COMPARATORS

Function:
Compares two input voltages
and produces an output in either
of two states indicating the
greater than or less than
relationship of the inputs.

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 What is a Comparator ?
 The comparator is an op-amp circuit that
compares two input voltages and produces an
output indicating the relationship between them.
The inputs can be two signals (such as two sine
waves) or a signal and a fixed dc reference
voltage.
 Often used as an interface between digital and
analog signals.

Problem Solution

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 Symbol & Transfer
Characteristics
Vin
+
Vout
Vref _

Vout Vout

VH VH

Vin Vin
0 Vref 0 Vref
VL VL

Ideal transfer Practical transfer

characteristic characteristic
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 Threshold Comparators

 The voltage at which a comparator changes

from one level to another is called the
crossover (or threshold) voltage.
 Its value can be adjusted by adding
resistors, as shown in the non-inverting
comparator.
RF
Vref

R1
+
V+
V- _
VS Vin
R Vout

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 From the superposition theorem, the voltage at
V+ is given by
R1 RF
V  Vref  Vin
R1  RF R1  RF

Ideally, the crossover will occur when V+

= 0. That is
R1Vref  RFVin  0
which gives the low threshold voltage VLt = Vin as

R1
VLt   Vref Vout
RF
VH
Thus, the output voltage becomes high
(VH) at the positive saturation voltage. VL
0 Vin
(+Vsat) when V+ > 0 (i.e. Vin > VLt) t

VL 5
 If the input signal is connected to the inverting
terminal, the output will change from high (VH)
to low (VL).

The high threshold voltage VHt = Vin is given by

R1
Vout VHt  Vref
R1  RF

VH
Thus, the output voltage becomes
low (VL) at the negative saturation
VHt voltage :-
Vin
0 (-Vsat) when Vin > V+ (i.e. Vin > VHt)
VL
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 BASIC COMPARATOR
CIRCUITS

 COMPARATOR WITH ZERO

REFERENCE
 COMPARATOR WITH NONZERO
REFERENCE
 COMPARATOR WITH HYSTERESIS

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 NONLINEAR CIRCUITS

 Nonlinear circuits such as comparators,

wave shapers and active-diode circuits.
 Linear circuits like voltage amplifier,
current sources, and active filters.
 The output of nonlinear op-amp circuits
usually has a different shape from the
input signal. This is due to the op-amp
saturates during part of the input cycle.

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 ZERO REFERENCE
 The simplest way to build a comparator is to
connect op-amp without feedback resistors.

Vout
+V
_
Vin +Vsat
Vout
+
Vin
0
-V
-Vsat
a) Comparator with zero
reference b) Input/output response

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 An op-amp detector
that has the ability to
detect the change
from positive to
negative or negative
to a positive level of a
sinusoidal waveform
is known as a zero
crossing detector. 

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 ZERO REFERENCE
 Because of the high open-loop gain,
positive input voltage produces positive
saturation (+Vsat), and a negative input
voltage produces negative saturation (-
Vsat).
 This comparator is called a zero-crossing
detector.
 The minimum input voltage that produces
saturation is:

 Vsat
Vin (min) 
Aol
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 ZERO REFERENCE
 If a sinusoidal input voltage applied to
the non-inverting input of this circuit,
the result will look like this:

Vin

0 t

Vout +Vsat

0 t

-Vsat

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 ZERO REFERENCE

 Let Vsat = 15V, Aol = 100,000.

Then the input voltage needed
to produce saturation is:

 15V
Vin (min)   0.015mV
100,000
Vin > +0.015 mV  +Vsat

Vin < -0.015 mV  -Vsat

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 ZERO REFERENCE

 The output is a two-state output,

either +Vsat or –Vsat
 This comparator can be used as a
squaring circuit (i.e. produce
square wave from sine wave).

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 ZERO REFERENCE
Bounded Output
 The output swing of a zero-crossing
detector may be too large in some
applications.
 We can bound the output by using a
zener diode.
 There are three types:
1.Bounded at positive value
2.Bounded at negative value
3.Double bounded

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 ZERO REFERENCE
1.Bounded at positive value

Dz

_ +V
+Vz
Vin
R Vout
+ 0
-V -0.7V

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 ZERO REFERENCE
2.Bounded at negative value
Dz

_ +V
+0.7V
Vin R
+ Vout 0
-V -Vz

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 ZERO REFERENCE
3.Double-bounded

Dz1 Dz2

+V Vz2 + 0.7V
_
Vin
R Vout
0
+
- (Vz1 + 0.7V)
-V

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 NON-ZERO REFERENCES

 In some applications a threshold

voltage different from zero may be
preferred. By biasing either input,
we can change the threshold
voltage as needed.
 It also known as non-zero level
detection

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 NON-ZERO REFERENCES
Positive Threshold
+V Vout

R1 +V
+Vsat
Vref _
Vout
R2 Vin
Vin + Vref
-V -Vsat

R2 • When Vin > Vref, Vout is High (+Vsat)

Vref  (V )
R1  R2 • When Vin < Vref, Vout is Low (-Vsat)

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 NON-ZERO REFERENCES

Negative threshold
Vout
 If a negative limit is
preferred, connect –V
to the voltage divider. +Vsat

Vref Vin

-Vsat

• When Vin > Vref, Vout is High (+Vsat)

• When Vin < Vref, Vout is Low (-Vsat)
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 NON-ZERO REFERENCES

CONDITIONS:
Using Zener diode
• Vref = Vz
• When Vin is less than Vref, the output remains at the max negative level
• When Vin is more than Vref, the output goes to the max positive level

+V

Vref
R +V Vin t
Vz _
Vout
Vin + +Vsat
-V Vout t
-Vsat
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 BASIC COMPARATOR
CIRCUITS

 COMPARATOR WITH HYSTERESIS

 WINDOW COMPARATOR

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 BASIC COMPARATOR
CIRCUITS
 Effect of noise on comparator circuits

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 BASIC COMPARATOR
CIRCUITS
 Effect of noise on comparator circuits

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 BASIC COMPARATOR
CIRCUITS
 Effect of noise on comparator circuits
In many practical situation , noise appears on the
input line
The noise cause a comparator to erratically switch
output state

 How to reduce?
One way to reduce the effect of noise is by using a
comparator with positive feedback called Hysterisis
also called as Schmitt trigger
The positive feedback produce two separates trip
points that prevents a noisy input from producing
false transitions for example UTP and LTP –
Hysterisis
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 BASIC COMPARATOR
CIRCUITS
Schmitt trigger symbol

 The symbol for Schmitt triggers in

electronic diagrams is a triangle with a
hysteresis symbol:
                  

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 SCHMITT TRIGGER
+
V
Vin -
Vout - Inverting Schmitt
+ trigger
-V
R1

R2

R2 R2
VUTP    Vsat  VLTP    Vsat 
R1  R2 R1  R2
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 SCHMITT TRIGGER

Upper Threshold Voltage (VUTP)

 When Vout = +Vsat, the fed-back voltage

is called the upper-threshold voltage,
VUT.
 For Vin < VUTP Vout is locked at
+Vsat
 If Vin > VUTP Vout begins to drop in
value until –Vsat

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 SCHMITT TRIGGER

Lower Threshold Voltage (VLTP)

 When Vout = -Vsat, the fed-back voltage

is called the lower-threshold voltage,
VLT.
 For Vin > VLTP Vout is locked at
-Vsat
 If Vin < VLTP Vout will switch back
to +Vsat
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SCHMITT TRIGGER

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 BASIC COMPARATOR
CIRCUITS

What is Hysteresis?
 Technique of showing comparator
performance on one graph instead of two
graphs
Vout

+Vsat Hysteresis
voltage

Vin
VLTP VUTP

-Vsat 32
 BASIC COMPARATOR
CIRCUITS
 The difference in voltage between VUTP and VLTP
is called hysteresis voltage, VHYS
 Whenever any circuit changes from one state
to second state at some input signal and then
reverts from the second state to the first state
at a different input signal, the circuit is said to
exhibit hysteresis.

VHYS  VUTP  VLTP

 If VHYS > Vnoise peak-peak  there will be no false
output crossings
 VHYS tells us how much peak-peak noise the
circuit can withstand
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 Non-inverting Schmitt
trigger
Vout

+Vsat
-
Vout
VHYS
+
Vin
VLTP VHTP
Vin
R1 R2
-Vsat

R1 R1
VUTP    Vsat  VLTP    Vsat 
R2 R2
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 Non-inverting Schmitt
trigger
Example 1
 If Vsat = 13.5 V, what are the trip points
and hysteresis in Figure below?
Vin +15
- Answer :Trip points
V
Vou
1k
+
t VUTP    13.5V   0.281V
-
15V
48 k
1 k
1 k
47 k
VLTP    13.5V   0.281V
48 k
Answer :Hysteresis voltage

VHYS  VUTP  VLTP  0.281V    0.281V   0.562V

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 BASIC COMPARATOR
CIRCUITS
Window Comparator
 It detects when the input voltage is
between two limits called window.
 Use two comparators with different
thresholds.

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 Window Comparator
Inverting Window Comparator

VUTP +
+
V
Vou
- t
-V Vou +Vs
Vin +
t
V at
+ Vin
-
VLTP VLTP V
-V UTP

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 Window Comparator
Example 2
 In previous figure, the VLTP and VUTP are
changed to +3.5 V and +4.75 V. If Vsat =
12 V and the input is a sine wave with a
peak of 10 V, what is the output voltage
waveform?
Vout

Output is low when

12 input is between 3.5
V and 4.75V

Vin
3.5V 4.75 38
V
 Comparator Applications
Smoke Detector
Bar graph Display
Over-Temperature sensing circuit

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 Comparator Applications

A/D converter

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Peak Detector
 Peak Detector is a circuit
which is used to detect
the peaks of the applied
input signal. It basically
follows the input voltage
and stores the peak
voltage. It employs a
diode and capacitor to
implement this function.

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Peak Detector

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Precision Rectifier
 The major limitation of  When forward biased voltage
conventional rectifiers is is less than 0.7V, then diode is
not conducting. In case of
that it cannot rectify AC normal power rectifier input
voltages below forward applied is much larger than
voltage drop VD (0.7V) of 0.7V. So diode is not operated.
a diode. The precision Therefore Op-amp is used to
rectifier will make it help diode to conduct.
The precision rectifiers are
possible to rectify input classified in two categories.
voltage of a very small 1. Precision HWR
magnitude even less than 2. Precision FWR
forward voltage drop of
diode. 
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Operational-Amplifier_36012/
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