Rail Splitter, from Abraham Lincoln to Virtual Ground

Abstract: Rail splitting is creating an artificial virtual ground as a reference voltage. It is used to set the signal to match the op amp's "sweet spot." An op amp has the most linear- and distortion-free qualities at that sweet spot. Typically, the sweet spot occurs near the center between the single power rail and ground. In the case of a number of signals, the virtual ground can control channel DC errors when multiplexing or switching the signals
Maxim > App Notes > Audio Circuits General Engineering Topics Power-Supply Circuits

Keywords: Op Amps, Virtual Ground, Rail Splitter, multiplexer, MUX, voltage divider, sensor conditioning, Dec 19, 2008
precision resistor, digital pots, potentiometer, resistance, single power supply, center, matching-bias,
reference, channel offset, settling time, error

APPLICATION NOTE 4344
Rail Splitter, from Abraham Lincoln to Virtual Ground
By: Bill Laumeister

Abstract: Rail splitting is creating an artificial virtual ground as a reference voltage. It is used to set the signal
to match the op amp's "sweet spot." An op amp has the most linear- and distortion-free qualities at that sweet
spot. Typically, the sweet spot occurs near the center between the single power rail and ground. In the case