Current amplifier

Details Current amplifier Current amplifier

1989-08-11

1990-12-25

Mullins, James B.

Amplifiers

With semiconductor amplifying device

Including current mirror amplifier

323315, H03F 304

Patent

active

049806505

ABSTRACT:
A current amplifier has an input terminal (1) for receiving an input current and an output terminal (2) for supplying an output current. A first transistor (T.sub.1) has a base-emitter junction coupled to the input terminal and a second transistor (T.sub.2) has a collector coupled to the output terminal and an emitter arranged in series with a voltage source (4). The series arrangement of the voltage source and the base-emitter junction of the second transistor is arranged in parallel with the base-emitter junction of the first transistor. The first transistor is of the NPN conductivity type and the second transistor is of the PNP conductivity type. The low internal series resistance of the NPN transistor T.sub.1 develops a relatively small voltage drop so that the attenuated output current (I.sub.out) is a linear function of the input current over a wide range of input currents. This results in a current-sourcing attenuating current mirror having a far better linearity than a current amplifier in which the first and second transistors are both of the PNP conductivity type.

REFERENCES:
patent: 3829789 (1974-08-01), Mulder
patent: 4771227 (1988-09-01), Nelson
Van Kessel, "A New Bipolar Reference Current Source", IEEE Journal of Solid-State Circuits, vol. SC-21, No. 4, Aug. 1986, pp. 561-567.

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