Bill Pascoe
Mentor Graphics

Sources of noise in analog ICs, and the methods used to calculate the effects of this noise on larger system performance. While many articles take the viewpoint of the engineer who wants to design a low-noise amplifier with either discrete transistors or ASIC cells, this paper focuses on standard but non-ideal packaged parts. It offers a concise way to calculate the noise performance of a device or system. The result is an easy to use reference for the engineer who needs to know the effect of non-ideal ICs on overall system performance. The examples include data sheets of commercially available IC operational amplifiers.