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An13u Apex
An13u Apex
AN13 Voltage to
Current Conversion
AN13
Voltage to Current Conversion
VOLTAGE TO CURRENT CONVERSION Several variations are possible for this basic circuit. It is not
Voltage controlled current sources (or VCCS’s) can be useful necessary to have a direct feedback connection from RS to
for applications such as active loads for use in component testing the inverting input; components can be included to raise the
or torque control for motors. Torque control is simplified since gain of the circuit. Figure 2 shows a higher gain version with
torque is a direct function of current in a motor. Current drive its equivalent transfer function. Higher gain circuits will lose
in servo loops reduces the phase lag due to motor inductance some accuracy and bandwidth, but can be easier to stabilize.
RF
and simplifies stabilizing of the loop.
Cf Rd
VCCS’s using power op amps will assume one of two
basic forms, depending on whether or not the load needs to +VS
be grounded. RI
FOR: R S << R F or R I
+VS
FIGURE 2. VCCS FOR FLOATING LOAD; INCREASED
GAIN CONFIGURATION
LOAD Cf Rd
IO
V IN RB –VS
+VS
RS I IN
V IN
IO =
RS
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STABILIZING THE FLOATING LOAD VCCS RF
RS
100
Feedback 0.5Ω
the “Improved Howland Current Pump.” It is actually a dif-
80 Response
(1/ß) ferential amplifier which senses both input signal and feedback
60
40dB/decade differentially.
40 rate of
closure Figure 7 shows a general example for this VCCS with its
20
associated transfer function.
0 R L+R S
1/ß DC Fz =
–20
2πL L RF
1 10 100 1K 10K .1M 1M 10M
FREQUENCY, F(Hz)
+VS
.5 1.0 + .5 = 4.77kHz RI
ßDC = = .333 → 1/ß = 9.5dB Fz =
1.5 2π 50µH
RS
FIGURE 5. PLOTTING FEEDBACK RESPONSES RI
IO
V IN
The intersection of the responses exhibits a combined slope –VS
RF LOAD
of 40 dB per decade, leading to ringing or outright oscillation.
Let’s refer to that point as the “critical intersection frequency.” IO =
V IN RF
Compensation for this circuit is best accomplished with an RS RI
alternate feedback path; the response of which will dominate FOR: R S << R F or R I
at the critical intersection frequency.
A good criteria for the response of the alternate feedback FIGURE 7. VCCS FOR A GROUNDED LOAD
would be: First among the special considerations for this circuit is that
1. A response which dominates by at least an order of mag- the two input resistors (RI), and the two feedback resistors
nitude (20 dB) at the critical intersection frequency. (RF), must be closely matched. Even slight mismatching will
2. The alternate feedback response should have a corner cause large errors in the transfer function and degrade the
occurring at a frequency an order of magnitude less than output impedance causing the circuit to become less of a true
the critical intersection frequency. current source.
To provide this response, the alternate feedback components As an example of the matching requirement, consider the
have been selected to provide the compensating response actual example using PA07 in Figure 8. Matching the resis-
illustrated in Figure 6. AB in Figure 6 is the dominant feedback tors as closely as tolerances permitted produced an output
path the amplifier will see in its closed loop configuration. RF impedance of 43 K ohms. A 1% mismatch reduced output
merely acts as a ground leg return impedance for the alternate impedance to 200 ohms and introduced nearly 20% error into
feedback loop, and should be a low value between 100 and the transfer function.
1000 ohms. Rd is then selected to provide the desired high This suggests that matching to better than 0.1% is required
frequency gain, and Cf is selected for the alternate feedback which is probably best accomplished with prepackaged resis-
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AN13
tor networks with excellent ratio match. The circuit of Figure current will produce 1 Amp of output current.
8 actually required a slight amount of mismatch in the two R1
(RF) resistors to compensate for mismatches elsewhere,
+VS
suggesting that the inclusion of a trimpot may be necessary I IN
to obtain maximum performance.
(MUST BE R1
RF´ TRUE I O =— I IN
R2
CURRENT
10.0007K SOURCE)
+VS –VS
R I´ IO R2
V IN 10K RS
RI PA07 Zo = IO
0.1Ω 43KΩ with
10K R*C EXACT R F, R I
VALUES FIGURE 9. CURRENT MIRROR
–VS
C*C
RF SHOWN
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Copyright © Apex Microtechnology, Inc. 2013 AUGAN13U
2013
(All Rights Reserved)
AN13U REV F