MOSFET Clamp Devices in opamp.

[findsriharsha]

Hi,

I have seen mosfet clamps in many analog circuits. Can anyone tell me what is the use of this? Does it improve the circuit recovery time if a large voltage spike appears at the input of opamp?

Thanks in advance!

 

[ZekeR]

You could be talking about two things here:
a) Clamps can be used to keep both inputs near the same value. If the op-amp saturates or current limits, the clamps shorten the recovery time.
b) You might be looking at ESD protection devices. They prevent electrostatic discharge from damaging the op-amp.

Cheers!

 

[findsriharsha]

Hi Zeker,

I was talking about point-1 you mentioned above. Can you suggest an IEEE paper or a book where I can find more information regarding this. Thanks!