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Op-Amp Slew Rate / Full-Power Bandwidth Calculator

Check whether an op-amp's slew rate can support a target output frequency and amplitude without distortion.

Full-power bandwidth (max undistorted frequency)
15.92 kHz
Slew rate required at your target frequency
0.628 V/µs
Verdict
Insufficient — output will be slew-rate limited

How it works

An op-amp's output can only change as fast as its slew rate (SR) allows. For a full-amplitude sine wave of peak voltage Vp at frequency f, the fastest the signal ever needs to move is at the zero crossing, where the instantaneous slope is Vp × 2πf. If that required slope exceeds the op-amp's slew rate, the output can't keep up and gets flattened into a triangle-wave-like shape instead of a clean sine — this is called slew-rate limiting or slew-induced distortion.

Setting the required slope equal to the op-amp's actual slew rate and solving for frequency gives the 'full-power bandwidth': the highest frequency at which a full-amplitude sine wave can still come out undistorted, f_max = SR ÷ (2πVp). The same relationship solved the other way, SR_required = 2πfVp, gives the minimum slew rate needed to cleanly reproduce a chosen frequency and amplitude — this is the standard full-power-bandwidth relationship found in any op-amp datasheet's slew rate section or electronics textbook.

Enter your op-amp's datasheet slew rate along with the peak amplitude and frequency you actually need, and this calculator tells you both the full-power bandwidth your slew rate supports and whether it's sufficient for your target.

FAQ

My op-amp's small-signal bandwidth is much higher than my target frequency — why would it still distort?

Small-signal (gain) bandwidth and full-power bandwidth are different limits. Small-signal bandwidth describes how fast the amplifier can respond to a small voltage change; full-power bandwidth describes how fast it can slew across its full output swing. A large-amplitude signal can hit the slew-rate limit well before it hits the small-signal bandwidth limit, so datasheets specify both separately.

How do I fix it if my slew rate is insufficient?

Either choose an op-amp with a higher slew rate, or reduce whichever of frequency or output amplitude you can — since required slew rate is proportional to both, halving the peak amplitude (or the frequency) halves the slew rate you need.

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