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An ideal operational amplifier has infinite open-loop gain and input impedance, zero output impedance, unlimited response speed and zero input offset voltage and input bias current. Its input currents vanish. In a stable linear circuit with negative feedback and a finite output, its differential input voltage tends to zero as the open-loop gain tends to infinity. Thus $i_{+}=i_{-}=0$ and $v_{+}=v_{-}$ are the familiar conditional circuit rules. The equality of the input voltages cannot be imposed on an open-loop, unstable or saturated circuit.

The input offset voltage of an operational amplifier is the differential direct-current input voltage needed to make its output zero at a specified operating point. Its effect resembles a small unwanted input signal and can cause sustained output drift in an op amp integrator.

An ideal operational amplifier has infinite differential open-loop gain, infinite input impedance, zero output impedance, unlimited bandwidth and slew rate, and zero input offset voltage, input bias current and intrinsic noise. The idealized model has no finite output-swing or output-current limit.

The usual circuit rules areThe first follows from infinite input impedance. The second follows because a finite output requires $v_{+}-v_{-}=v_o/A\to 0$ as the open-loop gain tends to infinity. It is a virtual equality of potentials, not a conducting connection between the inputs. It cannot be imposed for open-loop operation or after an amplifier reaches its supply rails.

Any direct-current component of the input produces an output ramp. The input offset voltage and input bias currents of a real operational amplifier therefore charge the feedback capacitor until the output saturates. Even the desired signal can exceed the available output swing when integrated for too long. Initial capacitor charge also introduces an unknown integration constant.

Place a large resistor $R_f$ in parallel with the feedback capacitor. The idealized transfer function then becomesIts finite direct-current gain $-R_f/R$ supplies a return path and bounds the response to a small offset; it approximates $-1/(sRC)$ when $\omega R_{f}C\gg 1$. The chosen gain must still keep offsets within the output range. A reset switch across the capacitor can set the initial charge, while low-offset amplifiers, bias compensation and input offset adjustment reduce drift. Useful integration also requires frequencies below the amplifier's own response limit.

A real operational amplifier has large but finite, frequency-dependent open-loop gain; the gain falls and its phase changes at higher frequencies. Finite bandwidth and slew rate constrain small-signal and large-signal responses respectively. There are also finite input impedance and output impedance, nonzero input bias currents and input offset voltage, and internally generated noise. Offset and bias can drift with temperature.

The output is limited by the supply voltages and output-current capability, and the inputs have a permitted common-mode range. Rejection of common-mode and supply changes is finite. Consequently $v_{+}-v_{-}$ need not vanish exactly, and neither the virtual-ground approximation nor linear gain formulas apply after saturation. For the calculation below the stipulated infinite input impedance removes the input loading currents, while finite gain and optionally finite output resistance are retained.