Offset Management
Precision amplifier topology that employs a switching mechanism to remove low-frequency noise and offset voltage errors. A chopper stabilized operational amplifier uses an internal modulator to shift the input signal to a higher frequency before amplification. This technique eliminates the 1/f noise that typically dominates at low frequencies.
The result is an stable output with near-zero input offset voltage.
Frequency Response
Modulation occurs at a fixed internal clock frequency which must stay well above the signal bandwidth. Any chopper stabilized operational amplifier exhibits aliasing if the input contains components near the switching frequency. Integrated low-pass filters mitigate these ripple effects.
Environmental Stability
Long-term drift and temperature fluctuations have minimal impact on the accuracy of the device because the correction happens continuously. A chopper stabilized operational amplifier maintains its specification across the full industrial temperature range without manual trim. Standard bipolar amplifiers often require periodic recalibration to account for component ageing.
This continuous self-correction ensures the measurement chain remains valid over years of service.
Application Limit
Capacitive charge injection from the internal switches introduces small current spikes into the input circuit. Designers mitigate this by selecting appropriate source impedances and decoupling capacitors. While the dc performance is superior, the switching noise might interfere with high-speed sampling systems.
