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Current Sensing

Current sensors measure current flow by measuring the voltage drop across a resistor placed in the current path. They output a voltage or current proportional to the measured current. Current sensing is used for overcurrent protection, monitoring performance, and more. There are two main types: low side connects the sensor between the load and ground, while high side connects it between the supply and load. Low side is simpler but adds ground resistance, while high side detects downstream failures but requires more precision. The best option depends on the application's tolerance for ground disturbance or common mode voltage.

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69 views

Current Sensing

Current sensors measure current flow by measuring the voltage drop across a resistor placed in the current path. They output a voltage or current proportional to the measured current. Current sensing is used for overcurrent protection, monitoring performance, and more. There are two main types: low side connects the sensor between the load and ground, while high side connects it between the supply and load. Low side is simpler but adds ground resistance, while high side detects downstream failures but requires more precision. The best option depends on the application's tolerance for ground disturbance or common mode voltage.

Uploaded by

rahulshty
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Current Sensing

Current sensor: electronic circuits that monitor the current flow by measuring the voltage drop
across a resistor placed in the current path (while other technologies exist, such as magnetic,
everything discussed here is limited to shunt resistor current measurement). (see figure 1) The
current sensor outputs either a voltage or a current that is proportional to the current through the
measured path.

Figure 1: Voltmeter measuring a voltage drop across a resistor

A wide variety of applications benefit from the ability to measure current flow. Traditionaly,
current sensing was primarily for circuit protection and reporting. However, as technology
advances, current sensing is becoming more and more important as a way to monitor
performance (and ultimately enhance it).

Some applications that benefit from current sensing:

• Overcurrent-protection and supervising circuits


• 4-20 mA systems
• Programmable current sources
• Linear and switch-mode power supplies
• Battery chargers
• Battery-operated circuits for which you need to know the ratio of current flow into and
out of a rechargeable battery.
• Proportional solenoid control, linear or PWM
Low Side Current Sensing
How It Works

Low side current sensing techniques connect the current sensor element between the load and
ground. Current is measured by looking at the voltage drop across a resistor placed between the
load and ground (see figure 2)

Figure 2: Sense resistor between load and ground

Advantages

• Straightforward, easy, and rarely requires more than an op-amp to implement


• Inexpensive and precise

Increasing demands for precision are driving the interest in using high precision devices such as
the OPA335 in low side current sensing applications (see figure 3)

Figure 3: Low side current sensing using the TI OPA335


Disadvantages

• Adds undesirable resistance in the ground path


• May require an additional wire to the load that could otherwise be omitted

When to Choose Low Side Current Sensing

• When you can!


• Choosing low side current sensing is almost always the best option if your application can
tolerate the extra disturbance in the ground path.

High Side Current Sensing


How It Works

High side current sensing techniques connect the current sensor element between the supply and
the load. Current is measured by looking at the voltage drop across a resistor placed between the
supply and the load (see figure 4)

Figure 4: Sense resistor between supply and load

The traditional approach for high-side current measurements measurements has been the use of a
differential amplifier such as the INA146, which is employed as a gain amplifier and a level
shifter from the high side to ground (see figure 5).
Figure 5: Traditional high side current sensing using TI’s INA146 differential amp

Advantages

• Current sensor connected directly to the power source and can detect any downstream failure
and trigger appropriate corrective action
• Won’t create an extra ground disturbance that comes with a low side current sensing design

Disadvantages

• Requires very careful resistor matching in order to obtain an acceptable common-mode


rejection ratio (CMMR).
o A 0.01% deviation in any resistor value lowers the CMRR to 86dB,
o A 0.1% deviation lowers it to 66dB,
o A 1% deviation lowers it to 46dB.
• Must withstand very high, and often dynamic, common-mode voltages (often outside the limits
of the supply rails of the amplifiers used).

When to Choose High Side Current Sensing

• When low side sensing is not an option due to the added ground disturbance
o A high percentage of applications cannot tolerate the ground disturbance and must turn
to high side sensing.
• Enables diagnostic systems to detect shorts to ground.
• When cost is saved by eliminating wiring (allows for the load to be grounded remotely).

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