This section provides an overview for instrumentation amplifiers as well as their applications and principles. Also, please take a look at the list of 7 instrumentation amplifier manufacturers and their company rankings. Here are the top-ranked instrumentation amplifier companies as of September, 2023: 1.Ectron Corp., 2.Pacific Instruments Inc., 3.Alligator Technologies.
Table of Contents
An Instrumentation Amplifier is a gain block consisting of resistors and operational amplifiers.
They are also called instrumentation amplifier because they have amplifier circuits optimized to measure pressure, temperature, and other parameters in the facilities and equipment involved in manufacturing at production sites.
The gain settings of general operational amplifiers and instrumentation amplifier is different. Compared to operational amplifiers, instrumentation amplifier is more accurate because the gain is selected within a specific pre-set range.
Unlike operational amplifiers, instrumentation amplifiers are used without a feedback loop because they are designed with an emphasis on their intended use in a measurement system rather than the structure of the device. Two typical examples are listed below:
One is the use of instrumentation amplifiers in applications where they are optimized to keep noise generation low and to amplify weak signals detected by sensors. They are also used in applications such as data acquisition equipment, automotive equipment, and motor control.
Compared to operational amplifiers,instrumentation amplifiers are structurally the same but differ in the way they are operated (since they are amplifiers designed specifically for a particular function and used for a dedicated purpose).
In order to perform highly accurate measurements, the bias current input must be kept low, generally on the order of nano-amperes.
instrumentation amplifiers has circuit characteristics, with analog signal inputs and outputs in differential and single-ended formats, respectively.
The differential input consists of two input terminals, and while the input impedance exceeds several hundred milli-ohms by maintaining a balanced state, the output impedance is generally set quite low at several milli-ohms.
In terms of operation, the gain is usually selected using resistors and terminals within a narrow pre-set range. So while it lacks flexibility compared to operational amplifiers, it can achieve high accuracy.
*Including some distributors, etc.
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Pacific Instruments Inc., established in 1978, is a manufacturer and designer of state-of-the-art, computer-automated test and measurement systems such as integrated conditioning acquisition & control systems, high-speed data acquisition & control systems, transient recording systems, ethernet data acquisition systems, and signal conditioning systems. The systems are used for gathering, storing, and analyzing data and findings from research and development projects. The company in Concord, CA, serves industries such as aerospace & vehicle, research agencies, civil, rocket, and the military. The company is a brand name of Vishay Precision Group (VPG).
Ectron Corp. is an American manufacturer of data acquisition and calibration instruments that was established in San Diego, California in 1964. The company produces various sensor simulators including thermocouples and pressure transducers, as well as simulators, amplifiers, data loggers, transmitters, and calibrators. These are critical in industries whose processes require precise measurement and control of data, such as in automotives, aerospace, energy, and defense. Ectron Corp. has served client companies and institutions such as the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), ExxonMobil, and NASA.
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.
Analog Devices was incorporated in 1965 and is headquartered in Wilmington, Massachusetts. The company is a designer and manufacturer of integrated circuits, software, and components that utilize analog, digital, and mixed-signal processes used in LIDAR, radar, RF solutions, 5G, and other technology solutions. The company serves markets including aerospace, automotive, communications, healthcare, and intelligent buildings. The company offers hundreds of products across technological platforms, but also offers customers reference designs, evaluation hardware & software, design tools, simulation models, and other support to ensure seamless integration of the company’s products into customers’ systems.
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.
Hybrid Electronics is a global distribution specialist of electronic components, with access to over 50 million unique components. Among the markets HE serves are the aerospace, automotive, communications, defense, industrial, medical, national security, and test & measurement industries. In addition to components, HE also provides quality and compliance testing, counterfeit detection, upscreening, and other forms of quality control. Examples of component subtypes that HE offers include ICs, batteries, capacitors, semiconductor products, sensors, circuit protection, interconnectors, filters, optoelectronics, relays, switches, power supplies, and cables and cable assemblies.
Ranking as of September 2023 in United States of America
Derivation MethodRank | Company | Click Share |
---|---|---|
1 | Ectron Corp. |
28.6%
|
2 | Pacific Instruments Inc. |
14.3%
|
3 | Alligator Technologies |
14.3%
|
4 | Texas Instruments |
14.3%
|
5 | Analog Devices, Inc. |
14.3%
|
6 | Hybrid Electronics Corporation |
7.1%
|
7 | Renesas Electronics Corporation |
7.1%
|
Ranking as of September 2023 Globally
Derivation MethodRank | Company | Click Share |
---|---|---|
1 | Ectron Corp. |
28.6%
|
2 | Pacific Instruments Inc. |
14.3%
|
3 | Alligator Technologies |
14.3%
|
4 | Texas Instruments |
14.3%
|
5 | Analog Devices, Inc. |
14.3%
|
6 | Hybrid Electronics Corporation |
7.1%
|
7 | Renesas Electronics Corporation |
7.1%
|
Derivation Method
The ranking is calculated based on the click share within the instrumentation amplifier page as of September 2023. 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