Instrumentation Amplifiers

415-5 1
Block diagram of a biomedical
instrument





Instrumentation amplifier provides differential
amplification
415-5 2
Input filter
Input filter
Input 1
Input 2
Differential
amp
More
filtering
More
amp
To:
ADC
Instrument
Screen
Etc.
Instrumentation amplifier
3 415-5
Input buffers Differential amplification
Gain of the instrumentation amplifier
415-5 4





2 1 4 3
1 2 1
4 3
2 1
2 1 1
out 4
4 3 3
out 4 2 1
d
2 1 3 1
v v v v
i
R 2R R
v v
2R R
v v R
v R
v v R
v R 2R R
G
v v R R

i
415-5 5
How is the gain set? Choose R
G
Fall 2013 University of Illinois
at Urbana-Champaign
415-5 6
Note on 1% tolerance resistors
415-5 7
What is the bandwidth?
415-5 8
Note that gain*BW is
not constant
Gain revisited
415-5 9

2

1
+

2
+
1
2

=

How is the common-mode performance?
CMRR common-mode rejection
ratio
415-5 10
More expensive IA have higher CMRR
and lower tolerance resistors
415-5 11
A laser trims the internal resistors
while still on the wafer until they are
within tolerance. More time spent
trimming gives better CMRR but
higher cost.
Biopotential amplifier
415-5 12
What does the input circuitry do?
Diodes for protection
Resistors and capacitors
for filtering
Analyze corner
frequencies for prelab

Save or rebuild this
circuit for ECG lab
415-5 13
Amplifier resources
Analog Devices Designer's Guide to Instrumentation Amplifiers
(http://www.analog.com/static/imported-
files/design_handbooks/5812756674312778737Complete_In_Amp.pdf)
Analog Devices Op Amp Applications Handbook
(http://www.analog.com/library/analogDialogue/archives/39-
05/op_amp_applications_handbook.html)
TI Op Amps for Everyone Design Guide
(http://focus.ti.com/general/docs/litabsmultiplefilelist.tsp?literatureNumb
er=slod006b)
Maxim Amplifier Tutorials index (http://www.maxim-
ic.com/tarticle/article.cfm#3)
National Semiconductor An Application Guide for Op Amps
(http://www.national.com/an/AN/AN-20.pdf)
National Semiconductors A Basic Introduction to Filters
(http://www.national.com/an/AN/AN-779.pdf)

415-5 14