Analysis of Output Ripple Shape and Amplitude in Chopper Instrumentation Amplifier

In this brief, we analyzed the output ripple in a capacitively-coupled chopper-based instrumentation amplifier (CCIA). Our analysis found that the shape and amplitude of the output ripple of the CCIA are determined by five design parameters, namely amplifier offset, transconductance, chopping frequency, Miller compensation capacitance, and the nulling resistor. With different design specifications, the CCIA ripple appears in four different shapes, including triangular ripple, RC-settling ripple, square ripple, and step-change ripple. These findings are verified by the silicon results. As the cause of each ripple shape varies, this analysis serves as a guideline for designing practical chopper-based amplifiers and their corresponding ripple reduction techniques.