With the introduction of its newest current-feedback amplifier, Texas Instruments (TI) now offers the fastest 30V amplifier in the industry. Its excellent transient response makes the device ideal for communications, video and imaging applications. In addition, the amplifier operates with very low distortion making it well-suited in digital signal processing (DSP) solutions as a buffer for either an analog-to-digital converter or digital-to-analog converter.

Superior Slew Rate, Bandwidth and Distortion

The device, designated the THS3001, offers 6500V per microsecond slew rate, 420 MHz bandwidth and very low distortion of -96dB. No other amplifier on the market can match this performance.

The THS3001 also maintains a 0.1dB gain flatness to a bandwidth of 115 MHz. The combination of gain flatness, low 0.01% differential gain and 0.02ŭ differential phase make this amplifier an excellent choice for video systems.

TI manufactures the THS3001 in its high-voltage complementary bipolar (BiCom) process. Full dielectric isolation produces the deviceŭs high bandwidth and extremely fast slew rates.

The THS3001 is specified to operate over a wide range of power supply voltages from +/-4.5 V to +/-16 V.

Evaluation Modules Streamline Design

Texas Instruments also offers an evaluation module (EVM) for the THS3001. It accelerates evaluation of this high performance amplifier by providing a complete circuit, documentation and layout information that can help optimize high-speed system designs. More information about Texas Instruments' operational amplifier products is available on the World Wide Web.

This is a part that a number of design engineers that I know have been looking for a few years. It is opportune for the next generation of video projectors for digital video (DV) and I would expect to see a major number of design wins with it being used as a driver/buffer to the final DAC (where gain flatness and diff. phase and gain specs are, of course, irrelevant) and in analog use in communications products. It is the fastest 30-V amplifier that I know of.

The THS3001 is manufactured in an 8-pin SOIC, is in production, and is priced at $3.37 in 1000-piece lots.