1/7/22, 10:00 AM Comparators

Comparators

A comparator is an electronic circuit, which compares the two inputs that are applied to it and
produces an output. The output value of the comparator indicates which of the inputs is greater or
lesser. Please note that comparator falls under non-linear applications of ICs.
An op-amp consists of two input terminals and hence an op-amp based comparator compares the
two inputs that are applied to it and produces the result of comparison as the output. This chapter
discusses about op-amp based comparators.

Types of Comparators
Comparators are of two types : Inverting and Non-inverting. This section discusses about these
two types in detail.

Inverting Comparator

An inverting comparator is an op-amp based comparator for which a reference voltage is applied
to its non-inverting terminal and the input voltage is applied to its inverting terminal. This
comparator is called as inverting comparator because the input voltage, which has to be
compared is applied to the inverting terminal of op-amp.
The circuit diagram of an inverting comparator is shown in the following figure.

https://www.tutorialspoint.com/linear_integrated_circuits_applications/linear_integrated_circuits_applications_comparators.htm 1/8
1/7/22, 10:00 AM Comparators

The operation of an inverting comparator is very simple. It produces one of the two values,
+
+VVs
saat
t
and −
−VVs
saat
t
at the output based on the values of its input voltage V
Vii and the

reference voltage V
Vrre
eff
.

The output value of an inverting comparator will be −

−VVs
saat
t
, for which the input V
Vii

voltage is greater than the reference voltage V

Vrre
eff
.

The output value of an inverting comparator will be +

+VVs
saat
t
, for which the input V
Vii is

less than the reference voltage V

Vrre
eff
.

Example

Let us draw the output wave form of an inverting comparator, when a sinusoidal input signal and a
reference voltage of zero volts are applied to its inverting and non-inverting terminals respectively.

The operation of the inverting comparator shown above is discussed below −

During the positive half cycle of the sinusoidal input signal, the voltage present at the
inverting terminal of op-amp is greater than zero volts. Hence, the output value of the
inverting comparator will be equal to −
−VVs
saat
t
during positive half cycle of the sinusoidal

input signal.

https://www.tutorialspoint.com/linear_integrated_circuits_applications/linear_integrated_circuits_applications_comparators.htm 2/8
1/7/22, 10:00 AM Comparators

Similarly, during the negative half cycle of the sinusoidal input signal, the voltage present
at the inverting terminal of the op-amp is less than zero volts. Hence, the output value of
the inverting comparator will be equal to +
+VVs
saat
t
during negative half cycle of the

sinusoidal input signal.

The following figure shows the input and output waveforms of an inverting comparator, when the
reference voltage is zero volts.

In the figure shown above, we can observe that the output transitions either from −
−VVs
saat
t
to

+
+VVs
saat
t
or from +
+VVs
saat
t
to −
−VVs
saat
t
whenever the sinusoidal input signal is crossing zero volts.

In other words, output changes its value when the input is crossing zero volts. Hence, the above
circuit is also called as inverting zero crossing detector.

Non-Inverting Comparator

https://www.tutorialspoint.com/linear_integrated_circuits_applications/linear_integrated_circuits_applications_comparators.htm 3/8
1/7/22, 10:00 AM Comparators

A non-inverting comparator is an op-amp based comparator for which a reference voltage is

applied to its inverting terminal and the input voltage is applied to its non-inverting terminal. This
op-amp based comparator is called as non-inverting comparator because the input voltage, which
has to be compared is applied to the non-inverting terminal of the op-amp.

The circuit diagram of a non-inverting comparator is shown in the following figure

The operation of a non-inverting comparator is very simple. It produces one of the two values,

+
+VVs
saat
t
and −
−VVs
saat
t
at the output based on the values of input voltage V
Vtt and the reference

voltage +
+VVr
reef
f
.

The output value of a non-inverting comparator will be +

+VVs
saat
t
, for which the input

voltage V
Vii is greater than the reference voltage +
+VVr
reef
f
.

The output value of a non-inverting comparator will bee −

−VVs
saat
t
, for which the input

voltage V
Vii is less than the reference voltage +
+VVr
reef
f
.

Example

Let us draw the output wave form of a non-inverting comparator, when a sinusoidal input signal
and reference voltage of zero volts are applied to the non-inverting and inverting terminals of the
op-amp respectively.

https://www.tutorialspoint.com/linear_integrated_circuits_applications/linear_integrated_circuits_applications_comparators.htm 4/8
1/7/22, 10:00 AM Comparators

The operation of a non-inverting comparator is explained below −

During the positive half cycle of the sinusoidal input signal, the voltage present at the
non-inverting terminal of op-amp is greater than zero volts. Hence, the output value of a
non-inverting comparator will be equal to +
+VVs
saat
t
during the positive half cycle of the

sinusoidal input signal.

Similarly, during the negative half cycle of the sinusoidal input signal, the voltage present
at the non-inverting terminal of op-amp is less than zero volts. Hence, the output value of
non-inverting comparator will be equal to −
−VVs
saat
t
during the negative half cycle of the

sinusoidal input signal.

The following figure shows the input and output waveforms of a non-inverting comparator, when
the reference voltage is zero volts.

https://www.tutorialspoint.com/linear_integrated_circuits_applications/linear_integrated_circuits_applications_comparators.htm 5/8
1/7/22, 10:00 AM Comparators

From the figure shown above, we can observe that the output transitions either from +
+VVs
saat
t
to

−
−VVs
saat
t
or from −
−VVs
saat
t
to +
+VVs
saat
t
whenever the sinusoidal input signal crosses zero volts.

That means, the output changes its value when the input is crossing zero volts. Hence, the above
circuit is also called as non-inverting zero crossing detector.

Useful Video Courses

Video

Linear Equation

https://www.tutorialspoint.com/linear_integrated_circuits_applications/linear_integrated_circuits_applications_comparators.htm 6/8
1/7/22, 10:00 AM Comparators

17 Lectures 1 hours
Megha Aggarwal

More Detail

Video

Linear Programming

15 Lectures 1 hours
Ridhi Arora

More Detail

Video

Linear Regression Analysis In R - Machine Learning Basics

54 Lectures 6 hours

Abhishek And Pukhraj

More Detail

Video

Easy Statistics: Linear And Non-Linear Regression

49 Lectures 2.5 hours

F Buscha

https://www.tutorialspoint.com/linear_integrated_circuits_applications/linear_integrated_circuits_applications_comparators.htm 7/8
1/7/22, 10:00 AM Comparators

More Detail

https://www.tutorialspoint.com/linear_integrated_circuits_applications/linear_integrated_circuits_applications_comparators.htm 8/8