List of Common Op Amp Specifications, Their Definitions, and Common Use Cases
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| Specification | Description | Common Use Cases / Applications |
| Input Offset Voltage (Vos) | The differential input voltage required to make the op amp output zero (ideally 0V). | Precision measurement, instrumentation amplifiers, sensor interfaces |
| Input Bias Current | The average current flowing into the op amp input terminals. | High-impedance sensors, photodiode amplifiers, precision integrators |
| Input Offset Current | The difference between the bias currents into the two input terminals. | Differential input circuits, precision amplifiers |
| Common-Mode Rejection Ratio (CMRR) | The ability to reject input signals common to both inputs. | Differential signal amplification, instrumentation, noise rejection |
| Power Supply Rejection Ratio (PSRR) | The ability to reject changes in power supply voltage from appearing at the output. | Low-noise precision systems, battery-powered circuits |
| Slew Rate | The maximum rate at which the op amp output can change (V/µs). | High-speed amplifiers, audio, video, pulse shaping |
| Gain Bandwidth Product (GBW) | The frequency at which the op amp's open-loop gain drops to unity. | High-frequency amplifiers, filters, active analog circuits |
| Small Signal Bandwidth | the frequency at which the gain of the amplifier drops by 3 dB when the input signal amplitude is small enough that the op amp is not limited by its slew rate. | High-frequency amplifiers, filters, active analog circuits |
| Large Signal Bandwidth | Max frequency an op amp can accurately reproduce large-amplitude signals without significant distortion, usually measured at the –3 dB point | High-frequency amplifiers, filters, active analog circuits |
| Open-Loop Gain | The amplification of the op amp without feedback (ideally infinite). | Precision closed-loop gain control, instrumentation |
| Output Voltage Swing | The maximum and minimum voltages the op amp can output relative to its supply rails. | Rail-to-rail applications, battery-powered systems |
| Noise (Voltage and Current) | Intrinsic noise generated by the op amp, usually specified in nV/√Hz and fA/√Hz. | Low-noise amplifiers, audio, sensor front-ends |
| Total Harmonic Distortion + Noise (THD+N) | A measure of linearity; represents all distortion and noise as a fraction of the signal. | Audio, analog signal processing, instrumentation |
| Settling Time | The time it takes for the output to settle within a specified error band after a step input. | Data acquisition systems, DAC buffers |
| Input Common-Mode Voltage Range (ICMR) | The range of input voltages over which the op amp operates linearly. | Single-supply designs, instrumentation amplifiers |
| Quiescent Current (Iq) | The supply current consumed by the op amp when idle (no signal). | Low-power, battery-operated systems, IoT devices |
| Output impedance (Closed Loop) | Effective impedance seen at the output when the op amp is operating in closed-loop configuration |
High frequency impedance matching, driving low impedance or capacitive loads
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