How Op Amps Work - The Learning Circuit 

Interested in OpAmps? Check out this fresh content from Derek's on the topic here: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-kF1wGW-h4Y8.html

16 years ago, When I had this class in College I DID think OpAmps appeared to generate power out of nothing (after seeing a dozen OpAmp circuits ommiting the external power supply it's easy to forget them), and I remember not being the only one of my classmates confused, so I appreciate the comment near the end!

she explained the subject in mins what my professor couldnt in 40 hrs of university classes

The thing that finally got me to understand OpAmps was this: In a normal circuit, if two nodes are connected with nothing between them they have the same voltage and current can flow freely between them. OpAmps "break" that rule. The two inputs are a pseudo-node where the voltages are the same, BUT no current flows. If you introduce that into the math of circuits you get a really powerful tool that lets you do all of the things described here.

I'm currently in a circuits class and this has got to be the best explanation of op amps I've ever seen. Thank you!

When I learned and found about the op amps, how they work, as this component was the solution to my problem I was having at that time, this thing opened up a huge window in my tiny hobbyist electronic world. In the beginning it almost feel like magic. You can make so many things after you understand this component. You finally start to understand the whole picture, how things work in the electronic world.

Thankyou so much for the detailed and concise explaining! After 3 hours of binge searching for proper info on op-amp deployment and the various typical uses, Ive finnaly found your video and can now get to work on my project.

Perfectly explained refresher of op-amps. Just what I needed. Thank you!

Holy thank you for explaining it this way, no other relatively short video explains where the voltage goes to depending on the input, just that it amplifies one signal or flips another.

A good overview. Showing the components, pin callouts per component, and the overall circuits are helpful for context that many presentations lack. A lot of ground was covered going thorough different types without getting too bogged down.

Karen, THANK YOU! I'm looking at a RADAR imaging circuit ala Gregory Charvat, and he is using on Quad Op amp chip in a couple of different ways. Your video helped me understand first was a simple amplifier, then an Active Low Pass Filter. SUPER helpful video! I learn so much watching you.

Brilliant Explanation. The whole OpAmp summed up in the best possible way !

Very fast,short,brief introduction to OpAmp .For three years since 2017 , I never use/touch/fritzing/multisim-experiance in electronics. I stopped washhands reading electronics, many people started to use VR/AR/MR/XR to designed/demo the digital-electronics new technology ( Printed Electronics, small-palm-size FPGA ,XILINS/INTEL ,software-hardware programming beyond Arduino,Rasberry PI-4 . Suddenly a young lady replacing a young man in element 14 ? A new fresh starts .Good to see new face ! Karen keep it up .

thank you for actually making op amps make sense this is the best video ive ever watched on youtube :D

The best explanation of the basics of Op Amps I have ever seen...

Oh boy the infamous 741, haha. You can't imagine the headaches that this little guy gave me in EE. Almost all of my PCB's that had the 741 never worked properly, and my professores would say "Oh the Schematic is correct and the theory is ok, but the 741 does not work for this application". It is a very simple op amp for sure. Amazing video!

I love to build things with OP-AMPs. Once I built my own PWM dimmer/speed controller consisting of a NE555, a UA741, a BUZ11 MOSFET, 7 resistors, 4 capacitors and a potentiometer. I operate my self-made 12V LED light strips on this dimmer. I simply used cable ducts for the LED strips. I drilled holes for 5mm LEDs in the cable duct cover. On the inside of the cover I soldered the wiring strands and the corresponding LED series resistors. In the stairwell I also have the same cable ducts with built-in LEDs just above the steps, which are switched using a self-made time switch with an OP-AMP and MOSFET. The time switch is controlled by a radar motion detector, which can also detect movements through walls. Advantage of the radar motion detector: It reacts to everything that moves, as long as it is not too small. But moving a finger is enough... PIR motion detectors only react to objects that are warmer than the ambient temperature.

Thank you for taking the time to explain op amps.

Thanks Kare, it is a nice lesson. So much to still discuss on opamps. I like them very much, IMHO they facilitate the design and implementation in a lot of projects.

Perfectly explained of op-amps. Just what I needed. Thank you for Perfectly explained

My OpAmp story: LM358 is a super-common, low cost OpAmp that is absolutely abysmal as an audio amplifier. It's fine for some purposes, but not that one. On three occasions I have needed to build an audio amplifier circuit and LM358 was the only OpAmp I had in my drawer. After much circuit fiddling, datasheet reading, and internet searching, I've managed to build an LM358 based audio amplifier circuit that was "better than nothing." That was the best I have managed. One trip to eBay and three weeks later, 100 cheap (around 10 cents a piece, after shipping) TDA2822M OpAmps arrived from China. I'll never use LM358 for audio again.

Great video, it made so much EE come rushing back into my brain.

Hands down, this is the best op-amp tutorial

Great video! I own a Boulder 500AE NOS amp and this was a terrific tutorial. It is an op amp.

Probably the best explanation of op-amps I've seen so far. Thanks!

Great lecture Karen . But I guess I will have to attend this lecture a few times more . Subscribed 😀

Wow.... what a blast from my electronics technician days past!! I was an electronics tech in the 80s. Sometimes I really miss the days of troubleshooting circuits with a DMM and/or a scope. Fun times!!

Great to the point video, clean slides, a lot of information per time! However, there are two mistakes in the differential amp slide (around 6:20); 1) The two inputs are interchanged. For non saturated operation (i.e. no comparator) the feedback path must always be closed, i.e., inverting input must be connected in any way to the output, 2) The two inputs must not be tied together. As you explain, the opamp amplifies the voltage difference between both inputs and does everything at its output to keep the voltage difference at the inputs as small as possible. So, a short circuit between the inputs makes it impossible for the opamp to work. Keep on with your good work!

Great vintage Oscilloscope in the back. Excellent for warming up your lunch while working.

This is the best video I've ever seen for op-amps srsly

Hey, this was a well done video and a great presenter as well! No droning on about unless info and directly to the point. And, several schematics of uses of op-amps and what they are used for. This was great! Thanks!!

Thank you so much for this video! The explanation right at 3:17 finally got it to click in my brain why people use these as buffers, even after years of explanations that felt like they were avoiding the question.

“You cannot magically turn 1volt into 100 volts” Me: *slowly glances toward my boost converter*

This video helped in my understanding, thank you!

Thank you for actually explaining the _mechanisms_ as well as elaborating a bit on the basic terms :) Most videos just show some footage and throw formulas in your face, it feels like those are made for people who already know the material.

Great video, simple, efficient, easy to follow. Thanks

good vid! As you noted-They are very sensitive…and amp projects taught me that discreet component values are almost never exactly as rated…lol. I really didn’t understand them until i set up a dual rail power supply…and then it all “clicked”…to this day-i test every component for actual value…

Great video, many thanks. And now a How OpAmps Work part 2 followup, please.

Very good explanation of the op-amps. Easy to understand, clear and concise. Thanks much.

Well done! clear and concise overview of op-amps.

Wow! Thank you Karen. This is the best description of op-amps I've seen.

Superb explanation about opamp usage.

Thanks for the video! Its really helped me for my studies.

Very nice introduction, 7:22 the inverting and non inverting inputs are mentioned the other way, should be non inverting to the capacitor and the resistor and the inverting to the voltage divider

Wow, clean pictures, again! This is good stuff to know and apply. I'm going to have to go over your previous videos to break it down for the old guy. It almost makes sense. Be right back!

This is so informational i love it!

Watching from São Paulo , Brazil. Thanks Karen! :D

Great vid. Maybe the best opamp vid i have come accross thankyou

Excellent explained basics of OPAs.

Great overview Karen!! One of the more versatile and useful devices in your circuit arsenal. There are some great OP AMP cookbooks out there from classic authors like Forrest Mims III.

You Tube algorithm finally came through with something useful. Didn’t even need to hear the content to sub, Element 14 is awesome

Now I found a right place. Thank you very much for your knowledge sharing .

I believe this video give us an excellent introduction to OpAmps; Well done! clear and concise overview of op-amps

I am a visual learner, and this video FINALLY made the concept and operation of an Op Amp understandable. I can't believe I graduated with honors without learning the logic/operation of an Op Amp lol.

What a straightforward explanation!

Awesome description!

Excellent video 😊 Congratulations!!!

Knowledgeable and clear explanations.

I love your videos, really good explanations and nice animations thanks!

Hi, i like this kind of corses in electronics and the way you teach it. Thanks.

Thanks, Karen. This was productive.

Great intro video on op-amps! One of the best I've seen. Thanks!

Great video. Just hit me that *preserving* and amplifying the input signal is the key piece here. Rather than just boosting the voltage and not preserving the signal. Obvious maybe but that helped a ton

I really appreciated your descriptions and verbage. Your an impressive teacher....

amazing video! would be interested in a part 2.

All problems clear. Thanks for make this video

many thanks ! to you and op Amps inventor

Excellent review covers a lot of use cases, I'd have liked some of the images on screen longer. But great information for revising theory.

Most useful information about op amps thank u so much

Amazing explanations, keep on.

Awesome explanation!

one can not be greatful enough that someone like you explains things so that they are very easy to understand. A very good video.

God where was this video when i was taking circuit theory 4 years ago 😭😭 excellent work ty

Omg I’ve just found this channel and I’ve never properly understood these dam things! Thank you!

Thanks for the video, that helps me undferstand the bits I wasn't sure about. One question, what are all those posters in the background? They look like they could be helpful for identifying components and the like. If they are, where can we buy them?

Nicely done!

Great the best explanation yet, thank you a lot

Karen, I am a retired auto tech building a 1967 Chevy pickup for myself. Using the “Op Amp” for a low fuel lamp. Now, with 0 ohms = Empty and 90 ohms = Full. Using this variable input into the inverting input could be used for turning on an LED. To set the point of this “On” signal for the LED, the non-inverting side can be the sweep of an 100 ohm potentiometer connected to B+, the sweep connected to the non-inverting (-) and adjusted for a resistance inside the fuel tank to 2 gallons, 3 gallons or whatever a guy/gal wants for a warning reserve. Using a 470 ohm resistor to an LED fixture marked low fuel would not effect the gauge, tank sender or the circuit. I am just bringing my project into the 21 century so my wife or son could drive safely but with reliability. After 40 years, I have found that is you over build a component and add it into a service manual, will last way longer. As a guy who would build an automatic to handle 600 HP, but only have 400 HP driving it. Properly cooled, it would last 30 years, instead of 10. On my idea of using an “Op Amp” in this fashion, would or should this work and be reliable? (LM358, 100 ohm pot, soldered terminals with shrink wrap and dielectric grease) ASE Master Tech since 1978! Thanks.

Nice video, now I have an idea of the uses for buffer amp ops :) ty

professional is always professional.verynice job.thanks

Very well presented.

Good explanation , cool video .

excellent lecture...far better then my university class .....

Much appreciate clearing my doubts

I think there is a small error at 6:22 where you short the 2 op-amp terminals together. Also, it should be negative feedback for operation stability; therefore, the formula signs change. Your concept is clear and instructional. It is helpful. Thanks.

Thank you sssooooo much!! As a woman engineer, I felt sooo empowered to see you explaining. Keep the good work going 👏

Excellent Class Thank you

Thanks very much indeed. I would like to know about the role of Op-amps in fast transient Low Dropout Regulator Circuit.

I would love to see some circuit analysis videos 😁

Hi there, nice video ! can you explain how op amps (lm393) are used as over voltage protection in ATX power supplies. Thanks.

Wonderful video highlighting the power of RU-vid

Really nice overview :)

Excellent explanation

When I was in the Navy I worked on a machine that had hundreds of individual circuits, each tuned to create a different analog symbol on a display screen. All of them used an op amp to shape the circuit to make things like plane, subs, boats, numbers, everything you can imagine. But instead of drawing them digitally like nowadays, the Navy used thousands of op amps instead.

So far the best basic Op-Amps explanation in youtube.

that was so much informative thank you

Good concept mam, thanks for teaching

Amazing. Thanks!

oh my, i feel like i have been hit over the head with a shovel. I think i need to watch this over again about another 100 times, first time round i'm sure my brain thought it was in Japanese, oh i'm getting old :o)

beautiful explanation