Op Amp Parameters

Problem:
What parameters are normally applied to op amps?

Solution:
There are usually three main sections of electrical tables in op amp data sheets. The absolute maximum ratings table and the recommended operating conditions table list constrains placed upon the circuit in which the part will be installed. Electrical characteristics tables detail device performance.

Absolute maximum ratings are those limits beyond which the life of individual devices may be impaired and are never to be exceeded in service or testing. Limits, by definition, are maximum ratings, so if double-ended limits are specified, the term will be defined as a range (e.g., operating temperature range).

Recommended operating conditions have a similarity to maximum ratings in that operation outside the stated limits could cause unsatisfactory performance. Recommended operating conditions, however, do not carry the implication of device damage if they are exceeded.

Electrical characteristics are measurable electrical properties of a device inherent in its design. They are used to predict the performance of the device as an element of an electrical circuit. The measurements that appear in the electrical characteristics tables are based on the device being operated within the recommended operating conditions.

Also refer to the following related links:
Op Amp Introduction
Op Amp Condition and Parameter Abbreviations

These pages were extracted from Op Amps For Everone, Chapter 11, by Bruce Carter, Ron Mancini–Editor in Chief.
Copyright © 2000, Texas Instruments Incorporated