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Tommino
Associate III
February 5, 2025
Question

Precision voltage reference with low 1/f noise

  • February 5, 2025
  • 4 replies
  • 2055 views

Hi all,

 

I am looking for two voltage references to produce two rails ( positive and negative) with low frequency noise.

The voltage reference does not need to have a tight output voltage accuracy and long term precision. It needs to be stable over a 1minute period and this is why I am looking for low 1/f noise.

The application is shown in this circuit and I need to get these two references to supply the voltage divider. So far I was supplying the divider with the same +/-5V used for the amplifiers and taken from two linear voltage  regulators ( L78L05ACUTR for the +5V L79L05ACUTR for the -5V): with this setup I get too much noise at the output of the second amplifier which can amplify up to a factor x57.  This noise is not coming from the opamp ( is a low noise opamp from a competitor OPA4205) or the input at pin3 which has been already proven to be noise-free.

 

Immagine 2025-02-05 123152.jpg

 Can you recommend a couple of possible IC to produce two stable references from the +/-5V already present in the circuit? Ideally the ICs should have fixed output at 3 or 4V and be low-cost. The 1/f integrated noise over 0.1Hz-10Hz as low as possible.

 

Best regards

4 replies

Uwe Bonnes
Chief
February 5, 2025

78xx is not meant for low noise. Look for low noise regulators. B.t.w., there is no "noise-free", there is only (ultra) low noise.

Tommino
TomminoAuthor
Associate III
February 5, 2025

Hi Uwe,

Sure I meant "noise-free" for my application :)

Do you know pin to pin replacement of

"L78L05ACUTR for the +5V L79L05ACUTR for the -5V"

for low-noise regulators?

Uwe Bonnes
Chief
February 5, 2025

Ask a search engine first, or look on the ST. TI. Analog Devices, etc web page.

Tommino
TomminoAuthor
Associate III
February 5, 2025

Ok sure. I would like also to wait for some other comment from ST engineers

 

Jack3
Senior
October 9, 2025
RobK1
Associate II
October 9, 2025

"Noise as low as possible" and "low cost" are mutually exclusive requirements, you do realise that?

 

TI's REF35xx series is, to my knowledge, the best compromise between the two.

Jack3
Senior
October 9, 2025

Availability is also something to consider.