Op-amp circuits that perform calculus on signals.
Integrator: V_o=-(1/RC)∫V_in dt; differentiator V_o=-RC dV_in/dt. Integrators need a reset or high-value feedback resistor to prevent drift; differentiators amplify noise and need a series resistor. Used in analogue computing and control.
Feeding a square wave into an integrator gives a triangle wave.
Integrators and differentiators perform calculus in analogue hardware, which is used in control, signal processing and waveform generation.
Op-amp circuits that perform calculus on signals.
Integrators and differentiators perform calculus in analogue hardware, which is used in control, signal processing and waveform generation.
It produces a triangle wave, because a constant input makes the output ramp at a steady rate.
They amplify high-frequency noise, so a small resistor or a filter is usually added to limit the gain at high frequency.
Typical applications include generating a triangle wave from a square wave with an integrator, integrating a current to measure charge in a detector and differentiating a sensor signal to find its rate of change.
Study "Summing and difference amplifiers" first (topic 20 of 104 in Electronics & Embedded). It covers the groundwork this topic builds on.
Triangle from square wave. Phase shift ±90°. Practical limits of bandwidth.
Feeding a square wave into an integrator gives a triangle wave.
The next topic is "Comparators and Schmitt triggers", which builds directly on this one.
It is classed as Beginner in Electronics & Embedded (topic 21 of 104). It is an entry-level topic. It relies only on basic school mathematics and the ideas introduced earlier in this discipline.
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