Boooost That Signal: Elantec's Low-Noise Op-Amps

You can turn up the volume on your radio, but that doesn't make the signal any clearer. In other applications, silicon filters and boosters can be put to use to make digital signals not only stronger, but clearer. Elantec just introduced two new dual, low-noise op-amplifiers that they think can help you see (or hear) through the haze. The EL2227C and the EL2228C are designed to boost weak signals in apps like communications and medical imaging. The EL2227C has a voltage noise specification of 1.9nV/rt-Hz and a current noise specification of only 1.2pA/rt-Hz. It features a bandwidth of 115MHz and has a minimum gain of 2. The EL2228C is specified with a voltage noise of 4.9nV/rt-Hz, a current noise of 1.2pA/rt-Hz, 80MHz bandwidth and is suitable for applications with a minimum gain of 1. Both amplifiers get jiggy with supplies from +/-2.5V to +/-12V. Elantec says the amps can help out in applications such as ultrasound, where they can be used to amplify weak signals received from the image sensor (is it a boy or a girl?). In communications apps, such as DSL and optical networking, they can be used to amplify low voltage signals. The EL2227C and EL2228C are priced at $2.13 in 1,000-piece quantities. Both are available in the 8-pin SOIC and the 8-pin MSOP packages. Maybe they'll put the gadgets into radios so that I can get a clearer signal from KPIG . Not sure about the programming, but the call letters are cool.