impedance: R
in
, R
id
, Z
id
, Z
d
Z
d
= 2R
1
Z
d
is limited
Instrumentation Amplifiers:
Transducer and Differential Amplifier Circuit Model:
CMRR, Z
d
and Z
CM
are important attributes of an IA.
External Circuit Instrumentation Amplifier
Op Amp
Instrumentation Amplifiers:
Transducer and Differential Amplifier
Common Mode Voltage Equivalent Circuit:
CMRR, Z
d
and Z
CM
are important attributes of an IA.
A
B
D
R
S
2
R
S
1
R
i
1
+ R
f
1
+ R
o
R
i
2
+ R
f
2
Z
CM
Can assume R
o
= 0
D
D
A
B
Instrumentation Amplifiers:
Three Op Amp Instrumentation Amplifier:
CMRR and Z
in
are very important attributes of an IA
Can increase Z
in
of difference amplifier configuration by adding unity gain buffers
or buffers with gain
Instrumentation Amplifiers:
Three Op Amp Instrumentation Amplifier:
CMRR and Z
in
are very important attributes of an IA
Can increase Z
in
of difference amplifier configuration by adding buffers
Common mode signals are not amplified if common R
1
is used and
connection to ground is removed.
Instrumentation Amplifiers:
Transducer and Three Op Amp IA Circuit Diagram:
External Circuit Instrumentation Amplifier
Instrumentation Amplifiers:
Instrumentation Amplifiers:
Instrumentation Amplifiers:
Instrumentation Amplifiers:
Instrumentation Amplifiers:
Instrumentation Amplifiers:
Instrumentation Amplifiers:
Instrumentation Amplifiers:
Instrumentation Amplifiers:
Instrumentation Amplifiers:
Instrumentation Amplifiers:
