Analog Devices' Low Power, Low Voltage Precision Amplifier Extends Battery Life In Portable Applications

Analog Devices AD8500

Precision op amp reduces power consumption by 30 percent and enables higher accuracy in battery-powered consumer, medical and safety devices.

Analog Devices, Inc. introduced a precision operational amplifier (op amp) that is optimized to meet the power, voltage, accuracy and price requirements of portable battery-powered applications. The AD8500 consumes 30 percent less power than competing solutions and operates at a low 1.8 volts (V) without sacrificing precision performance. This combination of low power, low voltage, and high precision translates into longer continuous battery-life for portable applications that require precision sensing to ensure accuracy, including smoke detectors, glucose monitors and remote sensors. In addition, the op amp is available in a tiny standard surface mount package to meet the size requirements of space-constrained battery-powered applications and is priced to meet the needs of high-volume markets.

AD8500

Low Power, Low Voltage
The AD8500 is a precision CMOS op amp that features a 1-microamp maximum supply current. The device operates from a single supply voltage of +1.8 V to +5.5 V or a dual supply voltage of ±0.9 V to ±2.75 V. The low voltage allows use with two cell batteries over the full discharge profile, thus extending battery lifetime.

High Precision
The AD8500 offers 1-millivolt max offset performance and a low 1-picoamp input bias current. The ability to swing rail-to-rail at both the input and output helps maximize the dynamic range and signal-to-noise ratio in systems that operate at very low voltages. The low offset voltage allows the AD8500 to be used in systems with high gain without having excessively large output offset errors and provides high accuracy without the need for system calibration.

Battery-Powered Applications
With its low power consumption, low input bias current and rail-to-rail input and output, the AD8500 is well-suited for a variety of battery-powered consumer, medical and safety applications, including electrocardiograms (ECGs), pulse monitors, glucose meters, smoke and fire detectors, security systems, gas detectors, backup battery sensors, insulin pumps and ultraviolet radiation (UV) detectors in cellular handsets. To minimize power consumption and maximize signal chain performance, the AD8500 can be used with ADI’s low-power precision analog-to-digital converters, such as the AD7788.

Availability and Pricing
The AD8500 precision op amp is available in production quantities now. Housed in a 5-lead SC 70 package, it is priced at $0.70 per unit in 1,000 piece quantities. The device is fully specified over the industrial temperature range of –40 degrees C to +85 degrees C.
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