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Modified current sources and example applications
4.9.18 A DAC-controlled current pump uses a Wilson current source
The circuit shown in Figure 4.56 functions as a bipolar current pump, which both
sources and sinks current to the load. This design combines a Basic Wilson current
mirror together with an 8-bit multiplying DAC. The venerable industry-standard Analog
Devices DAC-08 (8-bit) has complementary current outputs, with a range of ±2 mA
full-scale, and having a typical drift of about ±10 ppm/˚C. The DAC’s digital code
ranges from 0000 0000 to 1111 1111, which corresponds to an output current range
of –1.992 mA to +1.992 mA. The current source ...