Mobile Studio Activity #3

Adam Steinberger

Introduction

The Operational Amplifier (Op Amp) is an electronic device that can be used to
manipulate signals by changing their voltages. In this lab, we use negative feedback loops in Op
Amp circuits to control how voltages of input signals change inside of the amplifiers.

Procedure

The protoboard at right was designed for this

lab. The Op Amps used on the protoboard are
powered by two 9V batteries. Two potentiometers at
the bottom are used to control the voltages going into
each Op Amp. These potentiometers are also
connected in negative feedback loops back to the Op
Amp inputs, which give the Op Amps the ability to amplify the signals going into them. In order
to produce an input voltage source of 0.1V in the circuit, the Mobile Studio function generator
had to be connected to the two negative input leads of the Op Amps.

Analysis

After configuring the protoboard, the Mobile Studio Desktop oscilloscope and function
generator were used to take voltage readings of both Op Amp outputs over a period of 500μs.
For the first reading, both potentiometers were set to maximum (approx. 10kΩ). A screenshot
of the resulting graph (see page 5) was taken, including cursor readings of the high and low
peak voltage values for each curve. Readings were taken for potentiometer values of 5kΩ and
0kΩ as well. The voltage readings taken from the Mobile Studio Desktop oscilloscope were used
to calculate the gain of the Op Amps for different input voltages. The gain values calculated
were then compared to the ideal gain values for each resistance of the potentiometer.
Differences between these two sets are due to the ±%5 tolerance of the resistors used in the
circuit, as well as static electricity from the dry winter air causing the Op Amps to get electrical
noise.

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Adam Steinberger

Conclusion

The two configurations for negative feedback loop Op Amps used in the lab amplified
their input signals in different ways. The Inverting Amplifier took an input voltage source and
produced an inverted output voltage amplified by the ratio of the two resistors connected. The
Non-Inverting Amplifier, however, produced an output voltage amplified by the ratio of the
sum of both resistors connected to the value of only one of those resistors. Potentiometers
were used to verify that the Op Amps abide by the Linearity Properties that govern Linear
Circuits.

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Questions:

1. When varying the resistance of the potentiometers, the output of the Op Amps in the
circuit is always a linear version of the inputs. This is evident in the results obtained
from our measurements using the Mobile Studio Desktop software. There are three
separate graphs taken from this measuring software that show the output voltages from
the Op Amps in the circuit in the form of sinusoidal waves. The vertical distance
between peaks of each sinusoidal curve on these graphs represent the absolute output
voltage produced when a sine wave at 1.000 kHz of 0.1 V peak to peak from the Mobile
Studio function generator is connected to the circuit at VIN. As seen in these graphs, as
the resistance of the potentiometers decreases, the absolute output voltage decreases
as well. The cursor readings from the graphs show that this decrease is linear. For
example, the top peak of the inverting amplifier for 10 kΩ reads 543.86 mV; for 5 kΩ it
reads 280.70 mV; and for 0 kΩ it reads 000.00 mV.

2. Output voltages and gains are listed in the table below. Voltages are readings from the
graph, and gains are calculated as 𝑉𝑜𝑢𝑡 𝑉𝑠𝑜𝑢𝑟𝑐𝑒 .

Operational Voltage at Gain at Voltage at Gain at Voltage at Gain at

Amplifier 10kΩ 10kΩ 5kΩ 5kΩ 0kΩ 0kΩ
Inverting -991.23 mV -9.9123 -508.77 mV -5.0877 0.000 mV 0
Non-Inverting 1149.13 mV 11.4913 640.35 mV 6.4035 100.00 mV 1

3. Gains for the two Op Amps in the circuit are calculated using the output voltage
formulas for the two unique types of Op Amps, Inverting and Non-Inverting Amplifiers.

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Inverting Amplifier: Non-Inverting Amplifier:

𝑅2 𝑅𝑝𝑜𝑡 𝑅1 + 𝑅2 𝑅𝑝𝑜𝑡 + 1𝑘Ω

𝑉𝑜𝑢𝑡 = − 𝑉𝑠 = − 0.1𝑉 𝑉𝑜𝑢𝑡 = 𝑉𝑠 = 0.1𝑉
𝑅1 1𝑘Ω 𝑅2 1𝑘Ω

Operational Voltage at Gain at Voltage at Gain at 5kΩ Voltage at Gain at 0kΩ

Amplifier 10kΩ 10kΩ 5kΩ 0kΩ
Inverting -1.0 V -10 -0.5 V -5 0.0 V 0
Non-Inverting 1.1 V 11 0.6 V 6 0.1 V 1

4. The true resistance of the potentiometer in the Non-Inverting Op Amp Circuit when the
potentiometer is at maximum resistance is 10491.3Ω.

𝑅𝑝𝑜𝑡 + 1000Ω
1.14913𝑉 = 0.1𝑉
1000Ω

𝑅𝑝𝑜𝑡 = 10491.3Ω

5. The following circuit will result in an output of 𝑉𝑜𝑢𝑡 = .5𝑉1 + .2𝑉2 . The circuit is a
Summing Amplifier connected to an Inverting Amplifier.

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Output Voltages of OpAmp Circuits at 10kΩ

Output Voltages of OpAmp Circuits at 5kΩ

Output Voltages of OpAmp Circuits at 0kΩ