Current amplifier

The invention relates to a current amplifier comprising an input terminal (1) for receiving an input current, an output terminal (2) for supplying an output current, a first transistor (T1) having a base-emitter junction coupled to the input terminal, and a second transistor (T2) having a collector...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors WIEGERINK, REMCO JOHN, SEEVINCK, EVERT
Format Patent
LanguageEnglish
French
German
Published 07.03.1990
Subjects
AMPLIFIERS
BASIC ELECTRONIC CIRCUITRY
CONTROLLING
ELECTRICITY
PHYSICS
REGULATING
SYSTEMS FOR REGULATING ELECTRIC OR MAGNETIC VARIABLES
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Summary:The invention relates to a current amplifier comprising an input terminal (1) for receiving an input current, an output terminal (2) for supplying an output current, a first transistor (T1) having a base-emitter junction coupled to the input terminal, and a second transistor (T2) having a collector coupled to the output terminal and having 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 being arranged in parallel with the base-emitter junction of the first transistor, the first transistor being of the NPN conductivity type and the second transistor being of the PNP conductivity type. The low internal series resistor of the NPN transistor T1 allows a comparatively large input current Iin, so that the attenuated output current (Iout) is a linear function of the input current over a wide range. This results in a current-sourcing attenuating current mirror having a far better linearity than a current amplifier in which the first and the second transistor are both of the PNP conductivity type.
Bibliography:Application Number: EP19890202102