Minimum Slew Rate of Op-Amp
What is Slew Rate?
Slew rate is the maximum rate of change of output voltage of an op-amp.
SR = dV / dt (V/Ξs)
Minimum Slew Rate Formula
To avoid distortion:
SRmin = 2Ï f Vpeak
- f = frequency of signal
- Vpeak = peak output voltage
Why This Matters
- If slew rate is too low, output cannot follow input
- Signal becomes distorted (triangular instead of sine)
Example
Given:
- f = 20 kHz
- Vpeak = 10 V
SRmin = 2Ï × 20000 × 10 ≈ 1.26 V/Ξs
Required slew rate ≥ 1.26 V/Ξs
Typical Values
- General-purpose op-amp (LM741): ~0.5 V/Ξs
- Audio op-amps: 5–20 V/Ξs
- High-speed op-amps: 100+ V/Ξs
Summary
The minimum slew rate depends on signal frequency and amplitude. It must be greater than SRmin to avoid distortion.