Mechatronics, Industrial Control & Instrumentation

Single-Ended vs. Differential Amplifiers

Most often than not, the signal from the sensor in a measurement and control or monitoring system is very small (one millivolt or less) and a key step in signal conditioning is amplification. Therefore, the sensor is often connected to the input terminals of an amplifier. The amplifier in this case can either be single-ended input or differential input type.

In a single-ended input amplifier, one of its input terminals is grounded as demonstrated in Figure 1.0 below and the output is the gain constant A times the input voltage:

Single-ended Input Amplifier
Figure 1.0: Single-ended Input Amplifier – one amplifier input is grounded.

For an amplifier with a differential input, it has non-inverting and inverting input terminals as illustrated in the figure below and ideally in this case, neither of the amplifier input is grounded and the output is the differential gain Ad times the difference between the input voltages.

Figure 1.1: Differential input amplifier- neither of the two amplifier inputs are grounded.
John Mulindi

John Mulindi is an Industrial Instrumentation and Control Professional with a wide range of experience in electrical and electronics, process measurement, control systems and automation. In free time he spends time reading, taking adventure walks and watching football.

Recent Posts

Control Architectures for Smart EV Charging: Meeting NEC 2023, Demand Response, and Safety Standards

An Expert’s Guide to EV Load Management and NEC Compliance Smart EV charging control architectures…

3 weeks ago

How Residential Battery Backup Protects Your Home During Power Outages

Frequent power failures due to severe storms, aging grid infrastructure, and other unpredictable natural disasters…

4 weeks ago

How Temperature Sensors Are Transforming IoT in Smart Devices

The rise of smart devices and the Internet of Things (IoT) has revolutionised the way…

1 month ago

The Growing Importance of Battery Technology in Sustainable Energy

Battery technology has become essential to the global transition to sustainable energy, fundamentally changing transportation…

2 months ago

Hydraulic System: Function, Components, Advantages & Drawbacks  

Hydraulic systems are built in such way that they are able to move large loads…

3 months ago

The Role of Precision PCB Design in Aerospace Innovation

Image source: Unsplash Innovation in aerospace engineering is accelerating, driven by rising demands for safer,…

3 months ago