From: Jan Panteltje on
On a sunny day (Thu, 24 Jun 2010 09:30:22 -0700 (PDT)) it happened panfilero
<panfilero(a)gmail.com> wrote in
<1f931fa4-0974-4f2e-9a4e-f166a28ba8be(a)w31g2000yqb.googlegroups.com>:

>can anyone offer any suggestions on how to make a simple 4mA current
>regulator... I started looking at LM317 voltage regulators, but found
>that they're gonna output a minimum of 10mA... I'm now looking at
>JFETs with a resistor between the source and gate... most the JFETs
>I'm finding can only provide currents less than 3mA...
>
>thanks






current mirror

U U
| |
R1 |
|----- i1
| | |
c | c
b--------------- b
e e
| |
/// ///


i1 = approx (U - 0.7) / R1

So if U is stable, and temp does not change too much, i1 is stable.

Else use the LM317 with an opamp:

+ U -------- in out------------ + 1.22----------- +
LM 317 out ------
adj --- - |
| | opamp R1
/// | |
-------------------|
|
i1
|
///

The output of the opamp will rise until the voltage drop over R1 is equal to the output voltage of the LM317 (about 1.22 V here).
So the current i1 here is 1.22 / R1.
The opamp will have to be able to do the 4 mA, and needs a sufficient high supply.

You could use the LM 317 with a resistor divider to make a stabilised positive supply,
and use a voltage divider or trimpot to set the + input of the opamp.

From: Jan Panteltje on
On a sunny day (Thu, 24 Jun 2010 17:41:38 GMT) it happened Jan Panteltje
<pNaonStpealmtje(a)yahoo.com> wrote in <i005cp$au6$1(a)news.albasani.net>:

Oops, reversed i1 and R1:

+ U -------- in out------------ + 1.22----------- +
LM 317 out ------
adj --- - |
| | opamp i1
/// | |
-------------------|
|
R1
|
///

The output of the opamp will rise until the voltage drop over R1 is equal to the output voltage of the LM317 (about 1.22 V here).
So the current i1 here is 1.22 / R1.
The opamp will have to be able to do the 4 mA, and needs a sufficient high supply.

You could use the LM 317 with a resistor divider to make a stabilised positive supply,
and use a voltage divider or trimpot to set the + input of the opamp.

From: panfilero on
Thanks for the responses... what I'm trying to do is power an
accelerometer.... I'm trying to re-create the "Constant Current
Signal Conditioner" side of the circuit shown in Fig. 4 of this link

http://www.pcb.com/techsupport/tech_signal.php

but in that circuit they use a "Current Regulating Diode" I don't have
one of these, but I do have an electronics store down the street, so
basically that's what I'm trying to re-create, and for the
accelerometer I have, the current would have to be regulated to 4mA...

thanks
From: panfilero on
Thanks for the responses... what I'm trying to do is power an
accelerometer.... I'm trying to re-create the "Constant Current
Signal Conditioner" side of the circuit shown in Fig. 7 of this link

http://www.pcb.com/techsupport/tech_signal.php

but in that circuit they use a "Current Regulating Diode" I don't have
one of these, but I do have an electronics store down the street, so
basically that's what I'm trying to re-create, and for the
accelerometer I have, the current would have to be regulated to 4mA...

thanks
From: panfilero on
It's figure 7, not 4 sorry, tried deleting the mistake but it's still
popping up