# An inverter gate reduces the peak-to-peak of the signal!

Using a HCF4049 to invert a signal, I simply fed the input to one of its not-gates and got its output. Here is the result:

The highlighted red lines is the output of the not-gate. (Yep! my analogue oscilloscope can display colors, it knows how to use my laptop ;D )

The output signal has a smaller peak-to-peak value! Both channels are set to 2 volt/div. So the output's peak-to-peak voltage is about 0.4 to 0.6 volts less than the input. Why?

I switched the probes and also the channels to check if there is any problem with the oscilloscope calibration. But got the same result.

If it is important, here is the original circuit (the link to schematics is in the middle of the page.)

This is my modified version. I have added A4, and the CH1 and CH2 are where the probes are.

To check the oscilloscope accuracy, here the CH1 is connected to 5V and the CH2 is the output as before:

• What's connected to the output of A4 (READ)? If (a decent amount of) current is sunk, than that's the explanation. If not, note the datasheet (Electrical characteristics) only defines the minimum output $V_{OH}$, no typical value. So, deviations on typical values may be the explanation. Try the 2 other NOT gates and check if you see the same behaviour. – Huisman Apr 6 at 11:57
• Try adding a 0.1 uF capacitor from Vcc to ground. – Blair Fonville Apr 6 at 13:01
• A 741 op amp powered with +5V only? Unbelievable! That schematic appears to have multiple errors. What is the actual op amp part number? Can you show us the waveform at its output? – Bruce Abbott Apr 7 at 0:24
• @Sohail The LEDs wont light up when they are conneted as shown in the schematics above. Did you swap them to the correct polarity and do you see LED2 burning sometimes? Did you add a resistor in series with LED2? If your answers are resp. yes, yes and no, then driving LED2 is likely the cause of the problem. – Huisman Apr 7 at 12:37
• @Huisman Great! You are right! the LEDs didn't light up when I first assembled the circuit on bread-board. I simply thought it was my mistake and swapped them to match the GND and VCC, and they work. I didn't guess that maybe the schematic were wrong! I didn't add a resistor, and none of the LEDs have been burnt out yet. – Sohail Apr 9 at 10:15

• @BlairFonville: But the point is, it doesn't! The datasheet only specifies a minimum level for $V_{OH}$ and a maximum level for $V_{OL}$, which are clearly being met. (Curiously, the TI datasheet doesn't specify the load current for these values.) – Dave Tweed Apr 6 at 13:41
• @DaveTweed Blue line peak-to-peak is 2.2div, so 4.4V. So, I wonder if the level for $V_{OH}$ is clearly met. – Huisman Apr 6 at 18:57