The Op Amp Challenge is Ramping Up

Whether you're into math, music, or microphones, op amps are your analog friend. [Digi-Key is a proud sponsor of the 2023 Hackaday Prize]( [3602421454791242043.png] Wednesday, April 26, 2023 [Adjustable Voltage Reference Goes From 0 to 9.99 VDC In 5 ms »]( Analog Challenge Sees Wave of Early Entries While there's still plenty of time to enter the [2023 Op Amp Challenge]( these kinds of projects can take a fair bit of doing. The good news is that you have until June 6th to enter to win one of three $150 Digi-Key shopping sprees, or else place in one of our Honorable Mention categories: Hyper-Precise: If your project calls for, and realizes, high analog precision, we’ll consider it here. Miniscule offset voltages? Ultra-low input current? Crazy slew rates? Show off your most demanding applications here. Oddballs: This is the category for those of you who want to stretch out and try to make op-amps do things that they’re not normally meant to do. We’ve seen them used as motor drivers, for instance. We’ve also seen our share of magic smoke. What’s the strangest op amp circuit? We want to see it. The Classics: This is the opposite of the oddballs; here, an op amp fits like a glove. Show the folks who are new to designing with op amps where their power lies. Of course we expect to see traditional op-amp circuits here, but surprise us! [2023 Opt Amp Challenge]( Not too familiar with the ups and downs of analog? Op amps are good for all kinds of signal conditioning, filtering, and mathematical operations. In fact, this is pretty much why they're called operational amplifiers. So if you're not quite sure what to do, you might make an analog computer, even if it only converts Celsius to Fahrenheit. You could also make a sweet microphone, or create an op amp itself. Still not inspired? Check out some of the early entries below. If you don't want negative feedback from the judges (kidding!), make sure your project either uses an op amp of some kind, or else results in one. Oh, a reminder -- Round 2 of the [2023 Hackaday Prize]( kicked off yesterday. Show us what you can do to make people's lives easier! Highlights from the IO POPULAR BITS [project thumbnail]( [Build a VCF From the Ground Up]( Ordinary transimpedance amplifiers (TIAs)? Naw. Operational transconductance amplifiers (OTAs) are where it's at. TIAs are just an impedance, while OTAs are voltage-controlled current sources. Use discrete transistors to build your own op amp! [project thumbnail]( [Light-Up Breadboard Glows Based On Voltage]( Each of the 60 lines that make up this homemade breadboard are attached to an op amp underneath that isolates and buffers the signal, then sends it to a red LED on the surface, which glows accordingly. [project thumbnail]( [Listen To Your Voltages With a Beeper Box]( This is a battery-powered test rig that converts voltages and impedances to audible tones in the range of 200Hz to 1.6kHz. And to top it off, the batteries should last a couple of years. Hack Chat LIVE CHAT WITH LEADING EXPERTS EVERY WEDNESDAY You Should Host a Hack Chat! If you've been thinking about hosting a Hack Chat, here's your chance. Do you work in an interesting field that people would love to hear about? Do you have a cool project you're working on? Or maybe there's just something you'd like to discuss? Then host a Hack Chat! Check out [our FAQ]( for all the details. And if there's someone you're just dying to see on the Hack Chat, let us know and we'll try to make it happen. [Send us your ideas](mailto:tips@hackaday.com?subject=Hack Chat Tip) and we'll see what we can do. Featured Projects POPULAR BITS [Measure Video Input Delay With an Op Amp and a Photodiode]( [Multislope ADC Does it With Precision Op Amps and a Pico]( [Triggered Sound Generator Sounds Like The Cat's Meow]( [Analog Oscillator-less Octave-Down Effect Box Does the Math]( Live Events MEETUPS, CONFERENCES AND WORKSHOPS [OSHW Summit 2023 - Apr. 28 - 29]( This year's Open Source Hardware Summit will be held in New York, both remotely and in person. More details to come. [twitter]( [facebook]( [instagram]( [Terms of Use]( [Privacy Policy]( [Hackaday.io]( [Hackaday.com]( This email was sent to {EMAIL} [why did I get this?]( [unsubscribe from this list]( [update subscription preferences]( Hackaday · 61 South Fair Oaks Avenue · Suite 200 · Pasadena, CA 91105 · USA