AMP04
Input Common-Mode Voltage Below Ground
Although not tested and guaranteed, the AMP04 inputs are bi-
ased in a way that they can amplify signals linearly with common-
mode voltage as low as –0.25 volts below ground. This holds
true over the industrial temperature range from –40°C to +85°C.
APPLICATIONS
Common-Mode Rejection
The purpose of the instrumentation amplifier is to amplify the
difference between the two input signals while ignoring offset
and noise voltages common to both inputs. One way of judging
the device’s ability to reject this offset is the common-mode
gain, which is the ratio between a change in the common-mode
voltage and the resulting output voltage change. Instrumenta-
tion amplifiers are often judged by the common-mode rejection
ratio, which is equal to 20 × log10 of the ratio of the user-selected
differential signal gain to the common-mode gain, commonly
called the CMRR. The AMP04 offers excellent CMRR, guaran-
teed to be greater than 90 dB at gains of 100 or greater. Input
offsets attain very low temperature drift by proprietary laser-
trimmed thin-film resistors and high gain amplifiers.
Extended Positive Common-Mode Range
On the high side, other instrumentation amplifier configura-
tions, such as the three op amp instrumentation amplifier, can
have severe positive common-mode range limitations. Figure 3
shows an example of a gain of 1001 amplifier, with an input
common-mode voltage of 10 volts. For this circuit to function,
VOB must swing to 15.01 volts in order for the output to go to
10.01 volts. Clearly no op amp can handle this swing range
(given a +15 V supply) as the output will saturate long before it
reaches the supply rails. Again the AMP04’s topology does not
have this limitation. Figure 4 illustrates the AMP04 operating at
the same common-mode conditions as in Figure 3. None of the
internal nodes has a signal high enough to cause amplifier satu-
ration. As a result, the AMP04 can accommodate much wider
common-mode range than most instrumentation amplifiers.
Input Common-Mode Range Includes Ground
The AMP04 employs a patented topology (Figure 1) that
uniquely allows the common-mode input voltage to truly extend
to zero volts where other instrumentation amplifiers fail. To il-
lustrate, take for example the single supply, gain of 100 instru-
mentation amplifier as in Figure 2. As the inputs approach zero
volts, in order for the output to go positive, amplifier A’s output
(VOA) must be allowed to go below ground, to –0.094 volts.
Clearly this is not possible in a single supply environment. Con-
sequently this instrumentation amplifier configuration’s input
common-mode voltage cannot go below about 0.4 volts. In
comparison, the AMP04 has no such restriction. Its inputs will
function with a zero-volt common-mode voltage.
+10.00V
A
R
100k
R
R
+5V
10.01
V
OA
200Ω
50µA
V
OB
100k
+15.01V
R
B
+10.01V
100k
R
GAIN
IN(–)
IN(+)
1
V
2
3
8
OUT
Figure 3. Gain = 1001, Three Op Amp Instrumentation
Amplifier
INPUT BUFFERS
6
11k
100k
0.1µA
+15V
11k
+10.00V
–
100Ω
+10.01V
100µA
VOUT
+10V
100k
REF
+10.01V
+
+15V
5
–15V
11k
100.1µA
Figure 1. Functional Block Diagram
+11.111V
–15V
11k
0.01V
+
V
V
OB
OUT
100k
V
B
IN
0V
–
V
OA
A
Figure 4. Gain = 1000, AMP04
100k
100k
20k
20k
–.094V
0.01V
0V
4.7µA
4.7µA
5.2µA
2127Ω
Figure 2. Gain = 100 Instrumentation Amplifier
–6–
REV. A