Texas Instruments has introduced a zero-drift, 36V op amp, the OPA2188. The dual-channel amplifier is claimed to be suitable for high- and low-voltage supply applications requiring high precision, such as test and measurement equipment, electronic weigh scales, medical instrumentation and flow meters. According to the company, the 0.03µV/°C drift architecture reduces the need for future system calibration. The amplifier has an initial offset voltage of 25µV, which enables high-resolution sensor measurement. The amplifier provides 2MHz of bandwidth while consuming 475µA of quiescent current and has a noise of 8.8nV/rtHz. The op amp features an input common mode range extending from negative rail to within 1.5V of the positive rail. This input range is claimed to save additional circuitry and to enable 5V, single-supply operation. The company also offers a range of tools and support to engineers to speed development. For example, it offers a universal EVM (evaluation module), a reference design and SPICE model in TINA-TI 9.1 and a SPICE-based analogue simulation program. There is also software for analysis, application and calculation utilities, including Analogue Filter Designer, FilterPro, and calculators for decibel, frequency and wavelength and op amp gain stage. The op amp is available in a 3x5mm MSOP or 5x6mm SOIC package.
