Gain for a classic 3-op-amp instrumentation amplifier — sensor front-ends, bridge readout
Mode
Result
Gain
—
Output Voltage
—
Formula: Gain = 1 + 2R/Rgain — the standard 3-op-amp instrumentation amplifier topology: two matched
input-buffer op-amps (each with feedback resistor R) feeding a unity-gain difference amplifier, with a single external
resistor Rgain between the two input buffers' inverting nodes setting the overall gain. This differs from a plain
op-amp difference amplifier by offering very high input impedance on both inputs and excellent common-mode rejection,
which is why it's the standard front-end for bridge sensors, thermocouples, and other low-level differential signals.
(Purpose-built INA ICs like the AD620/INA128 use this same topology internally with their own fixed R — check the specific
IC's datasheet for its exact gain-resistor formula if you're using one of those instead of discrete op-amps.)