Instrumentational Amplifier - CMRR

Dritech

Joined Sep 21, 2011
869
Hi. There are instrumentation amplifiers with different dB values. Can someone please explain in simple words what the dB value really means in an instrumentation amplifier?
I have read several articles, but I cannot really understand its function.

Papabravo

Joined Feb 24, 2006
14,460
There are two things to understand, dB and CMRR. Whenever something is measured in dB, it means that two things are being compared. In the case of the instrumentation amplifier I believe it is any common mode signal on the differential inputs to the output. If we have a common mode signal, of magnitude 1 Volt, and we want to know how much of that one volt signal might show up in the output we can look at the CMRR (Common Mode Rejection Ratio) for the answer. Suppose the number quoted is 70 dB.

$$-70 dB=20 \cdot log( \frac{v_o}{1} ) -70/20=log( \frac{v_o}{1} ) 10 ^{-70/20} = v_o vo = 316.2 \; \mu volts$$

The minus sign is because you are comparing a small output voltage $$v_o$$ to 1 volt. The logarithm of a number less than 1 is always negative.

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