Differentiator

<p>In <a href="/facts/Electronics/E4JhgISq">electronics</a>, a differentiator is a <a href="/facts/Electrical_network/zt94kTW0">circuit</a> that outputs a <a href="/facts/Signal/41YqUJ8c">signal</a> approximately proportional to the <a href="/facts/Rate_of_change_(mathematics)/sMy2QGsK">rate of change</a> (i.e. the <a href="/facts/Derivative/7Ito70Dh">derivative</a> with respect to <a href="/facts/Time/3ShdpqLx">time</a>) of its input signal. Because the <a href="/facts/Sine_wave/mD1CB09M">derivative of a sinusoid</a> is another <a href="/facts/Sinusoid/mD1CB09M">sinusoid</a> whose amplitude is multiplied by its <a href="/facts/Frequency/QUSbPaW8">frequency</a>, a true differentiator that works across all frequencies can't be realized (as its <a href="/facts/Gain_(electronics)/CWbehg27">gain</a> would have to increase indefinitely as frequency increase). Real circuits such as a 1st-order <a href="/facts/High-pass_filter/W2G9Pbyw">high-pass filter</a> are able to approximate differentiation at lower frequencies by limiting the gain above its <a href="/facts/Cutoff_frequency/vc8veeXp">cutoff frequency</a>. An active differentiator includes an <a href="/facts/Amplifier/pnRgxncC">amplifier</a>, while a passive differentiator is made only of <a href="/facts/Resistor/JrsGReM6">resistors</a>, <a href="/facts/Capacitor/hyowqv7n">capacitors</a> and <a href="/facts/Inductor/YnfAXB3x">inductors</a>.
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Differentiator open-in-new

Differentiator