TI Buffer Amplifier Increases Signal Bandwidth Tenfold in Data-Acquisition Systems
January 28, 2022
News
Texas Instruments (TI) introduced the industry’s widest-bandwidth high-input-impedance (Hi-Z) buffer amplifier, capable of supporting frequency bandwidths as high as 3 GHz.
The wider bandwidth and high slew rates of the BUF802 enable higher signal throughput and minimal input settling time. Designers can leverage this throughput to measure higher-frequency signals accurately in test and measurement applications including oscilloscopes, active probes, and high-frequency data-acquisition systems.
According to the company, the bandwidth achieved by the BUF802 was previously only possible by using application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs) that can increase system design time, complexity, and cost. By eliminating ASICs, designers who use TI’s buffer can get to market faster while achieving a wide dynamic range at a fraction of the cost.
The BUF802 provides a single-chip alternative to ASICs or FET-input amplifier-based implementations by integrating the features of discrete components while providing 10 times wider bandwidth than FET-input amplifiers, matching the performance of custom ASICs.
The flexible BUF802 is the industry’s first buffer to enable quiescent current adjustment for a range of bandwidth and signal swing requirements, from 100 MHz to 3 GHz at 1-V peak to peak (VPP) and as high as 2 GHz at 2 VPP. This wide adjustment range for bandwidth and signal swing allows designers to scale their front-end designs across multiple data-acquisition applications.
Integrated functional modes allow engineers to use the BUF802 as a standalone buffer or in a composite loop with a precision amplifier like the OPA140. As a stand-alone buffer, the BUF802 can help achieve high input impedance and high slew rates in applications that can tolerate 100-mV offsets or where the signal chain is AC-coupled. In a composite loop, the new buffer can achieve high DC precision and 3-GHz bandwidth in applications requiring 1 μV/°C maximum offset drift.
The BUF802 is available for purchase on TI.com in a 3-mm-by-3-mm 16-pin very thin no-lead (VQFN) package, and is priced at US$1.80 in 1,000-unit quantities.
The BUF802RGTEVM evaluation module is available on TI.com for US$25. TI offers multiple payment and shipping options on TI.com.
For more information, visit: TI.com
Tiera Oliver is the assistant managing editor at Embedded Computing Design. She is responsible for web content editing, product news, and story development. She also manages, edits, and develops content for ECD podcasts, including Embedded Insiders.
She utilizes her expertise in journalism and content management to oversee editorial content, coordinate with editors, and ensure high-quality output across web, print, and multimedia platforms. She manages diverse projects, assists in the production of digital magazines, and hosts company podcasts by conducting in-depth interviews with industry leaders to deliver engaging and insightful discussions.
Tiera attended Northern Arizona University, where she received her bachelor's in journalism and political science. She was also a news reporter for the student-led newspaper, The Lumberjack.
