
AMP04
REV. A
–8–
Compensating for Input and Output Errors
To achieve optimal performance, the user needs to take into
account a number of error sources found in instrumentation
amplifiers. These consist primarily of input and output offset
voltages and leakage currents.
The input and output offset voltages are independent from one
another, and must be considered separately. The input offset
component will of course be directly multiplied by the gain of
the amplifier, in contrast to the output offset voltage that is in-
dependent of gain. Therefore, the output error is the dominant
factor at low gains, and the input error grows to become the
greater problem as gain is increased. The overall equation for
offset voltage error referred to the output (RTO) is:
V
OS
(
RTO
) = (
V
IOS
×
G
) +
V
OOS
where
V
IOS
is the input offset voltage and
V
OOS
the output offset
voltage, and
G
is the programmed amplifier gain.
The change in these error voltages with temperature must also
be taken into account. The specification TCV
OS
, referred to the
output, is a combination of the input and output drift specifica-
tions. Again, the gain influences the input error but not the out-
put, and the equation is:
TCV
OS
(
RTO
)
= (TCV
IOS
×
G) + TCV
OOS
In some applications the user may wish to define the error con-
tribution as referred to the input, and treat it as an input error.
The relationship is:
TCV
OS
(
RTI
) =
TCV
IO
S
+ (
TCV
OOS
/
G
)
The bias and offset currents of the input transistors also have an
impact on the overall accuracy of the input signal. The input
leakage, or bias currents of both inputs will generate an addi-
tional offset voltage when flowing through the signal source re-
sistance. Changes in this error component due to variations with
signal voltage and temperature can be minimized if both input
source resistances are equal, reducing the error to a common-
mode voltage which can be rejected. The difference in bias cur-
rent between the inputs, the offset current, generates a differen-
tial error voltage across the source resistance that should be
taken into account in the user’s design.
In applications utilizing floating sources such as thermocouples,
transformers, and some photo detectors, the user must take care
to provide some current path between the high impedance in-
puts and analog ground. The input bias currents of the AMP04,
although extremely low, will charge the stray capacitance found
in nearby circuit traces, cables, etc., and cause the input to drift
erratically or to saturate unless given a bleed path to the analog
common. Again, the use of equal resistance values will create a
common input error voltage that is rejected by the amplifier.
Reference Input
The V
REF
input is used to set the system ground. For dual sup-
ply operation it can be connected to ground to give zero volts
out with zero volts differential input. In single supply systems it
could be connected either to the negative supply or to a pseudo-
ground between the supplies. In any case, the REF input must
be driven with low impedance.
Noise Filtering
Unlike most previous instrumentation amplifiers, the output
stage’s inverting input (Pin 8) is accessible. By placing a capaci-
tor across the AMP04’s feedback path (Figure 6, Pins 6 and 8)
2
3
8
1
6
5
IN(–)
IN(+)
INPUT BUFFERS
R
GAIN
100k
REF
100k
V
OUT
11k
11k
C
EXT
LP
=
1
2
π
(100k) C
EXT
Figure 6. Noise Band Limiting
a single-pole low-pass filter is produced. The cutoff frequency
(f
LP
) follows the relationship:
f
LP
=
1
2
π
(100
k
)
C
EXT
Filtering can be applied to reduce wide band noise. Figure 7a
shows a 10 Hz low-pass filter, gain of 1000 for the AMP04. Fig-
ures 7b and 7c illustrate the effect of filtering on noise. The
photo in Figure 7b shows the output noise before filtering. By
adding a 0.15
μ
F capacitor, the noise is reduced by about a
factor of 4 as shown in Figure 7c.
7
1
6
5
4
3
2
8
+15V
–15V
100
0.15
μ
F
Figure 7a. 10 Hz Low-Pass Filter
10
90
100
0%
5mV
10ms
Figure 7b. Unfiltered AMP04 Output