This section provides an overview for power op amps as well as their applications and principles. Also, please take a look at the list of 10 power op amp manufacturers and their company rankings. Here are the top-ranked power op amp companies as of November, 2024: 1.Apex Microtechnology, 2.Varedan Technologies, 3.ABLIC Inc..
Table of Contents
A power op amp (power operational amplifier) is an electrical component based on an op amp, which is a general-purpose analog circuit, especially in the role of an amplifier.
It is an integrated circuit (IC) used in amplifiers that requires high power according to the needs of the times. The original op-amps are ICs that originated from the 741 series released by Fairchild Corporation of the United States in 1968.
Power op amps are rarely used as stand-alone amplifiers, but are often connected with resistors and capacitors.
Power op amps are mainly used for amplification circuits requiring high voltage and high current to drive large motor drivers, servo controllers, electromagnetic actuators in factory automation equipment, and large speakers in audio amplifiers.
Other applications include measuring instruments and sensor circuits. The OPA541, a general-purpose IC from Texas Instruments that is often used in power op amp ICs, supports a wide range of supply voltages from ±5V to ±40V and operating temperatures from -40°C to +125°C. It can also be used with a high current of 5 A. This wide dynamic range supports a variety of uses of this IC. This wide dynamic range supports a variety of applications.
It can also be connected to low-voltage logic circuits. When using this IC, a heat sink is required for heat dissipation, and when handling high power, it is essential to pay attention to the load impedance.
The principle of a power op amp is that a boost circuit consisting of a transistor with a large size to handle high power is added to the output stage of an op amp, which is a general-purpose analog circuit, as well as protection circuits unique to high power, making the op amp suitable for high voltages and high currents.
Op-amps, which originated as an analog circuit component, used resistors, capacitors, and other electrical elements to automatically perform arithmetic operations as an addition, subtraction, differentiation, or integration circuit. Through technological innovation, operational amplifiers were miniaturized and integrated together with semiconductor elements such as transistors and field effect transistors (FETs), and then several circuits were incorporated into them to form integrated circuits (ICs).
Among operational amplifiers, in the case of circuit components called power op amps, care must be taken in handling load impedance in order to support high power. For example, when driving a motor, the load is not a simple resistance component, but includes a reactance component, so the current and voltage phases are different in the case of sinusoidal operation. Even when the output is zero, a relatively large current may flow through the power op amp.
At this time, the losses in the power op amp are large, so the op amp IC is very hot due to the self-heating of the transistors. In addition to measures such as heat sinks for heat dissipation, it is important to check carefully that the operating range used does not exceed the SOA (safe operating area) of the product.
In cases where the load is rather inductive, such as electromagnetic actuators, unexpected reverse voltages may occur due to transient phenomena during operation. Such cases also require confirmation of operating conditions to prevent device breakdown or degradation due to overvoltage. From the standpoint of increasing versatility, many power op amps have built-in protection circuits within the power op amp.
Most protection circuits are of the type that protect components by sensing current limiters or temperature rise and suppressing operation, but response is important to protect against spike-like instantaneous overvoltages. For this reason, a Schottky barrier diode or similar device is usually connected to the power supply line or the output terminal of a transistor, and measures to clamp the overvoltage when it occurs are effective.
*Including some distributors, etc.
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Incorporated in 1965, Analog Devices, Inc. designs, manufactures, tests, and markets integrated circuits (ICs), software, and subsystems that leverage analog, mixed-signal, and digital signal processing technologies. The company provides data converter products, power management and reference products for power conversion, driver monitoring, sequencing, and energy management applications in the automotive, communications, industrial, and high-end consumer markets. In addition, the company provides digital signal processing and system products for high-speed numeric calculations. It serves clients in the industrial, automotive, consumer, instrumentation, aerospace, and communications markets.
Varedan Technologies, was founded in 2000 and headquartered in California, United States, is a manufacturer and supplier specializing in hard-performance servo amplifiers and controllers. Serving a diverse range of industries, including Automotive, Aerospace, and Medical Devices, the company offers solutions for demanding amplifying applications. Its product portfolio includes Linear Servo Amplifiers, PWM Servo Amplifiers, and Power Supplies & Transformers. These products undergo rigorous 100% testing using proprietary in-house automated equipment to ensure quality.
Microchip Technology Incorporated was incorporated in 1989 and is headquartered in Chandler, Arizona. The company is a developer and manufacturer of control solutions for global markets including the automotive, industrial, communications, human-machine interface, and connectivity industries. The company’s products include microcontrollers, field-programmable gate array products, MOSFET and radio frequency products, and both wired and wireless communications products. The company’s services include wafer foundry and assembly services, test subcontracting manufacturing services, development tools for enabling system designers to program microcontrollers and processors, and timing system products.
Nisshinbo Micro Devices Inc., established in 1959, and headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, is a manufacturer of semiconductors and electronic components. The company specializes in producing integrated circuits, discrete semiconductors, optoelectronic devices, which caters to industries such as telecommunications, automotive, and consumer electronics. The company holds ISO 9001 and IATF 16949 certifications, ensuring quality in their products which are used for various applications, including wireless communication, automotive systems, and industrial automation, providing crucial electronic components for advanced technologies in various industrial and commercial sectors.
Toshiba Electronic Devices & Storage Corporation is a division of Toshiba focusing on providing designs for end-product developers as well as semiconductor and drive equipment for automotive, industrial equipment, green energy, and consumer and personal electronic devices. Toshiba’s storage products include cloud-scale and enterprise-level products, and PC hard drives. Semiconductor products include Si Cower devices, MOSFETs, IGBTs, IEGTs, isolators, solid state relays, power management and intelligent power ICs, diodes, bipolar transistors, microcontrollers, automotive devices, ICs for wireless communication equipment, general purpose logic ICs, radio-frequency devices, sensors, and linear image sensors.
Renesas Electronics Corporation was established in 2002 and is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. Renesas is a global research, design, and manufacturer of semiconductors used in industries spanning automotive, consumer electronics, the internet of things, power & energy, and industrial sectors. Renesas manufactures both analog and digital products. Analog products include amplifiers, audio & video devices, data converters, PLC, and switches & multiplexers. Digital products include microcontrollers, memory components, sensors, wireless connectivity products, and others. Renesas also offers design resources such as kits, development tools, partner programs, and design tools.
ABLIC, Inc. is a manufacturer of analog semiconductors and integrated circuits (ICs) based in Minato-ku, Tokyo. Originally established in 2016, the company is a subsidiary of Seiko Instruments, Inc., and was renamed SII Semiconductor Corporation in 2018. The company produces memory, logic, and power management ICs, as well as various sensors for use in mobile computers, industrial equipment, wearable tech, and automotive systems. These supply clients in the consumer electronics, factory automation, and medical equipment industries.
ST Micro Electronics is a global semiconductor company serving customers with innovations to have a positive impact on people's lives. Their product line is micro electronic systems, such as switches, controllers, sensors and drivers. The main selling point of ST Micro Electronics is its provision of sustainable products, and introducing their electronics to create a more sustainable world. The company, as well as providing the electronic devices, also provides software and support, ensuring that all fields are covered to provide a fully provide a supported and strong relationship with their customer base. ST Micro Electronics believe that technology plays a key role in helping to solve environmental and social challenges, which is why their semiconductor technologies start with their employees, their customers and partners.
Texas Instruments Incorporated was founded in 1930 and is headquartered in Dallas, Texas. Texas Instruments is a producer of high tech equipment for industrial, automotive, personal electronics, communications equipment industries. Texas Instruments designs, manufactures, and sells semiconductors to electronics designers and manufacturers in the United States and internationally. Texas Instruments operates in two segments: analog and embedded processing. The Analog segment offers power products, including battery-management solutions, DC/DC switching regulators, power switches, linear regulators, voltage references, and lighting products. The Embedded Processing segment offers microcontrollers that are used in fields such as electronic equipment and digital signal processors for mathematical computations.
Ranking as of November 2024
Derivation MethodRank | Company | Click Share |
---|---|---|
1 | Apex Microtechnology |
21.2%
|
2 | Varedan Technologies |
17.3%
|
3 | ABLIC Inc. |
11.5%
|
4 | STMicroelectronics |
11.5%
|
5 | Texas Instruments |
9.6%
|
6 | Toshiba Electronic Devices & Storage |
9.6%
|
7 | Nisshinbo Micro Devices Inc. |
7.7%
|
8 | Microchip Technology Inc. |
5.8%
|
9 | Analog Devices, Inc. |
3.8%
|
10 | Renesas Electronics Corporation. |
1.9%
|
Derivation Method
The ranking is calculated based on the click share within the power op amp page as of November 2024. Click share is defined as the total number of clicks for all companies during the period divided by the number of clicks for each company.Number of Employees
Newly Established Company
Company with a History
*Including some distributors, etc.
*Including some distributors, etc.
Country | Number of Companies | Share (%) |
---|---|---|
United States of America | 4 | 57.1% |
Japan | 3 | 42.9% |