ROHM has introduced an ultra-compact CMOS operational amplifier (op amp), the TLR377GYZ, with a voltage range of 1.8V to 5V. This op amp is designed specifically for amplifying signals from sensors, such as those measuring temperature, pressure, and flow rate, in applications including smartphones and small IoT devices.
As smartphones and IoT devices become ever smaller, the components within them must also shrink. To precisely amplify small signals necessary for high-precision sensing, op amps need to enhance low input offset voltage and noise performance while also reducing their form factor.
The TLR377GYZ achieves this balance between miniaturisation and high accuracy—a feat that has proven challenging with conventional op amps—by advancing ROHM’s proprietary circuit design, process, and packaging technologies developed over many years.
In conventional op amps, increasing the size of the built-in transistors can suppress input offset voltage and noise generation, but this compromises miniaturisation. ROHM’s proprietary circuits, however, achieve a maximum offset voltage as low as 1mV without enlarging the transistors.
Additionally, proprietary process technology significantly reduces flicker noise. By optimising resistive components at the element level, an ultra-low noise performance is achieved, with an input equivalent noise voltage density of 12nV/√Hz. The TLR377GYZ also employs a Wafer Level Chip Scale Package (WLCSP) with a ball pitch of only 0.3mm, utilising original packaging technology to reduce the size by approximately 69% compared to conventional products and by 46% compared to existing compact products.
To facilitate replacement considerations and initial evaluations, an IC-mounted conversion board that can substitute SSOP6 packages is also available. Both the new op amp and the conversion board can be purchased through online distributors. Moreover, ROHM offers a high-accuracy SPICE model—named ROHM Real Model—on its website for verification simulations.
Looking ahead, ROHM plans to further enhance op amp performance by reducing power consumption using its proprietary ultra-low current consumption technology, in addition to achieving greater miniaturisation and accuracy.
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