First zero-drift, 36-V instrumentation amplifier offers precise measurement

Texas Instruments has just introduced the industry’s first zero-drift, 36-V instrumentation amplifier. The INA188 delivers high accuracy for precise DC and low-frequency measurements in applications such as test and measurement, medical, and industrial process control equipment. It also eliminates the 1/f corner and features best-in-class offset drift to enable accurate measurement over the full extended industrial temperature range.

Some key features and benefits of the INA188 include:

• Industry’s lowest offset drift optimizes long-term temperature stability: The zero-drift architecture used in the INA188 delivers high accuracy for high-voltage precision-measurement applications. Compared to competitive solutions, it enables an offset voltage of 25 µV and a 33 percent lower offset-voltage drift of 80 nV/ºC to provide long-term temperature stability over the lifetime of the end equipment.
• No 1/f corner and low DC noise enable precise measurements at low frequencies: The INA188 generates only 250 nV_PPof noise from 0.1 Hz to 10 Hz, with no 1/f corner frequency between broadband and near-DC. When combined with the INA188’s broadband noise floor of 12.5 nV/√Hz, the amplifier provides unrivaled precision for low-frequency applications.
• High voltage ensures signal integrity: Capable of operating at up to 36 V, the INA188 helps maintain signal integrity over the full extended temperature range by allowing larger gains than lower voltage instrumentation amplifiers.

Engineers designing with the INA188 amplifier can quickly achieve optimum precision for their systems with the support tools offered by Texas Instruments, including:

• Evaluation module (EVM): Evaluate the performance of the INA188 with the universal instrumentation amplifier EVM (SO8), available for a suggested retail price of US$25 from the TI store and authorized distributors.
• Macromodel: Verify board-level signal integrity requirements and device behavior with a free TINA-TI™ SPICE macromodel.
• TI Designs reference design: A three-terminal PLC reference design featuring the INA188 converts +/-10-V or +/-20-mA inputs to a single-ended output voltage for 5-V analog-to-digital converters (ADCs). Additionally, the design features the REF3225precision voltage reference integrated circuit (IC).
• Support: Visit the TI Precision Amplifier Forum in the TI E2E™ Community to search for solutions, get help, share knowledge, and solve problems with fellow engineers and TI experts.
• Vcm vs. Vout calculator: A standalone downloadable tool for instrumentation amplifiers plots the Vcm versus Vout curve given the designer’s specific design requirements, including single- or dual-supply, gain and reference voltage.

The INA188 is available right now in a 4.9-mm-by-3.91-mm small outline integrated circuit (SOIC) package for a suggested retail price ofUS$1.85 in 1,000-unit quantities. It will soon be available in a 4-mm-by-4-mm very thin small outline no lead (WSON) package.