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Two independent current sources with one opamp?

Electrical Engineering Asked by Bram Fran on November 28, 2021

schematic

simulate this circuit – Schematic created using CircuitLab

The above circuit delivers a predetermined current to the load:
$$i_L=-frac{u_s}{2R}$$

Is it possible to extend it, so that it does the same thing, but for two diffrent loads, while using only one opamp (and resistors)?

Basically, I am looking for a way to create two independent current sources.

2 Answers

A current mirror might work:

You can use a current mirror with 2 NPN's in the configuration shown to mirror a current. This ensures that the Load R4 has the same current as the current running through R2.

schematic

simulate this circuit – Schematic created using CircuitLab

This circuit shows what is possible (and is unfinished because I have not sized the Vcc's or the resistor). But you could make an adjustable current mirror with this circuit. The idea is the opamp adjusts M1 to create the same voltage on the negative terminal as the positive terminal, so if you have 1V on the positive terminal there will be 1V on R2 (and the current $ i = frac{v}{2R}$). If you use a mosfet for M1, make sure the gate voltage is high enough to turn on M1, this means you'd need to have a higher Vcc on the op amp to turn on the gate than the Vcc of M1 or use an NPN with an appropriately sized resistor). These circuits are hard to compensate to avoid ringing, so this circuit will need some filtering on the feedback path.

schematic

simulate this circuit

Answered by Voltage Spike on November 28, 2021

As Andy states you will need an op-amp per current source. One can simply not direct a specific current in more than one direction.

Answered by Jakob Halskov on November 28, 2021

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