Practical Demonstration: The 741 Integrated Circuit Operational Amplifier

Equipment and parts required:

2 power supplies: adjustable from 0 to ±15V (or 1 dual power supply)

Dual channel oscilloscope
Signal generator
IC’s: 741 op-amp IC (x1)
Resistors : 330Ω, 3.3kΩ, 10kΩ (x4), 22kΩ, 47kΩ (x2), 100kΩ (x3)
Variable resistor 10kΩ, Light Dependant Resistor (LDR)
Diodes: 1N4001 (or equivalent), Light emitting diode

Part 1: Setting up a dual rail power supply for the 741 op-amp:

Power supply (1) Power Supply (2)

- + - +

-15V 0V +15V
Fig. 1

If you are using two separate Power supplies:

1. Set the two supplies to a 15 Volts output

2. Connect the two supplies in series as shown above
3. Power supply (1) 0V side will become the -15V supply line
4. Power supply (2) (+) side will become the +15V supply line
5. Power supply (1) (+) side or Power supply (2) 0V side (which are shorted
together) will become the 0V line of the dual rail supply

If you are using the dual power supplies available in the lab:

1. Set the mode control switches (found in the centre of the power supply front
panel) for ‘Series’ mode – as indicated on the supply front panel. OR If you
are using the Pintek type supply: Pull the right side voltage control knob and
make sure the right side current contol knob is pushed in.
2. Now the 2 supplies are internally connected in series as shown in fig. 1 above
3. To set up the supply to +/- 15V you only have to adjust the voltage of the
‘Master’ supply. Both supplies will be adjusted simultaneously.
4. The output voltages will be similar to the diagram shown in fig.1 above
5. Important to note that the 0V dc output from the supply is the ‘Black’
socket. The ‘Green’ one is the connection to the ac mains 230V ‘Earth’
connection.

Subject: Electronics Lab (Analogue) Page 1 of 7

Part 2 – The op-amp as an inverting amplifier:

Fig. 2

1. Connect the circuit as shown in Fig 2. Note that the power supplies as
connected will produce a positive voltage at IC pin 7 and a negative voltage at
IC pin 4.

2. Set both power supplies to 9 Volts.

3. The voltage gain according to the external components connected should be

around x10 (Gain = R1/R2 = 100k/10k = 10)

4. Connect the signal generator to the input of the amplifier as shown.

5. Connect the oscilloscope to the circuit as shown in fig 2. Channel 1 between

the circuit input and ground, and channel 2 between circuit output and
ground.

6. Adjust the signal generator frequency to 1kHz and the voltage to 0.4V peak-
to-peak. Select a sine waveform.

7. Switch on the dc power to the circuit. Measure the peak-to-peak output

voltage on CRO channel 2

8. Study the output waveform and the input waveform and then complete table 1
according to what you conclude.

Input peak to Output peak to Input and output Phase shift of

peak peak frequency output w.r.t. input

Table 1

Subject: Electronics Lab (Analogue) Page 2 of 7

9. From the values listed in Table 1 one can obtain the actual voltage gain
produced by the amplifier – Voltage gain = Vout ptop/Vin ptop. It should
compare with the theoretical gain mentioned in step 3 above.

Voltage gain: ___________________________

Part 3 – The op-amp as a non-inverting amplifier:

Fig. 3

1. Connect the circuit as shown in Fig 3.

2. Set both power supplies to 9 Volts to produce a +/- 9V supply to the IC.

3. The voltage gain according to the external components connected should be

around x11 (Gain = 1 + (R1/R2) = 1 + (100k/10k) = 11)

4. Connect the signal generator to the input of the amplifier as shown.

5. Connect the oscilloscope to the circuit as shown in fig 3. Channel 1 between

the circuit input and ground, and channel 2 between circuit output and
ground.

6. Adjust the signal generator frequency to 1kHz and the voltage to 0.4V peak-
to-peak. Select a sine waveform.

7. Switch on the dc power to the circuit. Measure the peak-to-peak output

voltage on CRO channel 2

8. Study the output waveform and the input waveform and then complete table 2
according to what you conclude.

Input peak to Output peak to Input and output Phase shift of

peak peak frequency output w.r.t. input

Table 2

Subject: Electronics Lab (Analogue) Page 3 of 7

9. From the values listed in Table 1 one can obtain the actual voltage gain
produced by the amplifier – Voltage gain = Vout ptop/Vin ptop. It should
compare with the theoretical gain mentioned in step 3 above.

Voltage gain: ___________________________

Part 3: The op-amp as a summing amplifier.

Fig. 3

1. Wire up the circuit shown in Fig 3 above on the bread board.

2. Connect the circuit to a dual rail dc supply of +/- 9V as shown. Switch on the
power supplies.

3. Using the digital multimeter set to measure dc voltage and connected in the
way shown in Fig. 3, measure the values of the input voltages V1 and V2, and
the value of the output voltage Vout. List the results in table 3 shown below

Input voltage V1 Input voltage V2 Output voltage Vout

Table 3

4. From the table you should note that the value of the voltage measured at the
output of the amplifier is the sum of the two voltages applied to the input V1
and V2. The value of the output is negative since the inputs are fed to the
‘inverting’ input of the op-amp.

Hence: -Vout = V1 + V2

Subject: Electronics Lab (Analogue) Page 4 of 7

Part 4: The op-amp as a difference amplifier

Fig. 4

1. Wire up the circuit shown in Fig 4 above on the bread board.

2. Connect the circuit to a dual rail dc supply of +/- 9V as shown. Switch on the
power supplies.

3. Using the digital multimeter set to measure dc voltage and connected in the
way shown in Fig. 4, measure the values of the input voltages V1 and V2, and
the value of the output voltage Vout. List the results in table 4 shown below

Input voltage V1 Input voltage V2 Output voltage Vout

Table 4

5. From the table you should note that the value of the voltage measured at the
output of the amplifier is the difference between the two voltages applied to
the input V1 and V2. The value of the output will be negative when the voltage
applied at the inverting (-) input exceeds the voltage applied to the non-
inverting (+) input. Inverseley occurs when the voltage at the non-inverting (+)
input exceeds the voltage at the inverting (-) input.

Hence: Vout = (Vin @ (+) input) – (Vin @ (-) input) = V2 – V1

Subject: Electronics Lab (Analogue) Page 5 of 7

Part 5: The op-amp IC as a comparator in a light sensitive automatic light
control or alarm

The circuit above shows the op-amp IC used as a comparator in a circuit which
senses the ambient light conditions by means of a light dependent resistor (R1 in the
circuit). When there is a dark ambient condition the resistance of R1 will be high
causing the voltage at point A to exceed the voltage at point B. Hence the
comparator IC detects a higher voltage at the negative input, switching the output to
a negative voltage. In this case diode D1 is reversed biased and no reversecurrent
can flow through the LED preventing it from being damaged. LED in these dark
conditions hence will remain OFF.

When the ambient conditions become bright the resistance of the LDR will decrease,
hence reducing the voltage at point A. At the point when the voltage at point A will be
less than the voltage at point B the comparator reads a greater voltage at the non-
inverting input, and switches its output to a positive voltage. Hence diode D1 is
forward and current will flow through the LED which lights up.

The function of the variable resistor RV1 is to adjust the value of the reference
voltage at the inverting input. This will decide the sensitivity of the circuit to ambient
light conditions. The more the reference voltage, the less sensitive will be the circuit
to changes in ambient light conditions.

Practical Experiment:

1. Wire up the circuit on bread board and connect it to a dual rail power supply of
+/-9V. If the LED lights up, turn variable resistor RV1 until the LED goes off.
Now cover the LDR and you should note an automatic lighting up of the output
LED.

2. If the LED is off at power up, turn RV1 until LED lights up, and then turn the pot
in an opposite way until the LED goes off. By this procedure you will be
calibrating the circuit sensitivity to light.

Subject: Electronics Lab (Analogue) Page 6 of 7

3. Now, cover the LDR with your hands – The output LED should light up
automatically. Remove your hand and the LED should go off

4. Now use the digial multimeter set to read dc voltage, carry out the tests listed in
table 5 to confirm the circuit comparator operation described above. Fill in table
5 with the results:

DC voltage at
DC voltage DC voltage Comparator
Ambient light
between point A between point B output (between
conditions
and 0V (GND) and 0V (GND) IC pin 6 and 0V
(GND)
Bright ambient
conditions (LDR
uncovered.
Output LED OFF)
Dark ambient
conditions (LDR
covered. Output
LED OFF)

Table 5

5. Now, experiment by adjusting potentiometer RV1 to change the sensitivity of

the circuit. You should note that by reducing the sensitivity (ie: further turning of
the pot RV1 after the LED has been swithced off at step 2 above) you should
note that the LDR will be requiring darker ambient conditions before the Output
LED could light up. This is because by turning further RV1, the reference
voltage at point B is increased further. Hence the LDR requires to have greater
resistance so that the voltage at point A is reduced to a less voltage. The
voltage required to put the voltage at point B to be greater than that at point A,
so the the comparator can switch the output to positive, lighting up the LED.

Student Name: ____________________

Subject: Electronics Lab (Analogue) Page 7 of 7