Please help me understand what is an OPAM, it’s applications.
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An operational amplifier is an electronic circuit that measures the difference between 2 signals, and produces a signal which is a magnified (amplified) version of that difference.
The amplification (gain) of an op amp is very, very high. It’s so high that it isn’t practical to use it as it is. Typically an op amp will have a gain of about 100,000x to 1,000,000x.
The real trick with an op amp is that by directing the output of the amplifier back to one of the inputs (a process called feedback), you can build a very simple analog computer or calculator.
This can be used to perform simple mathematical operations on signals. By adjusting the feedback, you can change the type of calculation that the op amp performs.
Most commonly, op amps are used to amplify signals by a very precise amount. Let’s say you have a sensor which produces a small signal, and you need to multiply that signal by exactly 10. In other words you want the amplifier to perform the calculation Output = Input x 10. This calculation is very easily programmed by connecting 2 resistors to an op amp.
However, they can also be used to perform other calculations, like adding two signals together (a summing amplifier), or precisely amplifying the difference between two signals (a differential amplifier) as well as filtering the signal.
In other words, op amps are a simple building block of electronics, that can be programmed to do all sorts of analog calculation.
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