Increasing Voltage Compliance with iDAC and Current Mirror

Tip / Sign in to post questions, reply, level up, and achieve exciting badges. Know more

cross mob
Anonymous
Not applicable

 I want to create a 0-100uA constant current pulse with 20V compliance for use as biological stimulation device. I was originally planning to use a VDAC and an external voltage-controled current source to generate the current pulse. I then thought about simply using an iDAC and current mirror, but i've never used a current mirror. I think that the 

   

 

   

Do you guys think the iDAC + current mirror would be a better choice than the VDAC + current converter?

0 Likes
17 Replies
ETRO_SSN583
Level 9
Level 9
250 likes received 100 sign-ins 5 likes given

I used that method in the past do get increased dynamic range in a

   

LV situation, 3.3V operation, and was very effective at removing the

   

complience issues on the input side of the mirror. In your case you

   

also get the HV ability on the output side of the current mirror. The

   

obvious challenges are transistor matching, linearity, etc.....

   

 

   

Sink mirrors easiest, source a little more challenging because of the effects

   

of Vdd, or high side reference effects on mirror equations.

   

 

   

There is a lot of info on web, just goggle "current mirror design", you

   

will be reading well into the next century.

   

 

   

Regards, Dana.

0 Likes
ETRO_SSN583
Level 9
Level 9
250 likes received 100 sign-ins 5 likes given

As far as topology, one of the simplest looks like -

   

 

   

   

You should do an error analysis to see if your goals are met.

   

 

   

Regards, Dana.

0 Likes
ETRO_SSN583
Level 9
Level 9
250 likes received 100 sign-ins 5 likes given

A good reference on mirrors -

   

 

   

http://highered.mcgraw-hill.com/sites/dl/free/0070601623/337358/jae20990_ch16.pdf

   

 

   

Regards, Dana.

0 Likes
lock attach
Attachments are accessible only for community members.
Anonymous
Not applicable

 Thanks for the info. I'm aware of transitor matching issues, but I am currently find an integrated current mirror IC. Don't know if that will help.

   

The images you posted are similar to my voltage controled current source (see pic). However I can't seem to choose the correct transistor. All my simulations are failing when my load gets above above a certain point, but within voltage compliance.

   

Also, I'm considering usinga switching scheme or current steering scheme to change current  direction withing the load. That will allow me to use one topology. 

   

Would you prefer the VDAC + voltage controled current source over the iDAC + current mirror solution?

0 Likes
ETRO_SSN583
Level 9
Level 9
250 likes received 100 sign-ins 5 likes given

My inclination would be to use IDAC with a Wilson current mirror.

   

 

   

   

 

   

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilson_current_mirror

   

 

   

Regards, Dana.

0 Likes

Hello,

I am trying to achieve something similar for a DC application: 0~100 uA with ~20V compliance voltage. For the suggested Wilson current mirror below, how should the iDAC be connected. Are there any specific BJT models to recommend?

0 Likes
Anonymous
Not applicable

 What components would you choose to implement that  solution? I'd like to use IDAC with a minimum of ceremony to stimulate brain slices but I don't know what's available... Cheers

0 Likes
ETRO_SSN583
Level 9
Level 9
250 likes received 100 sign-ins 5 likes given

In the wilson current mirror shown Q1 and Q2 would like to be

   

matched. ON Semi and Fairchild have matched transistor pairs

   

that make this easy. Pretty much all with Vcesus > 20 V.

   

 

   

Regards, Dana.

0 Likes
lock attach
Attachments are accessible only for community members.
Anonymous
Not applicable

Ok. I'm back the the current mirror problems. 🙂 I've has some success using the opamp solutions that dana posted. I would like eliminate the need for any opamp and use a wilson or cascoded current mirror with an IDAC as the reference current. My application requrires that I use a + and -12V referenced to gnd as seen in the attached images. I can only get the current sink design with P-mosfets to work only if I use 3.3V as the common voltage and not 12V. 
 

   

Question: How can I impliment a 12V source and sink current mirror using the internal IDAC (see image) ?

   

FYI: Here's a good artical with some useful IDAC info: http://www.cypress.com/?docID=42985

0 Likes
Anonymous
Not applicable

 Not sure that the image imported correctly. Here it is again.

0 Likes
Anonymous
Not applicable

 Last try with the image. Please read above post to help me answer my question. 

   

 

   

0 Likes
ETRO_SSN583
Level 9
Level 9
250 likes received 100 sign-ins 5 likes given

Some questions -

   

 

   

1) How much complience do you need to design to ? Reason I ask

   

is PMOSFETs high threshold will eat into that margin. Plus their effective

   

Gm << Bipolar, read impact on current regulation.

   

 

   

2) Does load have to be grounded, can it accomidate CM voltage, eg float ?

   

 

   

3) Is this a DC design ? If not what is the AC performance you need out of the Isource ?

   

 

   

Regards, Dana.

0 Likes
Anonymous
Not applicable

 With the current mirror, what would be the voltage applied to the DAC output pin?

0 Likes
ETRO_SSN583
Level 9
Level 9
250 likes received 100 sign-ins 5 likes given

In the case of bipolar Wilson sink that is 2 * Vbe above ground, source mirror 2 * Vbe

   

below Vdd rail of the source mirror.

   

 

   

In case of MOSFET Wilson it is ~ 2 * Vth off either rail, drains in saturatiion mode.

   

 

   

Regards, Dana.

0 Likes
lock attach
Attachments are accessible only for community members.
Anonymous
Not applicable

Dana:

   

 

   

1. I'd like to have +-10V compliance on the load with -100uA to 100uA. The MOSFET's i'm looking at using are matched pairs from Advanced Linear Devices. Both the P and N have 0.7V Vth. They offer N's with 0V Vth. 

   

 

   

2. The load must be grounded. The load is biological tissue and I will be simultaneously recording from. I could bias the ground to mid supply, but I didn't want to alter my current recording design too much. It's easier to add a -12V supply.

   

 

   

3. This is not a DC design. I'm delivering "square" pulses of current with amplitudes up to -100uA or 100uA with 0.5-1ms duration. The rise and fall time of the wave aren't too critical, but < 50us would be best.

   

 

   

 

   

HL: The voltage at the pins would be 12V-2*0.7V=10.6V. Which is too much for the PSoC pins. Thus, this is the reason I'm looking for an alternative solution.

   

 

   

I'm attaching an alternative design that I've been playing around with in simulations. Also using ALD matched pair MOSFETS.

0 Likes
Anonymous
Not applicable

 thanks Jram, that's what I was wondering. 

0 Likes
ETRO_SSN583
Level 9
Level 9
250 likes received 100 sign-ins 5 likes given

The ALD parts pretty interesting, I was not aware of them.

   

 

   

Looks like overall accuracy will be largely governed by gm mismatc in the mirrors. I would

   

be curious to know how your spice sims work out regarding this. However the PSOC IDAC

   

has a 5% error.  But PSOC reference is good to .1%. You could either run a cal routine with

   

DelSig to alleviate this or use a Vref derived I source/sink, instead of IDAC. Decision governed

   

by doing an end to end error analysis to see if it meets your goals.

   

 

   

I assume you will be measuring the Vload having excited tissue with Iload. If you are using

   

PSOC that of course will violate CM range for pins / A/D, eg. complience needed at load.

   

Looks like isolated diff amp possibility, gets rid of ground CM as well. Analog Devices

   

comes to mind.

   

 

   

Very interesting design.

   

 

   

Regards, Dana.

0 Likes