label: PCB layout,printed circuit board
Op amp circuitry is analog circuitry, and is very different from digital circuitry. It must be partitioned in its own section of the board, using special layout techniques. Printed circuit board effects become most apparent in high-speed analog circuits, but common mistakes described in this chapter can even affect the performance of audio circuits.
The purpose of this chapter is to discuss some of the more common mistakes made by designers and how they degrade performance, and provide simple fixes to avoid the problems. In all but very rare cases, the PCB layout for analog circuitry must be designed such that the effect of the PCB is transparent to the circuit. Any effect caused by the PCB itself should be minimized, so that the operation of the analog circuitry in production will be the same as the performance of the design and prototype.
