One day, I asked my friend, who is an electrical appliance mechanic, “What is the most common OP-AMP you’ve seen?” He said it is the LM358; it is shaped like a 741, while overall being better.
Inside the LM358 are two independent operational amplifiers that share a voltage supply. It has a maximum frequency response of 1MHz and has a power supply range of 3V to 32V in single supply and ±1.5V to ±16V in dual supply mode.
LM358 Dual Operational Amplifier
As mentioned above, the LM358 is a single-supply dual operational amplifier integrated circuit. It can be used in both single- and dual-supply applications and has a wide range of voltage supply, from 3V to 32V. Which means that this chip works with a 5V supply commonly used in a logic circuit.
This chip is a sister chip to the quad OP-AMP LM354; they both use the same circuit design. But whereas the LM354 has four OP-AMPs, the LM358 only has two. Furthermore, this chip is relatively better when compared to the 741, as it has significantly lower quiescent currents.
Features
- Internally frequency-compensated
- Large DC voltage gain: 100 dB
- Large output voltage swing 0 V to (VCC+ – 1.5V)
- Wide bandwidth (unity gain): 1.1 MHz (temperature compensated)
- Very low supply current per operator, essentially independent of supply voltage
- Low input bias current: 20 nA (temperature compensated)
- Low input offset voltage: 2 mV
- Low input offset current: 2 nA
- Input common-mode voltage range includes negative rails
- Differential input voltage range equal to the power supply voltage
LM358 Pinout
Specifications and Power Supplies
- Supply voltage range of +3V (±1.5V) to +32V (16V)
- Recommended operating temperature of 0°C to +70°C
- Maximum input offset voltage of 7mV
- Maximum input offset current of 50nA
- Power dissipation of 830mW for plastic DIP unit
Power Supply Configurations
When using the LM358, it is important to also use a decoupling capacitor. Normally, the decoupling capacitor is 0.01μF. For a single-supply configuration, the capacitor is added across Vcc and Vee. But for a split-supply configuration, one capacitor is placed between Vcc and ground, while the other is between Vee and ground, as shown below.
Single Power Supply Configuration
Split (Dual) Power Supply Configuration
Furthermore, always make sure to apply the supply voltage to the chip in the correct polarity or place the chip in the correct orientation. Applying a power supply with the wrong polarity will cause damage to the chip and kill it.
Applications
We use the LM358 in many applications, namely:
- Comparators
- Differential amplifiers
- Oscillators and function generators
- Active filters
- Signal conditioning
Equivalents for LM358
If the LM358 is unavailable, you could instead substitute an IC with similar functions, such as LM354, LM1458, or JRC4558.
LM358 Datasheets
Here are the datasheets for the LM358 from their manufacturers.
Example Circuits
Many circuits utilize the basic functions of an OP-AMP, and because the LM358 is a popular OP-AMP chip, many of those circuits incorporate the chip as a core component. Let’s take a look at some of these circuits to better understand this chip and how to use it.
Pulse Generator Circuit
This is a very simple oscillator or pulse generator circuit using the LM358 OP-AMP. It uses the principle of feedback current from the output to the inverting input, and the charge and discharge of C1 to control the output frequency.
Squarewave Oscillator Circuit
This square wave generator or oscillator circuit uses just a couple of components. Similar to the previous circuit, C1 and R1 control the output frequency ranges in the hundreds of kHz. A regulated power supply is recommended to power this circuit because it is sensitive to noise.
Low-Pass RC Active Filter Circuit
This is an RC-based low-pass filter circuit for the LM358 with a cutoff frequency of 1kHz. C1, C2, R1, and R2 determine the cutoff frequency of this circuit.
GET UPDATE VIA EMAIL
I always try to make Electronics Learning Easy.
Related Posts
I love electronics. I have been learning about them through creating simple electronic circuits or small projects. And now I am also having my children do the same. Nevertheless, I hope you found the experiences we shared on this site useful and fulfilling.