Apparatus and method for generating a temperature insensitive reference current

• US 7,110,729 B1
• Filed: 01/22/2003
• Issued: 09/19/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: National Semiconductor Corporation (Texas Instruments, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: National Semiconductor Corporation (Texas Instruments, Inc.)
• Inventors: Dash, Ranjit Kumar
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Pablo N.
• Application Number:
  US10/348,840
• Time in Patent Office: 1,336 Days
• Field of Search: 455/967, 455972-974, 4553431-3436, 455/126, 455/127.1, 455/127.2, 455/115.1, 455/572, 455/573, 455/575.1, 455/90.3, 455/67.11, 455/94, 455/137, 455/169.1, 455/226.1, 455/232.1, 455/252.1, 455/289, 455298-299, 455/325, 455/333, 323312-315, 323/907, 327/513
• US Class Current: 455/127.1
• CPC Class Codes: G05F 3/262 using field-effect transistors only
• CPC Class Codes: G05F 3/267 using both bipolar and field-effect technology

Abstract

A constant current source for generating a constant reference current that is relatively temperature insensitive. The constant current source comprises: i) first circuitry for generating a first output current that increases with increases in temperature; ii) second circuitry for generating a second output current that decreases with increases in temperature; and iii) a current combiner circuit that combines the first and second output currents to thereby generate the constant reference current. A change in the first output current caused by a temperature change is at least partially offset by a change in the second output current caused by the temperature change.

Claims

1. A constant current source for generating a constant reference current that is relatively temperature insensitive, said constant current source comprising:

first circuitry for generating a first output current that increases with increases in temperature;

second circuitry for generating a second output current that decreases with increases in temperature; and

a current combiner circuit that receives said first and second output currents at a common connection and combines said first and second output currents to thereby generate said constant reference current, wherein a change in said first output current caused by a temperature change is at least partially offset by a change in said second output current caused by said temperature change.

2. The reference current generator as set forth in claim 1 wherein said first circuitry comprises a first reference current generator for generating a first reference current that increases with increases in temperature.

3. The reference current generator as set forth in claim 2 wherein said first circuitry further comprises a first current mirror circuit capable of multiplying said first reference current by a factor m to thereby generate said first output current that increases with increases in temperature.

4. The reference current generator as set forth in claim 3 wherein said second circuitry comprises a second reference current generator for generating a second reference current that decreases with increases in temperature.

5. The reference current generator as set forth in claim 4 wherein said second circuitry further comprises a second current mirror circuit capable of multiplying said second reference current by a factor n to thereby generate said second output current that decreases with increases in temperature.

6. The reference current generator as set forth in claim 5 wherein said factor m and said factor n are determined based on the relative proportions of the first and second reference currents.

7. The reference current generator as set forth in claim 6 wherein said factor m and said factor n are selected according to the relative proportions of the first and second reference currents required to negate the temperature dependency of the constant reference current.

8. The reference current generator as set forth in claim 7 wherein said first and second current mirror circuits comprise P-channel transistors.

9. A cellular telephone comprising:

a voltage regulator capable of receiving a supply voltage from a battery of said cellular telephone and generating a regulated output voltage;

analog-to-digital circuitry capable of converting analog signal in said cellular telephone to digital signals; and

a constant current source capable of supplying a constant reference current to said voltage regulator and said analog-to-digital circuitry, wherein said constant reference current is relatively temperature insensitive, said constant current source comprising;

first circuitry for generating a first output current that increases with increases in temperature;

second circuitry for generating a second output current that decreases with increases in temperature; and

a current combiner circuit that receives said first and second output currents at a common connection and combines said first and second output currents to thereby generate said constant reference current, wherein a change in said first output current caused by a temperature change is at least partially offset by a change in said second output current caused by said temperature change.

10. The cellular telephone as set forth in claim 9 wherein said first circuitry comprises a first reference current generator for generating a first reference current that increases with increases in temperature.

11. The cellular telephone as set forth in claim 10 wherein said first circuitry further comprises a first current mirror circuit capable of multiplying said first reference current by a factor m to thereby generate said first output current that increases with increases in temperature.

12. The cellular telephone as set forth in claim 11 wherein said second circuitry comprises a second reference current generator for generating a second reference current that decreases with increases in temperature.

13. The cellular telephone as set forth in claim 12 wherein said second circuitry further comprises a second current mirror circuit capable of multiplying said second reference current by a factor n to thereby generate said second output current that decreases with increases in temperature.

14. The cellular telephone as set forth in claim 13 wherein said factor m and said factor n are determined based on the relative proportions of the first and second reference currents.

15. The cellular telephone as set forth in claim 14 wherein said factor m and said factor n are selected according to the relative proportions of the first and second reference currents required to negate the temperature dependency of the constant reference current.

16. The cellular telephone as set forth in claim 9 wherein said first and second current mirror circuits comprise P-channel transistors.

17. A method of generating a constant reference current that is relatively temperature insensitive, the method comprising the steps of:

generating a first output current that increases with increases in temperature;

generating a second output current that decreases with increases in temperature; and

combining the first and second output currents at a common connection to thereby generate the constant reference current, wherein a change in the first output current caused by a temperature change is at least partially offset by a change in the second output current caused by the temperature change.

18. The method of generating a constant reference current as set forth in claim 17 further comprising the steps of:

generating a first reference current that increases with increases in temperature; and

multiplying the first reference current by a factor m to thereby generate the first output current that increases with increases in temperature.

19. The method of generating a constant reference current as set forth in claim 18 further comprising the steps of:

generating a second reference current that decreases with increases in temperature; and

multiplying the second reference current by a factor n to thereby generate the second output current that decreases with increases in temperature.

20. The method of generating a constant reference current as set forth in claim 18 wherein the factor m and the factor n are determined based on the relative proportions of the first and second reference currents.