From: Tim Williams on
Take your pick:
http://webpages.charter.net/dawill/tmoranwms/Circuits_2010/Current_Sinks.png
These are in any textbook.

Tim

--
Deep Friar: a very philosophical monk.
Website: http://webpages.charter.net/dawill/tmoranwms

"panfilero" <panfilero(a)gmail.com> wrote in message news: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
From: Jim Thompson on
On Thu, 24 Jun 2010 09:30:22 -0700 (PDT), panfilero
<panfilero(a)gmail.com> wrote:

>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

Surf on "Larkin Magic Diode" :-)

...Jim Thompson
--
| James E.Thompson, CTO | mens |
| Analog Innovations, Inc. | et |
| Analog/Mixed-Signal ASIC's and Discrete Systems | manus |
| Phoenix, Arizona 85048 Skype: Contacts Only | |
| Voice:(480)460-2350 Fax: Available upon request | Brass Rat |
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Obama: A reincarnation of Nixon, narcissistically posing in
politically-correct black-face, but with fewer scruples.
From: Dave Platt on
>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...

The old 2N3819 seems to have a very wide range of Idss values (not
unusual for JFETs). The version from Temic, for example, lists Idss
as being "min 2, typical 10, max 20", with cutoff voltages of -3
typical and -8 maximum.

If you don't mind buying a few and hand-selecting you can probably
locate one which will fit your circuit. They're all of $.09 each from
Jameco (quantity 10).

If you want something a bit more modern for some strange reason:
Fairchild has a whole bunch of JFETs with minimum Idss well above 4
mA: J110, J309, J310, PN5434, lots more, in several different package
types. Mouser carries numerous types, mostly under $0.20 in single
quantity (a few are more but not by all that much).

Heck, I think I have a bag of 100 2N3819s I bought a few years ago
when they were on-sale at Jameco for under a nickel each (overstock
sale, I assume). If you're in the U.S., send me an email with your
mailing address, and if I can find the bag I'll stick a few in an
envelope and mail 'em to you to dig through.

--
Dave Platt <dplatt(a)radagast.org> AE6EO
Friends of Jade Warrior home page: http://www.radagast.org/jade-warrior
I do _not_ wish to receive unsolicited commercial email, and I will
boycott any company which has the gall to send me such ads!
From: John Larkin on
On Thu, 24 Jun 2010 15:25:59 -0700, dplatt(a)radagast.org (Dave Platt)
wrote:

>>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...
>
>The old 2N3819 seems to have a very wide range of Idss values (not
>unusual for JFETs). The version from Temic, for example, lists Idss
>as being "min 2, typical 10, max 20", with cutoff voltages of -3
>typical and -8 maximum.
>
>If you don't mind buying a few and hand-selecting you can probably
>locate one which will fit your circuit. They're all of $.09 each from
>Jameco (quantity 10).
>
>If you want something a bit more modern for some strange reason:
>Fairchild has a whole bunch of JFETs with minimum Idss well above 4
>mA: J110, J309, J310, PN5434, lots more, in several different package
>types. Mouser carries numerous types, mostly under $0.20 in single
>quantity (a few are more but not by all that much).
>
>Heck, I think I have a bag of 100 2N3819s I bought a few years ago
>when they were on-sale at Jameco for under a nickel each (overstock
>sale, I assume). If you're in the U.S., send me an email with your
>mailing address, and if I can find the bag I'll stick a few in an
>envelope and mail 'em to you to dig through.

If Idss is over 4 mA, you can stick a selected resistor or a pot in
the source and tune the drain current. TC will be mediocre, but that
may not matter to the OP.

John

From: Barry on
"panfilero" <panfilero(a)gmail.com> wrote in message
news:da1d7dbc-f52d-4027-86a9-2c653c515d08(a)k39g2000yqb.googlegroups.com...
> 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


A constant current diode is just a JFET with the gate tied directly to
the source. If you have a good collection of JFET's, you can likely find
one where the I(sub)DSS is 4 mA. There is usually quite a spread in this
current so picking a particular JFET should be done based on this spread.
For example, the I(sub)DSS of a 2N4416 is typically between 5 and 15 mA.
Some common JFET's and their corresponding I(sub)DSS ranges are shown in
the table below.

Having used many PCB Piezotronics parts before, I can suggest that you
buy their charge amplifier if you need the ultimate in performance. If
you can wait a while for mail order, Mouser stocks the 1N5311 diode which
is spec'ed to be within the range of 3.24 to 3.96 mA.


Dr. Barry L. Ornitz wa4vzq(a)live.com

JFET Manufacturer I(sub)DSS Minimum I(sub)DSS Maximum
MPF-102 On Semi
2N4416 Vishay 5 mA 15 mA
2N3819 Vishay 2 mA 20 mA
MPF-102(obs.) Motorola 2 mA 20 mA
2N5457 Fairchild 1 mA 5 mA
2N5458 Fairchild 2 mA 9 mA
2N5459 Fairchild 4 mA 16 mA
PN4303 Fairchild 4 mA 10 mA
BFR30 NXP (Philips) 4 mA 10 mA
BFR31 NXP 1 mA 5 mA
2SK722E Sanyo 2.5 mA 6 mA
MPF-102 Fairchild 2 mA 20 mA
2N5557 Central 2 mA 5 mA

Note: P-channel or N-channel determines the "direction" of the constant
current diode.