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Chapter 2
An Introduction to Current Sources
2.1 An overview
Current sources are basic electronic building blocks that are used extensively in the
architectures of analog ICs, as well as in OEM circuit board designs. In both cases,
current sources are created by combining diodes, resistors, and transistors (BJTs or
FETs). They can also be created at the circuit board level by using discretes, matched
pairs, transistor arrays, or by combining op amps with precision voltage references.
The various techniques for doing so will be reviewed in Part 1 of this book. Although a
few dedicated monolithic current source ICs are commercially available, it ...