Five Oddest Op Amp Applications

You think of op amps as amplifiers because, no kidding, it is right in the name. But just like some people say, “you could do that with a 555,” [Doctor Volt] might say, “you can do that with an op amp.” In a recent video, you can see below, he looks at simulations and breadboards for five applications that aren’t traditional amplifiers.

Of course, you can split hairs. A comparator is sort of an amplifier with some very specific parameters, but it isn’t an amplifier in the classic sense.

In addition to comparators, there’s a flip flop, a few oscillators, and a PWM audio over optical transmitter and receiver. If you want to test your understanding of op amps, you can try to analyze the different circuits to see if you can explain how they work.

Op amps are amazing for analog design since you don’t have to build up high-quality amplifier blocks from discrete devices. Even the worst op amp you can buy is probably better than something you have the patience to design in a few minutes with a FET or a bipolar device. Fair to say that we do enjoy these oddball op amp circuits.