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Ⅰ IntroductionAs for operational amplifier applications, in electronic circuit, it is usually combined with a feedback network to form a certain functional module, with a special coupling circuit and feedback. Its output signal can be input signal addition, subtraction or differentiation, integration, etc, which early used in analog computers to do mathematical operations. Now they widely used in the electronics industry, regarded as precision AC and DC amplifiers, active filters, oscillators and voltage comparators.This Video is Introducing Operational Amplifier Applications in the CircuitCatalogⅠ Introduction1.1 Integrated Op AmpⅡ Op-amp ParametersⅢ Application MattersⅣ Classic Amplifier CircuitsⅤ One Question Related Op Amp and Going Further5.1 Question5.2 Answer1.1 Integrated Op Amp1.1.1 Evaluation AnalysisIntegrated operational amplifiers are one of the most widely used devices in analog integrated circuits. In various systems, because of different application requirements, the performance requirements of operational amplifiers are also different.Where there are no special requirements, try to use a universal integrated operational amplifier as much as possible, which can reduce costs and easily replace. When using multiple op amps in a system, use as many op amp integrated circuits as possible. For example, LM324 and LF347 always integrate four op amps together in a circuit.The evaluation of integrated op amps depends on their overall performance. Generally, the merit coefficient K is used to measure the excellent degree of integrated operational amplifiers, which is defined as: where SR is the slew rate and the unit is V / ms. The larger the value, the better the AC characteristics of the operational amplifier; The input bias current of the amplifier is lib, the unit is nA; VOS is the input offset voltage in mV. The smaller the Iib and VOS values, the better the DC characteristics of the op amp. Therefore, for circuits that amplify AC signals such as audio and video, op amps with large SR are better; for circuits that handle weak DC signals, op amps with high accuracy are more suitable (both offset current, offset voltage and temperature drift are relatively small).When selecting an integrated op amp, some factors should be considered in addition to the figure of merit coefficient K. For example, the signal source is a voltage source or a current source; the nature of the load, and whether the output voltage and current of the integrated op amp meet the requirements; operating voltage range, power consumption, and volume of the integrated op amp.Figure 1. Using Operational Amplifier as a Comparator1.1.2 Integrated Op Amp Basics Power supplyThe integrated op amp has two power terminals + VCC and -VEE, with different power supply methods. For different power supply modes, the requirements for input signals are different.1) Dual power supplyOp amps are mostly powered in this way. The positive power (+ E) and negative power (-E) relative to the common terminal (ground) are connected to the + VCC and -VEE pins of the op amp, respectively. In this way, the signal source can be directly connected to the input pin of the op amp, and the amplitude of the output voltage can make the positive and the negative symmetrical.2) Single power supplySingle-supply operation connects the -VEE pin of the op amp to ground. At this time, in order to ensure that the internal unit circuit of the operational amplifier has a suitable static operating point, a DC potential must be added to the input end of the op amp. Zero settingDue to the influence of the input offset voltage and input offset current of the integrated op amp, when the input signal is zero, the output is often not equal to zero. In order to improve the operation accuracy of the circuit, it is required to compensate the error caused by the offset voltage and the offset current. This is the zero setting of the operational amplifier. Commonly used zeroing methods include internal zeroing and external zeroing. For integrated op amps without internal zeroing terminals, external zeroing methods should be used. Self oscillationThe operational amplifier is a high-amplitude multi-stage amplifier. Under the condition of deep negative feedback, it is easy to cause self-excited oscillation. To make the amplifier work stably, a certain frequency compensation network must be added to eliminate the self oscillation. In addition, to prevent low-frequency oscillation or high-frequency oscillation caused by the internal resistance of the power supply, an electrolytic capacitor (10mF) and a high-frequency filter capacitor (0.01 mF ~ 0.1mF) should be connected. Device protectionThere are three aspects to the protection of the integrated op amp safety: power protection, input protection and output protection.1) Power protectionCommon faults of power supply are reverse polarity and voltage jump. For a power supply with poor performance, voltage overshoot often occurs at the moment when the power is turned on and off. Protection measures such as the use of FET current source and voltage regulator clamping protection. The voltage regulator’s voltage value is greater than the normal operating voltage of the integrated op amp and less than the maximum allowable operating voltage of the integrated op amp, and the current of the FET tube should be greater than the normal operating current of integrated op amp.2) Input protectionIf the input differential/common mode voltage of the integrated op amp is too high beyond the limit parameter range of the integrated op amp, it will be damaged.3) Output protectionWhen the integrated op amp is overloaded or the output is shorted, the op amp will be damaged if there is no protection circuit. However, some integrated op amps have internal current limit protection or short circuit protection, and no additional output protection is required to use these devices.Figure 2. An Inverting Op Amp CircuitⅡ Op-amp ParametersTo use the op amp better in the circuit, you must have a certain understanding of its internal parameters. Here are the technical parameters closely related to the op amp: Unity-gain bandwidth Definition: Under the condition that the closed-loop gain of the op amp is 1 time, a constant amplitude sinusoidal small signal is input to the input end of the op amp, and the closed-loop voltage gain measured from the output end of the op amp is reduced by 3dB (or equivalent to 0.707 times of the input signal of the op amp), that is to say, the frequency at which the output signal is reduced by -3dB is unity-gain bandwidth. It is a very important indicator. For a sinusoidal small signal amplification, the unity-gain bandwidth is equal to the product of the input signal frequency and the maximum gain at that frequency. In other words, when you know the frequency and gain of the signal to be processed, the unity-gain bandwidth (gain bandwidth = amplification * signal frequency) can be calculated to select the appropriate op amp. The higher the bandwidth, the higher the frequency of the signal that can be processed, and the better the high frequency characteristics, otherwise the signal will be easily distorted.    For small signals, the unity-gain bandwidth is also called the gain-bandwidth product, which can roughly show the ability of the op amp to process the frequency of the signal. For example, the gain bandwidth of a certain operational amplifier is 1MHz, if the actual closed-loop gain is 100, then the maximum frequency for theoretical processing of small signals is 1MHz / 100 = 10KHz.For the bandwidth of a large signal, that is, the power bandwidth, the influence of the slew rate SR is the major factor, and the unit is V/uS. In this case, the power bandwidth calculated by FPBW = SR / 2πVp-p, that is, the gain bandwidth and power bandwidth must be satisfied at the same time when designing the circuit.For DC signals, bandwidth issues are generally not considered, and accuracy and interference are mainly considered.When the amplification factor of an amplifier is n times, it does not mean that all input signals are amplified n times. When the signal frequency increases, the amplification capability decreases. Open bandwidthThe open-loop bandwidth is defined as: inputting a constant-amplitude sinusoidal small signal to the input of the op amp, the frequency measured at which the open-loop voltage gain decrease 3dB from the output of the op amp to the dc gain of the op amp. This is used for very small signal processing. Slew rate SRWith the op amp connected in a closed loop, a large signal (including a step signal) is input to the input of the op amp, and the output rise rate of the op amp is measured from the output of the op amp called SR. Because the input stage of the op amp is switched during the conversion, the feedback loop of the op amp does not work, that is, the conversion rate is independent of the closed-loop gain. The slew rate is a very important index for large signal processing. For general op amps, the slew rate SR <= 10V / μs, and the slew rate of high speed op amps is SR> 10V / μs. The highest conversion rate SR of current high-speed op amps reaches 6000V / μs. The larger the SR, the better the response of the op amp to the input signal changing at high speed. The larger the signal amplitude, the higher the frequency, and the greater the SR. This is used for op amp selection in large signal processing. Full-power bandwidthAt the rated load, under the condition that the closed-loop gain of the op amp is 1 time, a constant-amplitude sinusoidal large signal is input to the input end of the op amp, so that the output frequency of the op amp reaches the maximum (allowing certain distortion) signal. This frequency is limited by the slew rate SR of the op amp. Approximately, full power bandwidth is calculated by formula SR / 2πVop (Vop is the peak output amplitude of the op amp). It is a very important indicator for op amp selection in large signal processing. Setting timeAt the rated load, under the condition that the closed-loop gain of the op amp is 1 time, the time required to input a step large signal to the input of the op amp to increase the output from 0 to a given value. Because it is a step large signal input, a certain jitter will occur after the output signal reaches a given value. This jitter time is called the stabilization time. At this moment, stabilization time + rise time = settling time. For different output accuracy, there is a big difference in the stabilization time. The higher the accuracy, the longer the stabilization time. Equivalent input noise voltageIt refers to any AC random interference voltage generated at the output of an op amp with good shielding and no signal input. When this noise voltage is converted to the input of the op amp, it is called the input noise voltage of the op amp (sometimes expressed by noise current). For broadband noise, the effective value of the input noise voltage of ordinary op amps is about 10 ~ 20μV. This value often corresponds to a certain frequency band. Output impedanceIt refers to the ratio of the change in voltage to the corresponding change in current when the signal voltage is applied to the output of the op amp working in the linear region. At low frequencies it only refers to the output resistance of the op amp. Common mode input resistenceRefers to the ratio of the change in the input voltage of the common mode to the corresponding change in the input current when the two inputs of the op amp input the same signal. At low frequencies, it behaves as a common mode resistance. Generally, the common mode input impedance of the op amp is much higher than the differential mode input impedance, with a typical value above 108Ω. Common mode rejection ratioSame as the definition in the differential amplifier circuit, it is the ratio of the differential mode voltage gain to the common mode voltage gain, which is usually expressed in decibels. It is a parameter that measures the degree of symmetry of the input stage differential amplifier and the ability of the integrated op amp to suppress common mode interference signals. The larger the value, the better. Power supply rejection ratioThe power supply voltage rejection ratio is defined as the change ratio of the input offset voltage of the op amp with the power supply voltage in the linear region. The power supply voltage rejection ratio reflects the effect of power supply changes on the output of the op amp. At present, the power supply voltage suppression ratio is only about 80dB. Therefore, when used for DC signal or small signal processing for analog amplification, the power supply of the op amp needs to be carefully set. Of course, an op amp with a high common mode rejection ratio can compensate a part of the power supply voltage rejection ratio. In addition, when using dual power supplies, the power supply voltage rejection ratio of the positive and negative power supplies may be different. Differential mode input resistanceRefers to the ratio of the change in voltage at the two input terminals to the corresponding change in current at the input terminals when the op amp is operating in the linear region. The differential mode input impedance includes the input resistance and input capacitance, and refers only to the input resistance at low frequencies. General products specification only give input resistance. The input resistance of the op amp using the bipolar transistor as the input stage is not greater than 10MΩ; the input resistance of the op amp as the input stage of the field effect transistor is generally greater than 109Ω. Input offset voltageWhen the input voltage is zero, the output voltage is divided by the voltage gain, plus the negative sign, which is the offset voltage converted to the input. It is the compensation voltage applied at the input when the output voltage is zero. The input offset voltage actually reflects the circuit symmetry inside the op amp. The better the symmetry, the smaller the input offset voltage. The input offset voltage is a very important indicator of the op amp, especially when it is a precision op amp or used for DC amplification.The input offset voltage has a certain relationship with the manufacturing process. It is between ± 1 and 10 mV when op amps use the bipolar process (that is, the standard silicon process). If the field effect tube is used as the input stage, it will be greater. For precision op amps, it is generally below 1mV. The smaller the input offset voltage, the smaller the intermediate zero offset during DC amplification, and the easier it is to handle. Therefore, it is an extremely important index for precision op amps. Input offset voltage driftWithin the specified operating temperature range, it is the ratio of the change in input offset voltage with temperature to the change in temperature. It is actually a supplement to the input offset voltage, which is convenient for calculating the drift of the amplifier circuit due to temperature changes within a given operating range. It is an important indicator for measuring the temperature effect to the op amp. Under normal circumstances, it is about (10 ~ 30) uV / C (degree Celsius), the high quality can be <0.5uV / C. Input offset currentIt is defined as the difference between the base current of the differential pair of the differential input stage when the output DC voltage of the op amp is zero. Used to characterize the degree of asymmetry of the differential input current. The better the symmetry, the smaller the input offset current. Input offset current is a very important indicator for op amps, especially for precision operational amplifier or DC amplifier. The input offset current is approximately one to one-tenth of the input bias current. It has an important impact on small signal precision amplification or DC amplification, especially when a large resistor is used outside the op amp. The effect of input offset current may exceed the effect of input offset voltage on accuracy. The smaller the input offset current, the smaller the intermediate zero offset during DC amplification, and the easier it is to handle. Therefore, it is an extremely important index for precision op amps. Input offset current temperature driftWithin the specified operating temperature range, the ratio of the amount of change in input offset current with temperature to the amount of temperature change. It refers to the temperature coefficient of within the specified operating range, and is also an important indicator to measure the temperature effect on the op amp. It is usually about (1-50) nA / C, and the high quality is about several pA / C. This value is only given in the precision op amp parameters, and it needs attention when it is used for DC signal processing or small signal processing. Input bias current   It is defined as the average value of the bias currents of the two input terminals when the output DC voltage of the op amp is zero, in other words, it is the average current flowing into the input terminal when the operational amplifier is operating in the linear region. The input bias current has a greater impact on the places where input impedance is required, such as high-impedance signal amplification and integrator circuits. The input bias current has a certain relationship with the manufacturing process. If a field effect tube is used as the input stage, the input bias current generally lower than 1nA. It always used to measure the input current of the differential amplifier pair. Maximum differential mode input voltageIt is a voltage that the two input ends of the op amp can withstand. When it is exceeded, the reverse breakdown of the differential tube will occur. The NPN tube made by the plane process has a value of about 5V, and the Vidmax of the horizontal PNP tube can reach more than 30V. Maximum common mode input voltageIt an allowable range of common mode input voltage under normal operating conditions of the op amp. When the input differential pair saturates, the amplifier loses common mode rejection ability. In the case of interference, it is necessary to pay attention to this problem in the use of the circuit. Output peak to peak voltageWorking in the linear region, under the specified load, when the op amp is powered by the large power supply, it is the maximum voltage amplitude that the op amp can output. Except for low voltage op amps, the output peak-to-peak voltage of general op amps is greater than ± 10V, but less than the power supply voltage. This is due to the design of the output stage. The output stage of modern low-voltage op amps has been specially treated. The output peak-to-peak voltage is close to within 50mV of the power supply voltage, so it is called a full-scale output op amp, also known as a rail-to-raid op amp. It should be noted that the output peak-to-peak voltage of the op amp is related to the load, and the value is different for different loads; the positive and negative output voltage swings of the op amp are not necessarily the same. For practical applications, the closer the output peak-to-peak voltage is to the supply voltage, the easier the power supply design.Figure 3. Input Offset Voltage of an Op-ampⅢ Application Matters1) A single-supply op amp must be DC biased, otherwise it will not work properly. For the virtual ground design, in addition to the DC potential, it is necessary to pay attention to the voltage stabilization (it is best to use the reference voltage chip), and also to ensure low impedance AC decoupling, that is, low-frequency decoupling parallel to at least 10uF and high frequency decoupling under 0.1uF.2) The input of the non-inverting amplifier must be biased to ground as a DC path.3) Ordinary op amps cannot directly drive capacitive loads. If there is need, you must use capacitors for phase compensation or output series resistors and then connect the load.4) For the op amp input of the external interface, a TVS tube must be connected in parallel to the positive and negative input pins to prevent the op amp from reversing the polarity due to the too large input voltage signal, forming a parasitic false signal output.5) For amplifier circuits with a gain of more than 10 times, pay attention to controlling the bandwidth gain of the op amp to prevent the device from self oscillation.6) The output of the power amplifier needs to be protected by switching diodes to the power supply and ground, especially when inductive loads are connected.7) When using multiple op amps to process multiple signals, care must be taken to prevent the instantaneous changes in one of the signals from causing crosstalk to the other signal. Therefore, it is recommended not to use one op amp to process multiple signals.8) Most op amp chips are ESD sensitive devices, so pay more attention when using them.9) The pins of unused op amps (excess channels in multiple op amps) should not be left floating, and  grounded or connected to positive and negative power supplies. It is recommended to connect it as a follower (the output is connected to the reverse input) and the non-inverting input is connected to a potential between the power rails (the ground of the dual power system or any suitable point in the circuit). They can also used as buffer amplifiers and add them to a small impact location in the system.Figure 4. Op Amp 741Ⅳ Classic Amplifier CircuitsFigure 5. Inverting AmplifierFigure 5: The grounded non-inverting terminal of op amp is 0V. The inverting and non-inverting terminals are short-circuit, so the inverting end is also 0V. The input resistance of the inverting input terminal is very high, and it is virtual open. In other words, there is almost no current pass through. Therefore, the current flowing through each component in a series circuit is the same, that is, the current flowing through R1 and R2 are the same.Current flowing through R1: I1 = (Vi-V-)/R1Current flowing through R2: I2 = (V--Vout)/R2V- = V+ = 0, I1 = I2Solve the above algebraic equation to get Vout = (-R2/R1)*Vi, it is the input-output relationship of the inverting amplifier. Figure 6. Non-inverting AmplifierIn Figure 6, Vi and V- are virtual short, where Vi = V-. Because of the virtual open, there is no current flow through at the reverse input terminal, then R1=R2. If the current is I, which is obtained by Ohm's law: I = Vout/(R1+R2);Vi is equal to the partial voltage on R2, that is: Vi = I*R2.Virtual short: Vi = V-, R1=R2Ohm's law: I = Vout/(R1+R2), Vi = I*R2Where Vout=Vi*(R1+R2)/R2, represents the non-inverting amplifier. Figure 7. AdderFigure 7: Knowing from the Kirchhoff's law and virtual open theory, the sum of the current through R2 and R1 is equal to the R3, V- = V+ = 0 (short circuit), so (V1 – V-)/R1 + (V2 – V-)/R2 = (Vout – V-) /R3 can be transferred as V1/R1 + V2/R2= Vout/R3. If R1=R2=R3, then the formula becomes Vout=V1+V2, which is an adder. Figure 8. AdderIn Figure 8, because of the virtual open, no current flows through the non-inverting terminal, where V+ = V-, R1=R2, R4=R3, therefore, (V1 – V+)/R1 = (V+-V2)/R2, (Vout – V-)/R3 = V-/R4 can be simplified as V+ = (V1 + V2)/2 V- = Vout/2. So Vout = V1 + V2 is also an adder. Figure 9. SubtractorFigure 9 shows that the current through R1 is equal to the R2, and R4=R3, therefore, (V2– V+)/R1 = V+/R2, (V1 – V-)/R4 = (V--Vout)/R3. If R1=R2, then V+ = V2/2; if R3=R4, then V- = (Vout + V1)/2, because of V+ = V-, so Vout =V2-V1 is a subtractor. Figure 10. Integrator CircuitIn Figure 10, the input voltage at the inverting terminal is equal to the non-inverting terminal because of short circuit; the current through R1 is equal to the C1 because of virtual open. The current flowing through R1 and C1 are Ri=V1/R1, Ci=C*dUc/dt=-C*dVout/dt, respectively. So Vout=((-1/(R1*C1))∫V1dt, which is a integrator circuit. If V1 is a constant voltage U, then the above formula is transformed to Vout = -U*t/(R1*C1)t, then the Vout is a straight line that changes with time. Figure 11. Differential CircuitIn Figure 11, the current through capacitor C1 and resistor R2 is equal because of virtual open; V+ = V- because of short circuit, where Vout = -i * R2 = -(R2*C1)dV1/dt, which is a differential circuit. If V1 is a DC voltage, the output Vout corresponds to a pulse in the opposite direction to V1. Figure 12. Differential Amplifier CircuitFigure 12:Vx = V1……a, Vy = V2……bthen R1, R2, R3 can be regarded as a series, R1=R2=R3, the current I=(Vx-Vy)/R2……cwhere Vo1-Vo2=I*(R1+R2+R3) = (Vx-Vy)(R1+R2+R3)/R2 ……dIf R6=R7, then Vw = Vo2/2 ......e, similarly, if R4=R5, then Vout – Vu = Vu – Vo1, so Vu = (Vout+Vo1)/2 ……fdue to short circuit, Vu = Vw ……g, based on efg formulas, Vout = Vo2 – Vo1 ……hGet from dh, Vout = (Vy – Vx) (R1+R2+R3)/R2, where (R1+R2+R3)/R2 is a fixed value. This value determines the amplifier multiple of the difference (Vy-Vx), thus it is a differential amplifier circuit. Figure 13. Amplifier CircuitIt is a relatively common amplifier circuit. Many controllers accept 0~20mA or 4~20mA current from various measuring instruments. The circuit converts the current into voltage signal to become a digital signal by ADC. Figure 13 is such a typical circuit. As shown in Figure, 4~20mA current flows through the sampling 100Ω resistor R1, there will be a voltage difference of 0.4~2V on R1. Due to virtual open circuit, R3= R5 and R2=R4.Therefore: (V2-Vy)/R3 = Vy/R5 ……a  (V1-Vx)/R2= (Vx-Vout)/R4 ……bShort circuit: Vx = Vy ……cCurrent changes from 0~20mA, then V1 = V2 + (0.4~2) ……dPut cd formulas into b formula: (V2 +(0.4~2)-Vy)/R2 = (Vy-Vout)/R4 ……eIf R3=R2 , R4=R5, then e-a gets Vout =-(0.4~2)R4/R2 ……fIn Figure 13, R4/R2=22k/10k=2.2, then f formula Vout = -(0.88~4.4)V, that is to say, the current of 4~20mA is converted into a voltage range of -0.88~-4.4V. Current can be converted into voltage, and voltage can also be converted into current. Figure 14 is such a circuit. The negative feedback in the above figure does not directly feedback through the resistor, but the emitter junction of the transistor Q1 is connected in series. But it isn't a comparator. As long as it is an amplifying circuit, the law of short circuit and virtual open still conforms.Figure 14. Amplifier CircuitDue to virtual open, no current flows through the input of the op amp,Then (Vi – V1)/R2 = (V1 – V4)/R6 ……aSimilarly (V3 – V2)/R5 = V2/R4 ……bsince short circuit, V1 = V2 ……cIf R2=R6, R4=R5, then V3-V4=Vi can be obtained from abc.The above formula shows that the voltage across R7 is equal to the input voltage Vi, then the current through R7 is I=Vi/R7. If the load RL<100KΩ, the current through R1 and R7 are basically the same. Ⅴ One Question Related to Op Amp and Going Further5.1 QuestionWhat the Application of an Op Amp as a Phase Shifter?5.2 AnswerIn electronic circuit, op amp is used for direct coupling procedure and so DC voltage level at the emitter terminal increases from phase to phase. This rapidly increasing DC level is likely to shift the operating point of the upcoming stages. Thus to move down the increasing voltage swing, this phase shifter is applied.The phase shifter performs by adding a DC voltage level to the output of fall stage to pass the output to a ground level. Frequently Asked Questions about Operational Amplifier Applications1. Why is it called operational amplifier?It's called an “operational” amplifier because it performs a mathematical operation. The most obvious one is multiplication - it amplifies an input signal by a constant. ... But many different 'operations' can be performed by different circuit topologies. 2. What is inside an operational amplifier?Operations amplifiers — op-amps for short, are integrated circuits, constructed mostly out of transistors and resistors. These integrated circuits multiply an input signal to a larger output. You can use these components with voltage and current in both DC and AC circuits. 3. What are operational amplifiers used for?Op amps are used in a wide variety of applications in electronics. Some of the more common applications are: as a voltage follower, selective inversion circuit, a current-to-voltage converter, active rectifier, integrator, a whole wide variety of filters, and a voltage comparator. 4. What are linear applications of op amp?A linear amplifier like an op amp has many different applications. It has a high open loop gain, high input impedance and low output impedance. It has high common mode rejection ratio. Due to these favourable characteristics, it is used for different application. 5. How does an operational amplifier work?An operational amplifier, or op amp, generally comprises a differential-input stage with high input impedance, an intermediate-gain stage, and a push-pull output stage with a low output impedance (no greater than 100 Ω). ... That is, the output gets fed back to the inverting input through some impedance. 6. What do you mean by differential amplifier?A differential amplifier is a type of electronic amplifier that amplifies the difference between two input voltages but suppresses any voltage common to the two inputs. It is an analog circuit with two inputs and and one output in which the output is ideally proportional to the difference between the two voltages. 7. What are the non linear applications of op amp?Non-Linear Applications of Op AmpVoltage comparator.Two applications of comparator as window detector and zero crossing detector.Schmitt trigger circuit with the extension of regenerative comparator.Multivibrator circuits.Precision rectifier or super diode with the combination of op amp as voltage follower and a diode. 8. Why do we use differential amplifier?Differential amplifiers are used mainly to suppress noise. ... Noise is generated in the wires and cables, due to electromagnetic induction, etc., and it causes a difference in potential (i.e., noise) between the signal source ground and the circuit ground. 9. What does an operational amplifier do?An operational amplifier is an integrated circuit that can amplify weak electric signals. An operational amplifier has two input pins and one output pin. Its basic role is to amplify and output the voltage difference between the two input pins. 10. What is an ideal operational amplifier?Operational amplifier: The ideal op amp is an amplifier with infinite input impedance, infinite open-loop gain, zero output impedance, infinite bandwidth, and zero noise. It has positive and negative inputs which allow circuits that use feedback to achieve a wide range of functions.

Ⅰ IntroductionAn operational amplifier, or op-amp for short, is fundamentally a voltage amplifying device designed to be used with external feedback components such as resistors and capacitors between its output and input terminals. Learn more about the most common opamp basics, essential knowledge when selecting and using an op amp in electronics. We can conclude our section and look at Op Amp basics with the following properties and questions. Opamp Basics: Op-Amp CircuitsCatalogⅠ IntroductionⅡ Amplifier Figures of MeritⅢ Q & AⅣ Application: LM358 Classic CircuitsⅡ Amplifier Figures of MeritNegative FeedbackIt is a important technique to improve bandwidth and distortion and control gain.Open-loop GainIt refers to the ratio of the voltage change at the output of the amplifier to the voltage change at the input when the amplifier input and output are open. Common-mode Rejection Ratio (dB)It is the ratio of the amplifier's amplification factor of the differential voltage signal to the amplification factor of the common mode voltage signal.Input Current NoiseIt is the equivalent current noise applied in parallel with the input of the noiseless amplifier.Output CurrentIt refers to the current driven by the load at the output of the op amp. It is usually a function: input overdrive, correlation between output voltage and power supply, temperature, source, and drain characteristics will differ.Phase MarginIt is the phase shift between an output of the same frequency and an inverting input in an open-loop circuit.Voltage GainIt is the ratio of the change in output voltage to the change in input voltage.Programmable Gain BufferIt can set the gain resistance of the op amp (integrated on the template), and the gain can be set to +1, +2, or -1 through simple external connections.Saturation VoltageIt is the voltage between the collector and emitter of the transistor under saturation conditions. In the saturated state, the emitter-base and collector-base are forward biased, so that the voltage between the collector-emitter is very low.Rise TimeThis refers to the time required for the output voltage to change from 10% of its final value to 90% of its final value.Unity-gain BandwidthIt refers to the frequency at which the amplifier's open-loop gain is equal to one. If the op amp frequency response has a single-pole roll-off, the unity-gain bandwidth is equal to 1UGBW.Strobe “OFF” VoltageThe strobe “OFF” voltage is the minimum voltage at the strobe pulse and is guaranteed not to interfere with the comparator operation.Input Current IndexIt refers to the average of the current drawn from the two input pins. In addition, the input current is also commonly called bias current.Gain Bandwidth ProductIt refers to the product of the amplifier's bandwidth and the gain at which the bandwidth is measured.Large Signal Voltage GainIt refers to the ratio of the change in output voltage to the change in input voltage. This parameter is usually specified at a large output voltage, smaller than the maximum output voltage, which is the typical value under direct current conditions.Offset Voltage Temperature CoefficientIt refers to the average rate of change in offset voltage due to changes in junction temperature within a specified temperature range.Output High VoltageIt refers to the high DC output voltage of the comparator, which produces the high output current. And it is usually related to the totem pole or push-pull output of the comparator.Input Source CurrentIt refers to the maximum output positive current produced under the comparator's push-pull output state.Total Harmonic Distortion (THD)When a pure sinusoidal signal is input to the op amp as Vin (w) = Vpsin (wt):Input harmonic distortion: Vout(w)a1Vpsin(wt)+a2Vpsin(wt)+...+anVpsin(nwt)The expression of THD is: THD(%)=[sqrt(a2xa2+a3xa3+...+anxan)/a1]x100Common-Mode Input Impedance (RINCM)It refers to the ratio of the change in the common-mode input voltage to the change in the input current at the inverting or non-inverting terminal.Output Low VoltageIt refers to a low DC output voltage. The output drive is a low voltage sink current. This specification is usually related to the totem pole or push-pull output of the comparator.Using a CMOS op amp as the output driver, although the circuit works well, but requiring a 1m shielded cable, and the oscillation of the operational amplifier is about 1MHz when there is no input signal. If shorten the cable to 10cm, the oscillation is stable.Some op amps are not suitable for driving capacitive loads directly, such as long shielded cables, which is a capacitive load. In addition, coaxial cables have about 60-100pF capacitance per meter.Harmonic DistortionIt refers to the unwanted spurious signals generated at the amplifier output due to the non-linearity of the signal line. When the input is a sinusoidal signal, these spurious signals will appear as integer times of the input frequency (for example, second harmonic, third harmonic).Output Leakage Current (ILEAKAGE)It means that the current enters the comparator output (the output is driven high). It often appears at the output of open collector and open drain.Power Supply Rejection Ratio (PSRR)It refers to the ratio of the change in the input offset voltage to the change in the power supply voltage, PSRR (dB) = 20log10 (DVOS / DVS)Linear Phase DeviationIt refers to how a closed-loop phase response of an operational amplifier approaches and follows the linear relationship between phase change and frequency in a specific frequency band.-3dbIt refers to the frequency when the value of the small signal output amplitude of the closed-loop amplifier decreases to 3dB.Common-mode Voltage RangeIt refers to the typical value of the voltage range at the input, which determines the performance of the amplifier.Specified Power Supply RangeIt describes the power supply voltage required for the operational amplifier to operate.Output Absorption CurrentIt refers to the highest output negative current of the comparator.Output Voltage SwingIt refers to the maximum peak-to-peak swing of the output voltage under a specific load and power supply voltage.Current FeedbackIt refers to a technology used in current feedback amplifiers whose output signal reflects the value of the current input to the inverting input (transimpedance gain function). In some aspects, this topology has operational advantages over traditional voltage feedback.Closed Loop BufferIt refers to an amplifier with high input impedance and low output impedance and a fixed gain of +1. Its typical applications are used for isolation, increased output drive, capacitive load, etc., in addition, there is no need to set the gain resistance.Closed-loop Gain It is the ratio of the change in the output voltage to the change in the input voltage after the feedback and input network added. Generally, this value is set using an external resistance.Common-mode RangeThe common-mode range, also known as the input voltage range, is a measure of the range of input voltages that the input pins of an op amp can accept. This specification is usually relative to the power supply amplitude.Output ImpedanceIt refers to the ideal series output impedance of the ideal operational amplifier when there is no impedance, which is the approximate output impedance of the op amp measured under AC  conditions.Transient ResponseIt refers to the step function response of the closed-loop system of the amplifier under the condition of small signal (usually less than 100mV).Slew RateWhen given a transition or square wave input, the amount of change in the amplifier's output from one level to another. Typical values are averages of values measured based on a change in total output voltage from 10% to 90%.Response TimeIt is the time interval when the input step function makes the output from the initial value to the logic threshold voltage.Unity Gain FrequencyIt refers to the frequency at which the gain of the voltage feedback op amp is 1 (0 dB). For an ideal operational amplifier, its gain-bandwidth product is equal.Intercept PointIt refers to the output power of the fundamental frequency, which is equal to the power value of the fundamental frequency in the specified distortion term (2nd, 3rd, or 3rd intermodulation).Input Offset CurrentIt refers to the current difference between the two inputs.Voltage OverdriveIt means that a certain amount of input step voltage exceeds the minimum drive input voltage required by the comparator to change from one logic level to the opposite logic level.Differential Gain & Differential PhaseDifferential gain refers to the change in the input and output of the gain, and differential phase refers to the phase change in the input stage. They are video measurements, and are a standard measurement in the broadcasting field to measure relative changes in the interpretation of video signal consistency.Voltage FeedbackA technique used in traditional operational amplifiers, where part of the output voltage is fed back to the input, and the voltage difference between the two inputs is amplified by the operational amplifier. Avol Open-loop Voltage Gain“A” is a sign of gain. The letter “V” written below indicates the gain of voltage, and the letter “ol” also written below is an abbreviation for open loop. Open-loop voltage gain refers to the gain (Vout / Vin) of the amplifier without feedback. Due to the existence of the bias voltage, these errors must be compensated.Logic Threshold VoltageIt refers to the voltage that causes the comparator output state to change when the input offset voltage is exceeded.Output ResistanceIt refers to the value of the series resistance at the output of an ideal op amp with zero output resistance, which measured under DC conditions.Gain FlatnessIt refers to the volume of gains “violently increasing” and “rapidly decreasing” in a given bandwidth range measured in decibels (dB), which affects the most important parameter specifications such as phase margin, gain margin, and closed-loop gain.Offset Current Temperature CoefficientIt refers to the average rate of change in deviation current due to changes in junction temperature within a specified temperature range.Input ImpedanceIt is the ratio of input AC voltage to input AC current.Input Voltage NoiseIt refers to the equivalent voltage noise in series with a noiseless amplifier.Input Offset VoltageIt is the product of the DC error voltage between the inputs and the closed-loop gain, because of the non-ideal balance between the input stage and the output is caused by the DC error voltage of the input terminals.Gain MarginOpen loop gain when the phase between the inverting input and output crosses zero at a certain frequency.Supply CurrentIt refers to the current required from the power supply to the unloaded amplifier and to the power supply at the output midpoint.Settling TimeIt refers to the time between the input step function initial value and the output voltage reaching the specified error band. The error band refers to the percentage of the total voltage change.Differential Input ResistanceIt is the ratio of the change in the input voltage to the change in the input current.Ⅲ Q & AQ1: What is the difference between a voltage feedback amplifier and a current feedback amplifier?A: The internal circuits of these two op amps are different. The voltage feedback op amp is restricted by the internal design, and it only has a very low input bias current, but there is no internal limit on the differential input voltage, because it is limited only when external feedback is required. In contrast, for a current feedback amplifier, its differential input voltage is subject to internal design, but it does not limit its input bias current, so it is limited only when external feedback is required.Q2: What is the difference between open and closed loops?A: The open loop gain is actually the internal gain of the op amp without feedback, and usually takes any value between 1,000 and 10,000. Closed loop gain is the gain of the entire circuit, which is equal to the open loop gain divided by 1 plus the loop gain (the improvement coefficient). In fact, the gain of the op amp when there is no feedback is the open loop gain, and the gain when feedback is considered is closed-loop gain.Q3: If the op amp has ideal AC characteristics, the Bode plot (gain-frequency response) is a unipolar system. What is the gain slip rate in dB / decade?A: In a unipolar system, the gain drops (or decreases) at 20dB / decade, which is 6dB / octave. This is responsive to any single pole, and it is also suitable for a simple RC filter or an ideal operational amplifier. However, because op amps have more high-frequency poles, the phase shift will begin to increase as the frequency approaches the unity gain frequency of the op amp.Q4: What is the difference between unity gain bandwidth, gain bandwidth product (GBP), and -3dB frequency?A: Many op amps have an open-loop gain reduction rate of -20db / decade when the frequency is stable. At any point during this descent phase, the GBW is a constant. If the unity-gain operation of the op amp is stable, then the unity-gain bandwidth, or the frequency at which the open-loop gain is 1, is usually equal to GBP. In addition, GBP is not equal to (usually higher than) the unity gain bandwidth. The -3dB frequency is a measure of the bandwidth of an operational amplifier when it is operating in a closed loop. The -3dB point is the frequency at which the gain of the overall closed-loop system drops by 3dB. The unity gain frequency for closed loop applications can be calculated using BW=GBP/Av. The -3dB frequency and unity-gain bandwidth applied depend on the feedback gain setting, output swing, load, and circuit layout.Q5: Why do some amplifiers oscillate with a capacitive load?A: The output impedance of the op amp and the capacitance of the capacitive load may form a resistance-capacitance oscillation. Also they form an R-C oscillation at the output stage, which causes additional phase lag in the feedback signal. CMOS amplifiers have a high output impedance which will cause the electrodes to be approached or lower the unity gain frequency of the op amp. The additional phase lag of the electrodes will weaken the phase margin of the op amp The total phase lag of the amplifier causes the phase angle of the unity gain frequency to increase by more than 180 degrees to cause the total feedback phase shift in unity gain to exceed 180. degree. In addition, the output impedance of a CMOS amplifier is between 100 and 500, causing a relatively low pole frequency. And meanwhile, the output impedance of the high-speed bipolar operational amplifier is in the range of 1 to 100, which causes the pole frequency to be much higher than that of the CMOS operational amplifier, so that the pole is far from the unity gain frequency of the device. The drive of a CMOS amplifier to a capacitive load can be improved by placing an output resistor at the output and an external positive feedback capacitor.Q6: If the output of the op amp stays close to the voltage rail, that is, the output rail, what is the reason?A: There are many ways for operational amplifiers to “rail”. The difficulty is keeping it away from the "rail". If the input exceeds the input voltage range, the output is usually near to a supply voltage rail. In theory, if the output exceeds the actual supply voltage, and a higher supply voltage is given, the op amp will go to rail output again. If there is no feedback or the polarity of the feedback is wrong, the op amp goes to rail output again. At the same time, if the non-inverting input is higher than the negative inverting input, the op amp also goes to rail output. The application of the operational amplifier should be analyzed to ensure that the power supply voltage used has a proper input and gain, so that in normal operation, its input voltage is within the rated value and the output voltage is within the normal range.Q7: What is the difference between the common-mode voltage and input voltage range of an op amp?A: Common mode voltage means that one voltage is applied to both inputs at the same time. Input voltage range is the range of voltages that can be accepted by the input pins. It is necessary to remember that the op amp should suppress the common-mode voltage, and amplify the difference between the two input pins only.Q8: The SPICE model of the bipolar operational amplifier works well, but the SPICE model of the CMOS operational amplifier does not work. Is there a need to set SPICE?A: To input the appropriate bias current to the model, the SPICE model applied on CMOS operational amplifier needs to set the default GMIN option to the largest SPICE package value.Q9: What is the difference between the amplifier's output current and short-circuit current?A: Short circuit current refers to the current generated by the device if the output is connected directly to the power line. This indicates that the output current is limited depending on the design of the device. However, the short-circuit current does not represent the true output of the drive capability of the output. Due to the impedance characteristics of the output stage, the maximum output current is determined by the swing of the output voltage under load. In facet, the smaller the load, the larger the output swing; the larger the load, the smaller the output swing.Q10: How to check the stability of an op amp circuit?A: Check the stability of the control loop, such as the pulse load and related changes in output voltage. The pulse load may be a load current with a pulse or step change, so that the output of the op amp circuit should be connected to a series R-C circuit. The greater the circuit swing or vibration, the worse the stability of the circuit.Q11: Are there any good ways to minimize noise when amplifying a low-level DC signal?A: To obtain a high signal-to-noise ratio, the circuit must be well designed. This includes choosing the best amplifier bandwidth and knowing the impedance of the input signal. If the input signal source has a fairly high impedance, it makes no sense to choose a low voltage noise amplifier, which has high current noise.Q12: How should design a low frequency (<1Hz) differentiator to minimize the output noise?A: The only reason that the output of the differentiator contains noise is because there is a lot of gain and the input is noisy. The traditional differentiator uses Rs-Cs in series at the input and the Rf-Cf in parallel near the operational amplifier. It is not necessary to try more Rs or Cf to minimize noise. The noise of the output come from the differentiator does not mean that it is harmful, because it also amplifies useful signals. In addition, if disconnect a loop, the differential output noise may be beneficial and will stabilize the loop. If the output of the differentiator is quite noisy or has too much input noise, analyze which are the real sources of them.Q13: How to protect the amplifier input from being higher or lower than the supply voltage?A: What must be done is either to clamp the input of the device, or to limit the input current of the device, or ideally, do both. The easiest way is to choose a current limiting resistor to limit this current. The selection is based on the fact that the current generated by the circuit input at the maximum input voltage is less than the maximum current rating of the input pin. Usually, a 1K to 100K resistor in series with this input pin is effective. However, since the signal is usually connected directly to a non-inverting input pin, a non-inverting amplifier may need a protective resistor connected to this pin. For high impedance circuits, a large resistor and or low leakage current diode can be used.Q14: What is the difference between a single-supply amplifier and a dual-supply amplifier?A: There is no difference in the actual circuit, layout, and characteristics of the amplifier. When an operational amplifier is designated as dual power supply, the output load is usually referenced to ground (GND), while a single power supply operational amplifier is usually referenced to the midpoint voltage of a single supply, and it is usually specified to operate on lower voltages, but this is not a necessary requirement. Therefore, whether the op amp is powered by a single 5V power supply and ground (GND), or powered by +2.5 and -2.5V, these is no different. Ⅳ Application: LM358 Classic CircuitsThis Video is Going to Show Top 5 Electronics Project Using OP-AMP LM358The LM358 includes two independent, high-gain, internal frequency-compensated dual operational amplifiers. It is suitable for single-supply operation with a wide range of power supply voltages. It is also suitable for dual-supply operation. LM358 applications include sensor amplifiers, DC gain modules and all other operational amplifiers that can be powered by a single power supply. The classic circuits of LM358 are as shown as following:Figure 1. Active DC-coupled Low Pass RC Filter Figure 2. LED Driver Figure 3. Transistor-Transistor-Logic (TTL) Drive Circuit Figure 4. Active RC Band Pass Filter Figure 5. Squareware Oscillator Figure 6. Hysteresis ComparatorFigure 7. Active Band Pass filter Figure 8. Lamp Driver Figure 9. Current Monitor Figure 10. Low Drift Peak Detector Figure 11. Voltage Follower Figure 12. Power Amplifier Peripheral CircuitFigure 13. Voltage Controlled Oscillator VCOFigure 14. Fixed Current Source Figure 15. Pulse Generator Figure 16. AC Coupled Non-inverting Amplifier Figure 17. AC Coupled Inverting Amplifier Figure 18. Adjustable Gain Instrumentation Amplifier Figure 19. DC Amplifier Figure 20. Pulse Generator Figure 21. Bridge Current Amplifier Figure 22. Introducing Differential Input Signal Figure 23. DC Differential Amplifier Frequently Asked Questions about Op Amps Basics1. What is an op amp basics for dummies?An op amp is a super-sensitive electronic amplifier circuit that's designed to amplify the difference of two input voltages. Thus, an op amp has two inputs and one output. ... Most op amps require both a positive and a negative voltage power supply, with voltages usually ranging from 6 V to 18 V. 2. What is the basic use of op amp?An operational amplifier is an integrated circuit that can amplify weak electric signals. An operational amplifier has two input pins and one output pin. Its basic role is to amplify and output the voltage difference between the two input pins. 3. What is operational amplifier and its types?An operational amplifier (op amp) is an analog circuit block that takes a differential voltage input and produces a single-ended voltage output. Op amps usually have three terminals: two high-impedance inputs and a low-impedance output port. 4. Which purpose the op amp is used?As the name suggests, the purpose of an amplifier or an op amp is to amplify or increase the input signal to produce an output signal which is much larger than that of the input, with a similar waveform as that of the input. The main change in the output signal will be the increase in the power level. 5. What does it mean when an op amp saturates?Originally Answered: What happens when an op-amp is saturated? that means the amplification or gain is so high as to make the output signal with a given input signal, so large as to exceed the compliance range of the power supply of the ope amp. More simply put, if you have an op amp supplied with +/-15V supply rails.

  A printed circuit board, also known as PCB, is the electrical connection provider of electronic components. It has been developed for more than 100 years; its key point is about layout design. The main advantage of using circuit board is to greatly reduce wiring and assembly errors, improve the level of automation and productivity.   In today's blog, we are going to introduce PCB systematically to show you what is PCB, what's its features, and its manufacturing method and wiring technique and so many more.     Catalog   PCB Introduction PCB Form PCB Features PCB Advantages PCB Basic Manufacturing How to Designing Your Own PCBs PCB Function Testing PCB Design PCB Wiring How Does PCB Works PCB Recycle FAQ PCB Introduction   A printed circuit board, also known as PCB, is the electrical connection provider of electronic components. It has been developed for more than 100 years; its key point is about layout design. The main advantage of using circuit board is to greatly reduce wiring and assembly errors, improve the level of automation and productivity.   Since printed circuit boards are not general end products, there is a slight confusion in the definition of it. For example, the motherboard for personal computers is called the motherboard and cannot be called the circuit board directly, although there is a circuit board in the motherboard. They are not the same, so the relationship between the two cannot be said to be the same when evaluating the industry.   Another example: because integrated circuit parts are mounted on a circuit board, the news media call it IC board, but in essence, it is not equal to a printed circuit board. We commonly refer to PCB as a bare board which components are not on it.   The number of PCB layers can be divided into a single panel, double panel, four-layer board, six-layer board and multilayer board.   PCB Material Common materials of PCB boards are electric boards, glass fiberboards, and various types of plastic boards. PCB manufacturers generally use an insulating portion consists of glass fibre, non-fabric, and resin, then pressed with epoxy resin and copper foil to form a prepreg.   PCB Metallic Coating The metal coating is where the substrate line meets the electronic component. Furthermore, metal solderability, contact, resistance, and so on will have a direct impact on the component's effectiveness. And different metals have a direct impact on production costs.   Copper, tin (the thickness is usually 5 to 15 m), lead-tin alloy (or tin-copper alloy, that is solder, the thickness is 5 to 25 m, about 63 percent is tin), gold (usually plated on the interface), and silver are the most commonly used metallic coatings (usually plated on the interface, or as a whole is silver alloy).   PCB Line Design Software Simple layout design can be completed by hand, but complex circuit design is usually realized through computer-aided design (CAD), and well-known design software includes CAD, Pads (that is PowerPCB), Altium designer (that is Protel), FreePCB, CAM350, and others.   PCB Form   The current circuit boards are primarily made up of the following components:   The Line and Pattern: A line is a tool used to connect the original parts. The large copper surface will be designed as the grounding and power supply layer in the design. The wiring route is created concurrently with the pattern.   Dielectric is used to keep lines and layers insulated.   Through-hole / via: it can switch the lines above the two layers on and off, larger ones are used to set components, and non-through holes (nPTH) are typically used as surface mounting positioning and fixing screws for assembly.   Solder resistant / Solder Mask: not all copper surfaces needed solder parts with sin, so the non-tin soldering area will print something to separate tin (usually epoxy resin), to avoid a short circuit. According to different processes, this can be divided into green oil, red oil and blue oil to distinguish different functional areas.   Legend / Marking/ Silk screen: it is not necessary. Its main function is to mark the name and position of each part on the circuit board for easy maintenance and identification after assembly.   Surface Finish: because the copper surface is easy to oxidize in the general environment, leading to failure to solder tin ( or solder poor), therefore, it will make the copper surface protection which needing to solder sin. The methods of protection include HASL, ENIG, Immersion Silver, tin, Immersion Tin, and OSP, which are generally called surface treatment, having their own advantages and disadvantages.   PCB Features   Bare panels (no parts on them) are also known as "Printed Wiring Board (PWB)". The board itself is made of insulating, non-bending material. The thin wire material that can be seen on the surface is copper foil, which is originally covered on the whole board but is etched away in the manufacturing process, and the remaining part becomes a small net line. These lines are called conductor pattern or wiring and are used to provide electrical connections to parts on the PCB.   The colour of PCB is usually green or brown, which is the colour of the solder mask. It is an insulating protective layer that protects copper wire, prevents short circuit caused by wave welding, and saves solder consumption. Also, a silkscreen will be printed on the solder mask layer. Text and symbols (most are white) are usually printed on them to indicate the location of each part on the board. Silkscreen is also called a legend.   Integrated circuits, transistors, diodes, passive components (such as resistors, capacitors, connectors, etc.) and a variety of other electronic components are installed when the final product made. By connecting wires, electronic signals can be connected and their functions can be work.   PCB Advantages   (1) Because of the reproducibility and consistency of the graphics, the errors in wiring and assembly are reduced, and the maintenance, debugging and checking the time of the equipment are saved;   (2) The design can be standardized and interchangeable;   (3) High density of wiring, small size, lightweight, which is beneficial to the miniaturization of electronic equipment;   (4) It is beneficial to mechanization and automatic production, increasing labour productivity and reducing the cost of electronic equipment     PCB Basic Manufacturing   PCB manufacturing methods are classified into two types: subtractive and additive. At the moment, the subtractive etching copper foil method is primarily used in mass industrial production.   Basic Manufacturing Procedure: First, we’ll need a blank circuit board (a circuit board with complete metal foil), and the rest are required circuit boards.   Screen printing: a screen mask is made from a pre-designed circuit diagram. The screen's unnecessary circuit is covered with wax or waterproof material. Following that, the screen mask is placed on a blank circuit board, with a protective agent applied to the screen to prevent corrosion. Finally, immerse the circuit board in the corrosion solution; the part not covered by the protective agent will be corroded away, leaving only the rest to be cleaned away.   Photosensitive board: a pre-designed circuit diagram is printed on a transparent film mask (the simplest method is to print the film with a printer), and the required part is printed in an opaque color in the same way. Then, apply photosensitive pigment to the blank circuit board, place the prepared film mask on the board while it is blazing for a few minutes, remove the mask, and use a developer to display the pattern on the board.   Engraving: use a milling machine or laser engraving machine to remove unnecessary parts of a blank line directly.   Other Manufacture Procedure:   （1）Additive The additive, is a pre-coated copper substrate coated with a photoresistor (D/F), exposed to ultraviolet light and exposed where it is needed. Then using electroplating to thicken the copper of the formal circuit line to the required specification, and plating a layer of anti-corrosion thin tin, and finally remove the photoresist (this process is called film removal), and then etch the copper foil layer under the photoresist.   （2）Layer Method The lamination method is one of the methods of making multilayer printed circuit board. The outer layer is made after the inner layer is wrapped, and the outer layer is treated by the subtractive or additive method. The sequential layer method can be used to get the multi-layer printed circuit board with multiple layers by repeating the action of the stacking method. 1. Making inner layer 2. Laminated formation( bonding different layers) 3. Layer completion ( Outer metal-containing foil film by subtractive method, mixing with the additive method) 4. Drilling   （3）Panel Method 1. Whole PCB electroplating 2. Add a barrier layer where the surface is to be retained 3. Etching4. Removal of barrier layer   （4）Pattern Method 1. Add a barrier layer to the area where the surface is not required 2. Electroplating requires with thickness 3. Removal of barrier layer4. Etching into unnecessary foil film to disappear   （5）Complete Addition Method 1. Add a barrier layer where there is no conductor 2. Circuit consisting of no electrolytic copper   （6）Partial Addition Method 1. Covered with electrolytic copper PCB 2. Add a barrier layer where there is no conductor 3. Electrolytic copper plating 4. Removal of barrier layer 5. No electrolytic copper disappeared until etched under the original barrier layer.   （7）ALIVH ALIVH (Any Layer Interstitial Via Hole，Any Layer IVA), this is using aramid fiber fabric as the substrate. 1. Prepreg: dip the fabric in an epoxy resin to form a “Adhesive sheet”. 2. Laser drilling. 3. Filling the hole with conductive paste. 4. Attaching copper foil to the outer layer. 5. Making Circuit pattern by etching on copper foi. 6. Gluing the copper foil on the semi-finished product after the second step. 7. Laminated formation 8. Repeating steps 5 to 7 until completed.   （8）B2it (Buried Bump Interconnection Technology) 1. First make a double panel or multilayer board. 2. Printing silver paste as cone on copper foil. 3. To place the adhesive on a silver paste, making silver cone to penetrate the adhesive. 4. Attaching the previous adhesive to the board of the first step. 5. Etching the copper foil of the adhesive into a circuit pattern. 6. Repeat the second to fourth steps until it completed.   How to Designing Your Own PCBs   How do you go about designing your own PCB? The ins and outs of PCB design are way too in-depth to get into here, but if you really want to get started, here are some pointers:   1. Find a CAD package: there are a lot of low-cost or free options out there on the market for PCB design. Things to consider when choosing a package:   Community support: are there a lot of people using the package? The more people using it, the more likely you are to find ready-made libraries with the parts you need.   Ease-of-use: if it's painful to use it, you won't.   Capability: some programs place limitations on your design- number of layers, number of components, size of the board, etc. Most of them allow you to pay for a license to upgrade their capability.   Portability: some free programs do not allow you to export or convert your designs, locking you into one supplier only. Maybe that’s a fair price to pay for convenience and price, maybe not.   2. Look at other people’s layouts to see what they have done. Open Source Hardware makes this easier than ever.   3. More practice.   4. Maintain low expectations. Your first board design will have lots of problems. Your 20th board design will have fewer, but will still have some. You’ll never get rid of them all.   5. Schematics are important. Trying to design a board without a good schematic in place first is an exercise in futility.   Finally, a few words on the utility of designing your own circuit boards. If you plan on making more than one or two of a given project, the payback on designing a board is pretty good- point-to-point wiring circuits on a protoboard is a hassle, and they tend to be less robust than purpose-designed boards.   PCB Function Testing   More intensive PCB, with the higher bus speed and analog RF circuits, pose unprecedented challenges to the testing, where efficient testing requires careful design, thoughtful testing methods and appropriate tools which can provide credible test results.   In high-density UUT, if calibration or diagnosis is required, manual work is likely to be required. This is because the machine is limited and the test requires faster (the UUT can collect data quickly with a probe instead of feedback the information to the edge connector), in this case, that the operator is required to probe the test points on the UUT to make sure the test points are clearly marked.   Testing Issues include: （1） Is the probe bigger than the test point? （2）Is the probe in danger of shorting several test points and damaging UUT? （3） Is there a shock hazard to the operator? （4）Can each operator find out the test point quickly and check it out? （5）Are test points large and easy to identify? （6）How long does it take the operator to press the probe on the test point to get an accurate reading? （7）If the time is too long, there will be some trouble in the small test area, for example, the operator's hand will slide, so it is recommended to expand the test area to avoid this problem.   After considering the above problems, the test engineer should re-evaluate the type of the test probe, modify the test file to better identify the location of the test point or even change the requirements for the operator.   PCB Automatic Exploration In some cases, the use of automated probes may be required, such as when PCB is difficult to detect manually, or when the test speed is significantly reduced due to the technical limitations of the operator, under this case which an automated approach should be considered.   The automatic probe can eliminate human error, reduce the possibility of short circuit at several test points, and speed up test operation. However, it should be noted that there may be some limitations to automated probes, depending on the vendor's design, including:   （1）A size of UUT （2）Number of synchronous probes （3）How close are the two test points? （4）Positioning accuracy of the testing probe （5）Can the system detect UUT on both sides? （6）How fast does the probe move to the next test point? （7）What is the actual interval required for the probe system? (it is generally larger than an offline functional test system.)   Automatic detection usually does not touch test points with probe and is generally slower than the production line, so two steps may be required: if the detector is used only for diagnosis, the traditional function test system can be used in the production line, and the detector should be put on the side of the production line as the diagnostic system. If the purpose of the detector is using the UUT to calibrate, it is necessary to use multiple systems, which is still much faster than manual operation.   Another key issue is how to integrate the test system into the production line. Is there still room on the production line? Can the system be connected to the conveyor belt? Fortunately, many new detection systems are compatible with the SMEMA standard, so they work in an online environment.   PCB Boundary Scan Because it requires specialized components to perform the task, this technology should have been discussed prior to the product design phase. Devices with IEEE1194 (boundary-scan) support can be purchased in UUT with a digital circuit, allowing most diagnostic problems to be solved with little or no detection. However, because it expands the area of each compatible device, boundary scanning reduces the overall functionality of the UUT (4 to 5 pins per chip and some wires).   When selecting this technology, the goal is to improve diagnosis. Furthermore, it is emphasized that boundary scans can be used to program Flash memory and PLD devices on UUT, which strengthens the case for selecting the test method.     PCB Design In the design of a printed circuit board, the layout of components and wiring of circuit connection are two key aspects.   PCB Layout The layout is to put the circuit device in the printed circuit board wiring area.   The layout not only affects the wiring work behind it, but it also has a significant impact on the overall performance of the circuit board. To meet the requirements of process, detection, and maintenance, the components should be uniform, neat, and compactly placed on the PCB to minimize the lead and connection between the components, resulting in uniform assembly density.   PCB Functional Differentiation Components should be arranged in groups based on their power-supply voltage, digital and analog circuits, speed, current, and so on, to avoid interference with one another.   When installing the digital circuit and analog circuit on the circuit board, the ground wire and power supply system of the two circuits should be completely separated, and the digital circuit and analog circuit should be arranged in different layers if the conditions allow. When arranging the fast, medium, and low-speed logic circuits on the circuit board, they should be close to the connector, while the memory should be far away from the connector.   This reduces common impedance coupling, radiation, and crosstalk. The clock and high-frequency circuits, which are the primary sources of disturbance emitter, must be arranged separately and away from the sensitive circuit.   PCB Thermal Magnetic Balance The heating parts and the heat-sensitive parts are as far away as possible, the influence of electromagnetic compatibility should be considered.   Manufacturability: (1) Surface The mounting parts are installed on one side as far as possible and simplify the assembly process.   (2) Spacing The minimum distance between components is determined according to the shape of components and other related properties. At present, the distance between components is generally not less than 0.2mm~0.3mm, the distance between components and PCB edge should be more than 2mm.   (3) Direction The direction and density of the elements should be favourable to the convection of the air. Considering the assembly process, the component direction is as consistent as possible.   PCB Wiring   1. Wires (1) Width The minimum width of the printed wire is determined by the adhesive strength between the conductor and the insulating substrate and the current value flowing through them. Printed wire can be as wide as possible, especially power lines and ground wires, as wide as possible under the condition of the plate surface, even if the area is tight, generally not less than 1mm.   In particular, ground wires, even if they are not allowed to be widened locally, it is necessary to widen somewhere permitted to reduce the resistance of the whole ground wire system. For example, the conductors longer than 80mm, even if the current is small, should be widened to reduce the influence of conductor voltage drop on the circuit.   (2) Length To minimize the length of the wiring, the shorter the wiring, the less interference and crosstalk, and the lower the parasitic reactance and the less radiation. Especially the FET gate, transistor base and high-frequency circuit should pay more attention to short wiring.   (3) Gap The distance between adjacent conductors should meet electrical safety standards. The main electrical issues affecting wiring spacing are crosstalk and voltage breakdown. The spacing should be as wide as possible for ease of operation and production, and the minimum spacing should be appropriate to the applied voltage. This voltage includes the operating voltage, the additional fluctuation voltage, the overvoltage, and the peak voltage for other reasons. For safety reasons, the spacing should be wider when there is a current-voltage in the circuit.   (4) Path The signal path from driver to load should be constant in width. The path impedance (resistance, inductance, and capacitance) changes as the path width changes, resulting in reflection and line impedance imbalance. As a result, it is best to keep the path width constant.   Furthermore, it is best to avoid right and sharp angles for the wiring corner, which should generally be greater than 90 °. The inner edge of the right path can generate a concentrated electric field, which produces noise coupled to the adjacent path, and the 45 °path outperforms the right angle and acute angle paths. When two conductors come together at an acute angle, the acute angle should be turned into a circle.   2. Aperture and Pad  The aperture of components should be better matched with the diameter of the lead; in other words, the diameter of the installation hole should be slightly larger 0.150.3mm than the component's lead diameter. DIL packaging pins and most small components have an aperture of 0.8mm and a pad diameter of about 2mm.   For large pad aperture, in order to get better adhesion ability, the ratio of the aperture and the diameter of the pad is about 2 for epoxy glass plate and 2.5~3 for phenol cardboard.   Perforation, which is commonly used in multilayer PCBs, has a minimum available diameter that is related to plate thickness, and the plate thickness to aperture ratio is usually 6:1. A high-speed signal generates 14nH inductance and 0.38pF capacitance when perforated. As a result, when laying high-speed signal channels, the number of holes should be kept to a bare minimum.   If layer changes are unavoidable for high-speed parallel lines (such as address and data lines), it is necessary to ensure that the number of holes in each signal line is the same, and that the number of holes is minimized. When necessary, a printed conductor protection ring or protective line should be installed to prevent oscillations and improve circuit performance.   3. Grounding Design Unreasonable grounding design will affect the printed circuit board, fail to reach the design target, and even can not work. The ground wire is the reference of the potential in the circuit and the common current channel. The ground potential value is zero theoretically, but in fact, because of the existence of conductor impedance, the potential everywhere of the ground wire is not all zero. As long as the ground wire has a certain length, it's potential may not in zero everywhere. The ground wire is not only a necessary common circuit channel, it also a channel for interference.   One point grounding is the basic principle of eliminating grounding interference. The ground wire of all circuits and devices must be connected to a unified grounding point, which is used as the circuit and the zero potential reference point of the equipment. One point grounding is divided into common ground wire series grounding and independent wires parallel grounding.   The common ground-wire series grounding is simple. The grounding lead of each circuit is relatively short, and its resistance is relatively small. This kind of grounding method is often used in the earthing of the equipment cabinet. The independent wires parallel grounding has one ground point which is defined as the ground reference point. The other points that need to be grounded are directly connected to this point, and the earth potential of each circuit is related only to the ground current base impedance of the circuit, which will not be affected by other circuits.   The Following Points Should Be Noted in Specific Wiring: （1）The line length is as short as possible in order to minimize the lead inductance. In low-frequency circuits, multipoint grounding is avoided because the ground current of all circuits flows through a common grounding impedance or grounding plane.   （2）Common ground wires should be arranged as far as possible on the edge of the printed circuit board. As much copper foil as possible should be retained on the circuit board as the ground wire, which can enhance shielding ability.   （3）The double-layer plate can use the ground surface, the purpose of which is to provide a low-impedance ground wire.   （4）In a multi-layer printed circuit board, a grounding layer can be set, and it is designed as a mesh. The spacing of the earth grid can not be too large because one of the main functions of the earth wire is to provide the signal return path. If the spacing of the grid is large signal-loop area will be formed, which will cause radiation and sensitivity problems. In addition, if the signal reflux path is a small loop area, other ground lines will not take into effect.   （5）The earth surface can minimize the radiation loop.   How Does PCB Works PCB Recycle   PCB manufacturing technology is a very complex, comprehensive processing technology. Especially in the process of wet processing, a large amount of water is needed, so there are many kinds of heavy metal wastewater and organic wastewater discharged.    The composition is complex, and the treatment is difficult. If the copper foil utilization ratio of the printed circuit board is 30% and 40%, most of the copper content is in wastewater. If the thickness of each copper foil is 35 microns based on 10, 000 square meters of double panels, the wastewater contains about 4500 kilograms of copper, and there are many other heavy metals and precious metals. These are found in waste liquid and wastewater, if the metal is discharged without treatment, it is not only a big waste but also pollutes the environment.    Therefore, the treatment of wastewater and the recycling of copper and other metals in the process of PCB production are of great significance and are indispensable parts in PCB production.   It is well known that the wastewater in the production of the printed circuit board is a large amount of copper, and a very small amount of lead, tin, gold, silver, fluorine, ammonia, organic compounds and organic complexes, etc.   As for the production of copper wastewater, the main processes are: copper sink, copper plating, copper electroplating, etching and various PCB pretreatment processes (chemical pretreatment, brush plate pretreatment, pozzolanic ash grinding plate pretreatment, etc.).   The copper-containing wastewater produced by the above processes can be divided into complex wastewater and non-complex wastewater according to its composition. In order to make the wastewater treatment meet the environment-protection standard, and the maximum allowable compound concentration of copper is 1mg/l (according to copper), but different wastewater treatment methods must be adopted for different copper-containing wastewater. FAQ   1. What is PCB? A printed circuit board, or PCB, is used to mechanically support and electrically connect electronic components using conductive pathways, tracks or signal traces etched from copper sheets laminated onto a non-conductive substrate.   2. What is PCB and types of PCB? A printed circuit board (PCB) is a thin board made from fiberglass, composite epoxy, or other laminate materials. PCBs are found in various electrical and electronic components such as beepers, radios, radars, computer systems, etc. Different types of PCBs are used based on the applications.   3. What can a PCB be used for? Printed circuit boards (PCBs) are used to mechanically support and electrically connect electronic components using conductive pathways, tracks or signal traces etched from copper sheets laminated onto a non-conductive substrate, employed in the manufacturing of business machines and computers, as well as communication ...   4. Why are PCB green? It is due to the solder mask, which protects the copper circuits printed on the fibre glass core to prevent short circuits, soldering errors, etc. ... The colour of the solder mask gives the board its appearance.   5. What is PCB and its advantages? Compact Size and Saving of Wire. A characteristic PCB includes a large number of electronic components. On a Printed circuit board, the interconnection between the components is made through copper tracks instead of using a number of current carrying wires. It makes the interconnections less bulky.   6. How long does it take for PCBs to break down? 3.5 to 83 days. The time it takes for half of the amount of PCBs (initially) present to be broken down ranges from 3.5 to 83 days for molecules with 1 to 5 chlorine atoms. In water, PCBs are essentially broken down by the effect of sunlight (photolysis).   7. What is the disadvantage of PCB? Disadvantages: Easy to Cause Handling Damage. Process Uses a Carcinogen (Thiourea) Exposed Tin on Final Assembly can Corrode.   8. Which PCB design software is the best for beginners? Top Best PCB Design Software of 2021 a. PROTEL (Altium Designer)  b.PADS (PowerPCB)  c. ORCAD.  d. Allegro.  e. Eagle（Easily Applicable Graphical Layout Editor） f. Kicad. g. EasyEda. h. Fritzing.   9. What are the advantage of flexible PCB? The flexible circuit board are designed for saving room and improving the flexibility to meet a smaller and higher density mounting design, it also helps to reduce the assembly process and enhance reliability.   10. Why do we use PCB instead of breadboard circuit? The advantages of a printed circuit board: the board is permanent to have an electronic device worked. PCB has a better current carrying capacity comparing to a breadboard, you can make your traces wider to take more current so that work well. ... You can mount heat-sinks to the board so that have them rigid.

 The heat sink has a thermal conductor that carries heat away from the device into fins that provide a large surface area for the heat to dissipate throughout the rest of the components, thus cooling both the heat sink and processor. Both a heat sink and a radiator require airflow and, therefore, both have fans built-in. At present, the main failure form of electronic equipment is thermal failure. According to statistics, 55% of failure of electronic equipment is caused by temperature exceeding the rated value. With the increase of temperature, the failure rate of electronic equipment increases exponentially. Therefore, the thermal design of power devices is most important in the structural design of electronic equipment, which directly determines the success of the products. Good thermal design is the basis for the stable and reliable operation of the equipment. Electronics Thermal Heatsink Design Tutorial CatalogI. Main Parameters of Thermal PropertiesII. Thermal Design of Power DeviceIII. Heat Dissipation CalculationIV. Calculation ExampleV. Selection of RadiatorVI. ConclusionFAQ I. Main Parameters of Thermal Properties The thermal stress of the power device can come from the inside of the device or from the outside of the device. If the heat dissipation capacity of the device is limited, the consumption of power will lead to the rise of temperature and junction temperature in the active region of the chip inside the device, reducing the reliability of the device lower and making the device unable to work safely. The main parameters to characterize the thermal capacity of power devices are junction temperature and thermal resistance. The active region of the device can be the PN junction region of the junction device (such as a transistor), the channel region of the field-effect device, the diffused resistor, or the thin film resistance of the integrated circuit, and so on.  When the junction temperature Tj is higher than the ambient temperature Ta, the heat through the temperature difference to form a diffusive heat flow, which is emitted from the chip through the tube shell, and the heat emitted increases with the increase of the temperature difference (Tj-Ta).  In order to ensure that the device can work properly for a long time, an allowable maximum junction temperature Tj max has been made. Tj max is determined by chip materials, packaging materials, and reliability of devices. The heat dissipation ability of power devices is usually characterized by thermal resistance, called Rt. The larger the thermal resistance is, the worse the heat dissipation ability is. Thermal resistance is also divided into internal thermal resistance and external thermal resistance.  Internal thermal resistance is the inherent thermal resistance of the device itself, which is related to the thermal conductivity, thickness, and cross-sectional area of the tube core, shell material, and processing technology, while external thermal resistance is related to the form of tube package. Generally speaking, the larger the shell area, the smaller the external thermal resistance. The external thermal resistance of the metal shell is obviously lower than that of the plastic. When the power consumption reaches a certain level, the junction temperature of the device goes up and the reliability of the system decreases. In order to improve the reliability, the thermal design of the power device should be carried out.  II. Thermal Design of Power Device The thermal design of the power device is mainly to prevent thermal failure caused by overheating or alternating temperature. It can be divided into the thermal design of the internal chip, thermal design of the package, thermal design of the tube, and thermal design in practical use. For general power devices, only the thermal design of the device's interior, package, and the tube should be considered. But when the power consumption is high, the appropriate radiator should be installed, through which the heat can be effectively dissipated to ensure the device works normally and reliably within the safe junction temperature.   III. Heat Dissipation CalculationThe most commonly used heat dissipation method is to install the power device on the radiator, using the radiator to disperse the heat into the surrounding, if necessary, to add the fan to strengthen the heat dissipation with a certain wind speed.  Flow cold water cooling plate is also used in some large power devices, which has a better heat dissipation effect. Heat dissipation calculation is to determine the appropriate heat dissipation measures and radiators through calculation under certain working conditions. There is a certain thermal resistance in the heat transfer process. The thermal resistance from the core of the device to the bottom is Rjc, between the bottom and the radiator is Rcs, a radiator that spreads heat into the surrounding is Rsa, the total resistance is Rja=Rjc+Rcs+Rsa.  If the maximum power loss of the device is Pd, and the permitted junction temperature of the device is Tj, ambient temperature is Ta, the reasonable total thermal resistance Rja can be obtained by the following formula.Rja ≤(Tj-Ta)/Pd The thermal resistance of the maximum allowable Rsa is: Rsa ≤(Tj-Ta)/Pd-(Rjc+Rcs) For design consideration, Tj is generally set to 125℃, Ta=40℃ ~ 60℃ generally used in the case of bad ambient temperature. The size of Rjc depends on the size of the core and the package structure, which can be found from the parameter list. Rcs size depends on the installation technology and device packaging. If the device adopts heat conducting grease or heat transfer pad, installing with the radiator, the typical value of Rcs is 0. 1 ℃/W / ~ 0. 2 ℃/W; If the bottom surface of the device is not insulated and additional mica insulation is required, the Rcs can reach 1 ℃/W. Pd is the maximum power loss calculated according to the working conditions of different devices. In this way, Rsa can be calculated to select an appropriate radiator. IV. Calculation ExampleA power operational amplifier PA02 as low-frequency power amplifier, the device is 8-pin and TO-3 metal shell package. The operating conditions are as follows: the operating voltage Vs is 18 V, the load impedance RL is 4Ω, the ambient temperature is 40 ℃, and the natural cooling is adopted. According to the data of PA02: the typical value of static current Iq is 27mA, the maximum value is 40mA, and the typical value of Rjc (from tube core to shell) is 2.4 ℃/W, and the maximum value is 2.6 ℃/W. The power consumption of the device is Pd=Pdq+ Pdout(Pdq is the internal power consumption and Pdout is the output power consumption). The calculation is as follows: Pdq=Iq(Vs+|-Vs|)  Pdout=Vs2/(4RL)  Iq=37mA                                                                                 Pd=Iq(Vs+|-Vs|)＋Vs2/(4 RL)                                                                                     =0.037×(18+18)＋182/(4×4)                                                                                     =21.6 W Radiator thermal resistance: Rsa ≤(Tj-Ta)/Pd-(Rjc+Rcs) Tj=125℃, Ta=40℃, Rjc=2.6℃/W, Rcs=0.2℃/W(PA02 installed directly on radiator with heat conductive grease in the middle) Substitute the above data into the formula to get Rsa≤ (125-40)/21.6-(2.6+0.2)≤ 1.135℃/W The thermal resistance HSO4 in natural convection is 0. 95 ℃/W, which can meet the requirement of heat dissipation. V. Selection of RadiatorRadiators are generally standard parts, but also provide customization. The surface of the radiator is treated by electrophoretic coating or black oxygen polarization, which aims to improve heat dissipation and insulation performance.  In natural cooling can be increased by 10%~15%, in ventilation cooling can be increased by 3%, and electrophoretic coating can withstand pressure 500V~800V. The heat resistance of different types of radiators in different heat dissipation conditions is given by the radiator manufacturers. The radiator is used to control the temperature of the power device, especially the junction temperature (Tj), making is lower than the safe junction temperature of the power device, so as to improve the reliability of the power device.  Conventional radiators tend to be standardized, serialized, universal, and new products develop towards low thermal resistance, multifunction, small volume, lightweight, and suitable for automatic production and installation.  The internal thermal resistance of various power devices is different and the difference of contact surface and installation torque will lead to the thermal-resistance difference between the contracts.  The main factor of selecting a radiator is the heat resistance Rtf. Under different environmental conditions, the heat dissipation of power devices is also different. Therefore, environmental factors, the matching between radiator and power device, and the volume and quality of the whole electronic equipment should be taken into account in selecting the appropriate radiator. First of all, according to the performance parameters and environmental parameters of the power device in normal operation, calculate whether the junction temperature of the power device is within the safe condition, determine whether it is necessary to install the radiator, and calculate the corresponding thermal resistance of the radiator if it needs to be installed.  The junction temperature of the power device is recalculated to determine whether the junction temperature of the power device is within the range of safe junction temperature, so as to judge whether the selected radiator meets the requirements. For the radiator that meets the requirements, the optimum design should be carried out according to the actual engineering requirements.   VI. ConclusionThrough the analysis and calculation of the heating principle of the power device, it can guide the design of the heat dissipation mode and the selection of the radiator, ensure the power device work in the safe temperature range, reduce the quality problem, and improve the reliability of the electronic products.  The reliability of electronic equipment is also related to the components, structure, assembly, process, processing quality, and so on. In practical engineering applications, feedback data should be obtained through various tests to perfect the design and further improve the reliability of electronic equipment. FAQ 1. What is a heat sink and how does it work?A heat sink (also commonly spelled heatsink) is a passive heat exchanger that transfers the heat generated by an electronic or a mechanical device to a fluid medium, often air or a liquid coolant, where it is dissipated away from the device, thereby allowing regulation of the device's temperature. 2. What is a heat sink used for?A heat sink is a component that increases the heat flow away from a hot device. It accomplishes this task by increasing the device's working surface area and the amount of low-temperature fluid that moves across its enlarged surface area. 3. Does a heat sink need a fan?Most heatsinks have denser fins, which requires a fan to be mounted directly on the cooler. If your heatsink has heat pipes (copper tubes running through the fins), then it's most likely designed to be used with a fan. It's simple to test whether or not a heatsink can safely be run without a fan on it. 4. What material dissipates heat the best?Thermal conductivity is the measure of a metal's ability to conduct heat. What this means is that that the metal acts to cool temperatures, through a process of dissipation. The metals with the highest thermal conductivity are copper and aluminium. The lowest are steel and bronze. 5. How many types of heat sinks are there?The Two Major Heat Sink Categories. All heat sinks can be broken down into two major categories… active and passive. 6. What is the difference between active and passive heat sinks?An active heat sink has a fan attached to it, to actively pull heat away from the heat sink and chip that lies underneath it. A passive heat sink is just a heat sink, a piece of flat metal with fins on top that directs heat away from the chip set it is installed on. 7. Which is better heat sink or fan?Generally though, with good airflow provided by the fan heatsinks can often be a lot smaller. The only benefit to a heatsink-only arrangement is less noise. ... Out of preference you want the heatsink fins to be standing upwards so that hot air can immediately rise off of it and cool air be pulled in. 8. What is the difference between a heatsink and a CPU fan?The heatsink draws the heat away from the CPU, and the fan ensures a steady stream of air for the heatsink to pass the heat to. However, there is more to selecting a heatsink and fan than just looking for a good price or one that looks cool. 9. What is the difference between a heat sink and a heat pipe?Vapor chambers are most often used to spread heat to a local heat sink, whereas heat pipes are generally better for moving heat to a remote sink. ... If you need a heat sink that's minimally 10 times, but usually closer to 20 times, the area of the heat source, consider vapor chambers. 10. How is a heat sink attached to an electrical component?A heat sink is a mechanical component that is attached to an electrical component for the sake of transferring heat from the electrical component into the surrounding environment. This environment is most commonly air, but it can also be other fluids, such as water or coolant. 

Many engineers who have not used the switching power supply may have some worry about it, such as the PCB layout, the parameter and type selection of components, and so on. In fact, as long as you understand the basic principle, the use of switching power supply design is very convenient. In today's article, we will introduce you to some basic knowledge of switch-mode power supply, along with some experience sharing when using the switch-mode power supply. SMPS Tutorial: Switch Mode Power Supplies and Power Conversion  Catalog I. What is the Switch Mode Power SupplyII. How to Debug the Switching Power Supply Circuit?III. What Needs to Be Grounded?3.1 Definition of Grounding3.2 Grounding Mode3.3 How is the Signal of the Single Board Grounded?3.4 How Do the Single Board Interface Devices   Grounding?3.5 How to Grounding the Shield Layer?IV. Introduction of Signal Backflow and TranspartitionV. Should Analog Separate from the Digital , and How?FAQ I. What is the Switch Mode Power Supply  A switch-mode power supply usually consists of a controller and an output part. Some controllers integrate MOSFET into the chip, which makes it easier to use and simplify the PCB design, but the flexibility of components is weakened. The switching controller is actually a closed-loop feedback control system, so there is a sampling circuit of output-voltage feedback and a feedback-loop control circuit. Therefore, this part of the design is to ensure an accurate sampling circuit and to control the feedback depth, because if the feedback loop response is too slow, it will have a great impact on the transient response-ability. The output parts include output capacitance, output inductor, MOSFET, and so on. The selection of these devices is basically to balance the performance need and cost. For example, the high switching frequency can use small inductance (which means small package and low cost), but a high switching frequency will increase interference and the switching loss of MOSFET, result in reducing efficiency and increasing cost. Lower switching frequency has the opposite effect. The selection of Rds_on parameters of MOSFET and the ESR for output capacitance is also very important. ESR is small can reduce output ripple, but the cost of the capacitor will increase. And It is important to note that switching power controllers can not be well driven with too much MOSFET. In general, suppliers of switching power supply controllers will provide specific formulas and usage options for engineers. Figure. 1 Switch Mode Power Supply Circuit   II. How to Debug the Switching Power Supply Circuit? （1）The output of the power supply circuit is installed to the board through the low resistance and high power resistor, so that the power circuit can be debugged first before welding resistance, avoiding the influence of the latter circuit.  （2）The switching controller is a closed-loop system. If the output deterioration beyond the range that the closed-loop can control, the switching power supply will work improperly. This situation requires careful examination of feedback and sampling circuits. Especially, if the output capacitance with a large ESR, lots of ripple of power supply will be produced, which will also affect the operation of switching power supply.  III. What Needs to Be Grounded? At the very start, the introduction of grounding technology is a protective measure to prevent lightning strikes on electric power or electronic equipment. The purpose is to introduce lightning current through the lightning rod to the earth to protect buildings. And meanwhile, grounding is also an effective way to protect personal safety.  When the phase line touches the shell of the equipment causing by some reason (such as poor insulation of the wire, line aging, etc.), there will be a dangerous voltage in the shell of the equipment. Having grounding, the resulting fault current will flow to the earth, thus it plays a protective role.  For example, in communication systems, the interconnection of signals between a large number of devices requires each device to have a point as a reference, and with the complication of electronic equipment, the signal frequency is becoming higher and higher, therefore, grounding design as special attention paid to the electromagnetic compatibility problems such as mutual interference between signals.  In addition, improper grounding will seriously affect the reliability and stability of system operation. Recently, the concept of "grounding" has also been introduced into high-speed signal backflow technology.  3.1  Definition of GroundingIn the modern concept of grounding, for line engineers, the term usually means "reference point for line voltage"; for system designers, it is often a cabinet or frame; for electrical engineers, it is a green and safe ground line or a wire connected to the earth. A more general definition is that "grounding is the low impedance channel which the current returns its source." Noting that the points are "low impedance" and "channel".  3.2  Grounding ModeThere are many ways of grounding: single-point grounding, multi-point grounding, and mixed type of grounding. Single-point grounding is divided into a series of single-point grounding and parallel single-point grounding. In general, single-point grounding is used in simple circuits, and low frequency (f10MHz) circuits use multipoint grounding or multilayer (complete a ground plane layer).  3.3   How is the Signal of the Single Board Grounded?For the general device, the near ground is the best. After adopting the multilayer design with a complete ground plane, the grounding of the general signal is very easy. The basic principle is to ensure the continuity of the line, reduce the number of holes, approach the ground plane or the power plane, etc. 3.4  How Do the Single Board Interface Devices  Grounding?Some veneers will have external input-output interfaces, such as serial port connectors, RJ45 connectors, etc. If their grounding is not well designed, it will also affect normal operation, such as error codes, packet loss, etc. And it will become an external source of electromagnetic interference sending the noise out. In general, a single interface grounding will be made, and the signal is connected by a thin wire connection, string 0 ohms, or small resistance. Thin lines can be used to block signal ground noise. At the same time, the interface and the interface power filter should also be considered seriously.  3.5  How to Grounding the Shield Layer? The shielding layer of cables is connected to the interface grounding instead of the signal grounding, because there are various noises on the signal grounding. If the shield layer is connected to the signal ground, the noise voltage will drive the common-mode current to interfere outward along the shield layer. Therefore, the poorly designed cable is generally the maximum noise output source of electromagnetic interference. Of course, the interface ground should keep clean. IV. Introduction of Signal Backflow and TranspartitionFor an electronic signal, it needs to find a way with the lowest impedance to return current to the ground, so how to deal with the signal backflow becomes very important. First, according to the formula, we can know that the radiation intensity is proportional to the area of the loop. Specifically, the longer the path the return is, the bigger the ring is formed, and the greater the external radiation interference is, thus the power-circuit flow back and signal loop area should as small as possible when design PCB. Second, for a high-speed signal, providing a good signal backflow can guarantee its signal quality. Because the characteristic impedance of the transmission line on the PCB is generally calculated by reference to the ground (or power layer), if there is a continuous ground plane near the high-speed line, the impedance of this line can be kept continuous, and if there is no ground reference near the section line, the impedance will change and the signal will be affected as well. Therefore, the high-speed lines should be distributed to the layer near the ground plane, or they should be walked in parallel next to each other, to shield interference and provide backflow nearly.  Third, do not divide wires when having power supply in wiring way, this is because the signal backflow path across different power layers will be longer, and be vulnerable to interference. For low-speed signals, it is not strictly required that, because the resulting interference signal can not be concerned about. But for high-speed signals should be checked carefully, do not cross as far as possible, you can adjust the power part of the wire. (this is for multiple power supplies on multilayer boards).  V. Should Analog Separate from the Digital , and How? Whether analog signal or digital signal should return to the ground. Because the digital signal changes quickly and the noise caused by the digital signal will be very large, if analog and digital mixing, the noise will affect the analog signal.  In general, the grounding of analog and digital processing must be separated, then connected by a thin line, or a single point. The general idea is to try to block the noise from the digital ground to the analog ground. But it is not a very strict requirement that analog and digital ground must be separated, if the analog section near the digital ground is still very clean, they can be combined. FAQ 1. What are the 3 types of power supply?There are three subsets of regulated power supplies: linear, switched, and battery-based. Of the three basic regulated power supply designs, linear is the least complicated system, but switched and battery power have their advantages. 2. What is meant by switch mode power supply?A switch mode power supply is a power converter that utilises switching devices such as MOSFETs that continuously turn on and off at high frequency; and energy storage devices such as the capacitors and inductors to supply power during the non-conduction state of the switching device. 3.What are the advantages and disadvantages of switch mode power supply?Advantages & disadvantages of switch mode power supply (SMPS)a. The switch mode power supply has a smaller in size.b. The SMPS has light weight.c. It has a better power efficiency typically 60 to 70 percent.d. It has a strong anti interference.e. SMPS has wide output range.f. Low heat generation in SMPS. 4. What is a DC switching power supply?A Switching DC power supply (also known as switch mode power supply) regulates the output voltage through a process called pulse width modulation (PWM). The PWM process generates some high frequency noise, but enables the switching power supplies to be built with very high power efficiency and small form factor. 5. What is the difference between a switching power supply and a linear power supply?Linear power supplies deliver DC by passing the primary AC voltage through a transformer and then filtering it to remove the AC component. Switching power supplies feature higher efficiencies, lighter weight, longer hold up times, and the ability to handle wider input voltage ranges. 6. Do I need a switching power supply?The switching power supply implies higher efficiency due to the high switching frequency, enabling it to use a smaller, less-costly high-frequency transformer as well as lighter, less-costly filter components. Switching power supplies contain more overall components, therefore are usually more expensive. 7. Is a switching power supply regulated?A switch mode power supply regulates an output voltage with pulse width modulation (PWM). This process creates high-frequency noise but it provides a high-efficiency rating in a small form factor. ... The low DC voltage is finally converted into a steady DC output with another set of diodes, capacitors, and inductors. 8. How do I know if my power supply is regulated?You can generally stick one probe into the middle of the connector, and hold the other against the outside. With a few exceptions, the middle is positive, so use the red lead there, and use the black lead on the outside shell. Regulated supplies, without any load, should measure very close to the target voltage of 12v. 9. Can I use a switching power supply to drive a DC motor?A simple unregulated analog power supply may be easier and be able to supply the large starting under load current more that the switching one. DC motors are not too fussy about the supply, and will usually run quite well on unfiltered DC. 10. Are switch mode power supplies any good?Switch mode power supplies, SMPS provide improved efficiency & space saving over traditional linear supplies, but care has to be taken to ensure noise on the output is low. Switch mode power supplies are widely used because of the advantages they offer in terms of size, weight, cost, efficiency and overall performance. You May Also LikeSwitching Power Supply Guide: Protection CircuitSwitching Power Supply Tutorial: 4V～16VSwitched Mode Power Supply Tutorial: Principles & Functions of SMPS Circuits

In the design of circuit systems, we often encounter things like this: when a circuit program is copied from the book completely, the result of the experiment is not correct. Why is it that? The reason is interference. We must do a good job of anti-interference in the process of the electronic circuit and program design.     Catalog I. Three Basic Element of Interference II. Suppressing Interference Sources     2.1 Common Measures to Suppress Interference Sources     2.2 Common Measures to Cut off the Path of Interference Propagation     2.3 Improve the Anti-interference Performance of Sensitive Devices III. Experience and Advice FAQ   I. Three Basic Element of Interference   a. Interference Source: Refers to the components, devices, or signals that cause interference, as described in mathematical terms as follows: some places where the figure of du/dt(voltage regulator factor) or di/dt(current rate of charge) is large may be the interference source. Also the lightning, relays, SCR, motor, high-frequency clock and so on may become interference sources.   b. Propagation Path: Refers to A path or medium in which interference travels from an interference source to a sensitive device. The typical path of interference propagation is the conduction of wires and the radiation of space.    c. Sensitive Device: Refers to an object that is susceptible to interference. Such as A/D or D/A converter, single-chip microcomputer, digital IC, weak signal, and so on. The basic principle of anti-jamming design is to suppress the interference source, cut off the path of interference propagation, and improve the anti-jamming performance of sensitive devices.   II. Suppressing Interference Sources   Suppressing interference sources is to minimize the du/dt and di/dt of interference sources as much as possible. Reduce the du/dt of the interference source by paralleling capacitors at both ends of the interference source; reduce the di/dt of the interference source by using the series inductance or resistance in the interference source loop and adding the freewheel diode. This is the highest priority and the most important principle in anti-interference design.   2.1 Common Measures to Suppress Interference Sources are as follows: (1) Add freewheel diode to the relay coil to eliminate the interference when disconnecting the coil. Only having a freewheel diode will delay the break time of the relay, therefore adding an extra more Zener diode will increase the number of operating times of the relay in unit time.   (2) Connect spark suppression circuit at both ends of relay contact(is usually RC; resistor is selected from several kΩ to dozens of kΩ; capacitance selects 0.01uF), so as to reduce the interference.   (3) Add filter circuit to the motor, pay attention to the capacitance, and inductance lead should be as short as possible.   (4) each IC on the circuit board should be connected with a high-frequency capacitor of 0.01 μ F to 0.1 μ F to reduce the influence of IC to the power supply. Pay attention to the wiring of high-frequency capacitance. The connection should be close to the power supply and should be as short as possible. Otherwise, it will increase the equivalent series resistance of the capacitance, which will affect the filtering effect.   (5) Avoid 90 degree fold line and reduce high-frequency noise when wiring.   (6) Connect the RC suppression circuit to both ends of the thyristor to reduce the noise caused by the thyristor (ps: if the noise is serious may break down the thyristor).   According to the path of interference, it can be divided into two types: conduction interference and radiation interference. Conduction interference is the interference that propagates through the wire to the sensitive device. The high-frequency interference noise is different from the useful signal in the frequency band, which can be cut off by adding a filter to the conductor, and sometimes it can be solved by isolating the optical coupling. Power noise is the most harmful, we should pay special attention to handling. Radiation interference refers to the interference which propagates through the space radiation to the sensitive device. The general solution is to increase the distance between the interference sources and the sensitive devices, to isolate them with grounding wires, and mask the sensitive devices.     2.2 Common Measures to Cut off the Path of Interference Propagation (1) Consider the influence of power supply on single-chip computers. A good power supply helps solve the majority of the jamming problems in circuit design. Many single-chip computers are sensitive to the noise of the power supply, so it is necessary to add a filter circuit or voltage stabilizer to the power supply of a single-chip microcomputer to reduce the interference. For example, a π-shaped filter circuit composed of magnetic beads and capacitors, in addition, a 100Ω resistor can be used to replace magnetic beads when the conditions are not high.   (2) If the I/O port of the single-chip microcomputer is used to control the noise devices such as motors, the I/O port, and the noise source should be isolated.（ adding a π-shaped filter circuit）   (3) Pay attention to the crystal wiring. The crystal oscillator and single-chip microcomputer pin should as close as possible; the clock area should be isolated by grounding wire, crystal oscillator shell should be grounded and fixed. This measure can solve many difficult problems.   (4) Make reasonable partitions of the circuit board. Such as strong signal and weak signal, digital signal, and analog signal. Interference sources (such as motors and relays) and sensitive elements (such as microcontroller) should be isolated as far as possible.   (5) Separate the digital area from the analog area by landlines, and finally, connect to the power at one point. This principle is taken into account when the manufacturer makes the A/D and D/A chip pins arrangement.   (6) Single-chip microcomputer and large ground wire should be grounded separately to reduce mutual interference. High-power devices should be placed on the edge of the circuit board as far as possible.   (7) Use the anti-interference components such as magnetic beads, magnetic rings, power filters, and shielding covers in key places such as I / O portion, power lines, and circuit board connectors, which can significantly improve the anti-interference performance of the circuit.   2.3 Improve the Anti-interference Performance of Sensitive Devices To improve the anti-jamming performance of sensitive devices is to reduce the picking up of interference noise from the interference sources and to recover from abnormal state as soon as possible. The Usual Measures are as Follows: (1) Reduce the area of the loop in order to reduce the inductive noise.   (2) Power and ground wires should be as thick as possible, besides reducing the pressure drop, it is more important to reduce the coupling noise.   (3) The idle I / O port of SCM shouldn’t suspend, but connecting the ground or power supply. And the idle ends of other IC should be grounded or connected to power without changing the logic of the system.   (4) Using the power source monitoring and watchdog timer, such as IMP809, IMP706, IMP813, X25043, X25045, and so on, can greatly improve the anti-interference performance of the whole circuit.   (5) Under the condition that the speed can meet the requirement, the crystal oscillator of the single chip microcomputer is reduced and the low-speed digital circuit is chosen as far as possible.   (6) IC device is welded directly to the circuit board as far as possible.   III. Experience and Advice Software 1. Clearing the code space that is not commonly used, because this is equivalent to the NOP, can help programs recover when appearing program fleet.   2. Adding several NOP before the jump instruction, the same purpose as 1.   3. When there is no hardware WatchDog, an analog one can be used through software to monitor the operation of the program.   4. Dealing with the adjustment or setting of external device parameters, the parameters can be re-transmitted periodically in order to prevent the external device from making mistakes due to interference, so that the external device can be restored correctly as soon as possible.   5. Adding additive data to check anti-interference in Communication.   6. When there are communication lines, such as I2C or a three-wire system, it is found that the anti-interference effect of the Data line is better than that of the low one.   Hardware 1. The layout of grounding and power supply wires.   2. The decoupling of the circuit.   3. The separation of digital ground wire and analog ground wire.   4. Each digital element needs 104 capacitors between the grounding and the power supply.   5. In the applications with relays, especially in the case of high current, a 104 and diode can be combined between the relay coils to prevent the contact spark interference of the relay, and 472 capacitors installed at the contact point and the normal beginning.   6. To prevent the crosstalk of I / O port, the I / O port can be isolated by diode isolation, gate isolation, optocouple isolation, electromagnetic isolation, and so on.   7. Multi-layer board anti-jamming is certainly better than single-layer board, but its cost is several times higher.   8. Choosing an anti-jamming device is more effective than any other method.   FAQ   1. What is Circuit interference? Electromagnetic interference (EMI), also called radio-frequency interference (RFI) when in the radio frequency spectrum, is a disturbance generated by an external source that affects an electrical circuit by electromagnetic induction, electrostatic coupling, or conduction.   2. What causes electrical interference? What Causes Interference? Interference occurs when undesired radio signals or electromagnetic "noise" sources are picked up by consumer electronics products -most often telephones, audio equipment, VCRs or TVs. It usually results in noise, unwanted voices or distorted TV pictures. In most cases, the source is nearby.   3. What is meant by circuit design? As circuit design is the process of working out the physical form that an electronic circuit will take, the result of the circuit design process is the instructions on how to construct the physical electronic circuit.   4. What is circuit design theory? In integrated circuit design automation, the term "circuit design" often refers to the step of the design cycle which outputs the schematics of the integrated circuit. Typically this is the step between logic design and physical design.   5. Which software is best for circuit design? a. Eagle b. Altium c. Proteus d. KiCad e. Cadence OrCAD PCB Designer f. DesignSpark g. Protel h. Cadstar i. Sprint-Layout j. PADS PCB   6. How does circuit design work? Digital electronic circuit design takes the electrical signals in the form of discrete values. The data are represented in the form of zeros and ones. Digital circuits extensively use transistors, interconnected to give create logic gates that provide the function of Boolean logic.   7. How long does it take to design a circuit? Programming the Micro-controller. Division of labor will make the work more efficient and specializations and expertise are more focused. Normally, it only takes hours to program the microcontroller of a simple circuit but complex circuit diagrams may take 2 to 3 days.   8. Is circuit design difficult? Designing a circuit is easy if you the basic working principle of each & every electronics components you're going to use. But making it efficient is a bit time-consuming. Once you know the rules, it's normally not too difficult. Of course, some circuits are more difficult than others.   9. What are the types of circuit? There are 5 Main Types of Electric Circuit – Close Circuit, Open Circuit, Short Circuit, Series Circuit and Parallel Circuit.   10. What is the process of a circuit? The process of circuit design can cover systems ranging from complex electronic systems all the way down to the individual transistors within an integrated circuit. ... Typically this is the step between logic design and physical design.   You May Also Like Can We Manage to Recycle PCB Boards for Avoiding Harming the Environment? 10 Things to Consider While choosing a PCB Prototype Service Some Guides for Beginners Before You Create A Printed Circuit Board(PCB) Industrial Chain and Development Trend of PCB in China