Texas Instruments' Single-supply Auto-zero Sensor Amplifier Features Programmable Gain and Offset

(Product News, 1 Dec 2008)

Texas Instruments Inc. (TI) has launched a single-supply, auto-zero bridge sensor amplifier that features programmable gain and offset. The PGA308 amplifies the sensor signal and provides digital calibration for zero (offset) and span (gain). A One-Wire, UART-compatible digital serial interface performs the calibration. The PGA308 is used as a building block for resistive bridge sensor conditioning and general data acquisition applications.

At the heart of the PGA308 is a precision, low-drift and low-noise front-end programmable gain amplifier (PGA). Digital-programmable coarse offset, fine offset and selected gain (coarse and fine) may be controlled in real time or permanently programmed into the PGA308. The device can store seven banks of one-time programmable (OTP) memory of gain and offset calibration parameters. A separate power-on reset (POR) OTP bank can be programmed up to four times.

The fault monitor detects overload, burnout and system faults. The over-/under-scale limits offer additional system-level diagnostics.

Using auto-zero techniques, the device achieves excellent precision and noise over the extended industrial temperature range of -40°C to 125°C and has an operating voltage of 2.7V to 5.5V. Other digitally calibrated sensor signal conditioning ICs from TI include PGA309, a voltage output programmable sensor conditioner with temperature compensation, and XTR108, a 4mA to 20mA, two-wire transmitter, or voltage output programmable RTD signal conditioner.

Click here for more information on Texas Instruments' PGA308 single-supply, auto-zero bridge sensor amplifier

Click here for more information on Texas Instruments