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    Current Source

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    Nirmal Kumar Pandey
    This document discusses different types of current sources used in integrated circuits. It describes a simple two-transistor current source circuit where a reference current drives the first transistor as a diode, which then drives the second transistor to mirror the input current. Another circuit described is the Widlar current source, which uses two matched transistors and resistors to provide a constant output current determined by the resistor ratio, independent of temperature and process variations. An example is provided to design a Widlar current source to output 3 microamps given specific parameter values.

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    Current Source

    Uploaded by

    Nirmal Kumar Pandey
    100 views3 pages
    This document discusses different types of current sources used in integrated circuits. It describes a simple two-transistor current source circuit where a reference current drives the first transistor as a diode, which then drives the second transistor to mirror the input current. Another circuit described is the Widlar current source, which uses two matched transistors and resistors to provide a constant output current determined by the resistor ratio, independent of temperature and process variations. An example is provided to design a Widlar current source to output 3 microamps given specific parameter values.

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    This document discusses different types of current sources used in integrated circuits. It describes a simple two-transistor current source circuit where a reference current drives the first transistor as a diode, which then drives the second transistor to mirror the input current. Another circuit described is the Widlar current source, which uses two matched transistors and resistors to provide a constant output current determined by the resistor ratio, independent of temperature and process variations. An example is provided to design a Widlar current source to output 3 microamps given specific parameter values.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    100 views3 pages

    Current Source

    Uploaded by

    Nirmal Kumar Pandey
    This document discusses different types of current sources used in integrated circuits. It describes a simple two-transistor current source circuit where a reference current drives the first transistor as a diode, which then drives the second transistor to mirror the input current. Another circuit described is the Widlar current source, which uses two matched transistors and resistors to provide a constant output current determined by the resistor ratio, independent of temperature and process variations. An example is provided to design a Widlar current source to output 3 microamps given specific parameter values.

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    8/24/2014 Lecture 33

    http://www.nptel.ac.in/courses/Webcourse-contents/IIT-ROORKEE/BASIC-ELECTRONICS/lecturers/lecture_33/lecture33_page1.htm 1/3
    Lecture - 33: Current Sources
    Current Sources
    There are different methods of simulating a dc current source for integrated circuit amplifier biasing. One type
    of current source used to provide a fixed current is the fixed bias transistor circuit. The problem with this type
    of current source is that it requires too many resistors to be practically implemented on IC. The resistors in
    the following circuits are small and easy to fabricate on IC chips. When the current source is used to replace
    a large resistor the Thevenin resistance of the current source is the equivalent resistance value.
    A simple current source
    The simple two transistor current source shown in fig. 1 is commonly used in ICs.
    Fig. 1
    A reference current is the input to a transistor connected as a diode. The voltage across this transistor drives
    the second transistor, where R
    E
    = 0. Since the circuit has only one resistor, it can be easily fabricated on an
    IC chip.
    The disadvantage of this circuit is that the reference current is approximately equal to the current source. In
    this circuit, Q
    2
    is in linear mode, since the collector voltage (output) is higher than the base voltage. The
    transistor Q
    1
    and Q
    2
    are identical devices fabricated on the same IC chip. The emitter currents are equal
    since the transistors are matched and emitters and bases are in parallel. If we sum the currents of Q
    2
    , we
    obtain.
    I
    B
    + I
    C
    =I
    E
    So
    Summing currents at the collector of Q
    1
    we obtain
    If is large, the current gain is approximately unity and the current mirror has reproduced the input current.
    One disadvantage of this current source is that its Thevenin resistance (R
    TH
    ) is limited by the r o (1 / h
    oe
    ) of
    the transistor. That is
    8/24/2014 Lecture 33
    http://www.nptel.ac.in/courses/Webcourse-contents/IIT-ROORKEE/BASIC-ELECTRONICS/lecturers/lecture_33/lecture33_page1.htm 2/3
    Widlar Current Source
    Large resistors are often required to maintain small currents of the order of few A and these large resistors
    occupy correspondingly large areas on the IC chip. It is therefore, desirable to replace these large resistors
    with current sources. One such device is the Widlar current source as shown in fig. 2.
    The two transistors are assumed perfectly matched. For the
    base circuit,
    (E-4)
    For a forward biased base-emitter junction diode, the emitter
    current is given by
    Since i
    E
    i
    C
    = I
    C
    and n = 1
    and (E-5)
    Fig. 2
    Substituting V
    BE1
    and V
    BE2
    from (E-5) to (E-4), we get
    (E-6)
    We have assumed that both the transistors are matched so that I
    CO
    , and V
    T
    are the same for both the
    transistors. Thus
    Hence, (E-7)
    where, (E-8)
    For design purposes, I
    C1
    is usually known since it is used as the reference for all current sources on the
    entire chip and I
    C2
    is t he desired output current. The Widlar circuit can also be used to simulate a high
    resistance.
    Example-1
    Design a Widlar current source to provide a constant current source of 3 A with V
    CC
    = 12V, R
    1
    = 50 kO,
    8/24/2014 Lecture 33
    http://www.nptel.ac.in/courses/Webcourse-contents/IIT-ROORKEE/BASIC-ELECTRONICS/lecturers/lecture_33/lecture33_page1.htm 3/3
    =100 and V
    BE
    = 0.7V
    Solution:
    The circuit is given in fig.2 . Applying KVL to the Q
    1
    transistor we get,
    Using the equation (E-7) we can calculate R
    2
    or R
    2
    = 36 k
    GOTO >> 1 || 2 || 3 || Home

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