Burr-Brown Corporation announced the OPA682 series of high speed buffer amplifiers specifically designed for video line driver applications.

High bandwidth (240MHz) and high slew rate (2100V/ıs) at a gain of +2 make this series ideal for driving matched coax lines used in video signal distribution. A fixed gain video line driver like the OPA682 delivers a wideband but precise gain of +1 to matched loads where signals must be transmitted between various pieces of video processing equipment.

"The OPA682 series provides significant performance improvement over earlier fixed gain video buffers," said Michael Steffes, strategic marketing engineer at Burr-Brown. "Higher output power to higher frequencies retains more of high frequency signal content through long cable runs. A power down feature and ultra-small SOT23-6 packaging gives the lowest total power and board space in the industry."

The dual OPA2682 features two OPA682s on a single chip. It can be used as a wideband differential receiver providing buffered differential input/outputıcritical to maintaining signal integrity in electrical noisy environments.

The triple channel OPA3682, available by the end of 1998, will provide the designer a significant reduction in board space with three line drivers in an ultra-small SSOP-16 package. The triple matches up well with the signal distribution requirements of workstation graphics RGB.

Operating on very low 6mA/channel supply current, the OPA682 series offers a slew rate and output power normally associated with a much higher supply current. A new output architecture delivers high output current with minimal headroom and crossover distortion. This gives exceptional single supply operation. Using a single +5V supply, the series can deliver a 1V to 4V output swing with over 100mA drive current and 200MHz bandwidth.

System power may be further reduced by using an optional disable control pin. Under normal operating conditions the OPA682 series uses only 6mA supply current. When the disable pin is pulled low, the supply current drops even lower to less than 200ıA/channel.

In addition to video applications, the OPA682 series lends itself to more general-purpose portable instruments, ADC buffers, and active filter applications.

This is the ideal driver amplifier for high-bandwidth video signals such as in a graphics workstation. It might seem to be a waste to use the part on 6-MHz video signals but it is priced at a level where it wouldn't upset you to do so. Bandwidth and slew rate -- at 240 MHz and 2100 V/ıs -- are both superb. The dual-channel part, the OPA2682, will either allow for a differential output or for both input and output buffering in the same general physical location on a PCB. But most users will probably wait for the three-channel part, the OPA3682, for use in single part solution for their RGB signals. That part is not yet priced but could be expected to be at about $4 in 1000-piece lots.

I would also expect to see the OPA682 used in some line buffering applications in sensor systems, particularly those systems where signals are batched for transfer to a common point, fairly common in medical applications. The OPA682 is in an SO-8 now and will also be available in a DIP-8 and SOT23-6; it is priced at $1.79 in 1000-piece lots. The OPA2682 is also in an SO-8 and is priced at $2.89 in 1000-piece lots. Both parts are in production.