National Semiconductor PowerWise LPV521 nanopower op amp

The PowerWise LPV521 nanopower op amp from National Semiconductor provides what is claimed to be the lowest power consumption at 552 nW, with guaranteed operation down to 1.6 V.

The device extends battery life in portable equipment and low power applications including wireless remote sensors, power-line monitoring and micropower oxygen and gas sensors.

It features a supply voltage range from 1.6 to 5.5 with a maximum supply current of 0.4 µA. Its wide-input, common-mode voltage range accepts input signals 100 mV beyond each rail, enabling direct connection to several sensor types.

Its maximum 1 mV input offset voltage and 3.5 µV per degree C of input offset voltage drift enable accurate and stable measurement for both high-side and low-side current sensing.

It is claimed to be the only nanopower op amp equipped with electromagnetic interference suppression filters to reduce unwanted RF interference from external sources. It is built on VIP50 BiCMOS process technology, which maximises power efficiency. The device offers a power-to-performance ratio of 65 µA per MHz.