ECE 607(Edgar Sanchez-Sinencio)

C
S
M
Low Voltage Power Supply A

Current Source
• Simple implementation of a current source in many
applications including a tail current yields a low output
impedance.
• Cascode implementations of current sources yields a larger
output impedance, however the trade-off is the reduction
on the headroom.
• One alternative implementation of a current source with
higher output impedance without sacrificing significant
overhead is presented next.

TAMU-AMSC
• The current source discussed here has an output resistance about 25 times
larger than that of a single transistor current source.

• This current source improves the common-mode input range and the CMRR
of differential pairs.

• Another use of this LV CS is for the voltage follower topologies.

 Low Voltage CURRENT-SOURCE

This current source is applied at the PMOS differential pair ( M2i and M1i) at node Y

Vdd

Z
M2 M1 Vx
A I R 0S
X   Y

I R 0B
IB
(b)
M1i R 0S Vi-
Vi+ M2i
(a)
Analog and Mixed-Signal Center (AMSC) TAMU

A conceptual Schematic of the low voltage current source. (a) Current source representation
(b) Architecture

You, F., Embabi, H.K., Duque-Carrillo, J.F., Sanchez-Sinencio, E., “An improved tail current source for low voltage applications ,”

IEEE Journal of Solid-State Circuits , Volume: 32, Issue: 8 , Aug 1997, Page(s): 1173 –1180
 1  g m1A o /(g o1  g oB)
R os  (1)
g o 2(1 Aog m1 /(go1g )  A og m 2 / g o 2 )
oB

where g m1 g m2 , g o1g o2  are the transconductance and output conductance of M1 M 2  ,

respectively. Ao is the DC gain of the error amplifier “A” and g oB R oB  is the output

conductance (resistance) of the reference current source I B. Assuming that g m1  g m2 and

g o1  g o2 , equation (1) can be simplified as:

R os  R oB (2)

Note that the resistance is negative and is equal to the resistance of the reference source I B.
g m4
R os   (3)
g o3g o 4

Analog and Mixed-Signal Center (AMSC) TAMU

 Vdd

Z
M2 M1

X Cc
Y
Io
R 0S
M4 Vb

IB ID

M3
V

Current Ref. Error Amplifier A

Vss
Full implementation of the LV current source.
Analog and Mixed-Signal Center (AMSC) TAMU
FREQUENCY RESPONSE OF THE TAIL CURRENT OUTPUT IMPEDANCE
(a) WITHOUT DIFFERENTIAL PAIR AND (b) WITH DIFFERENTIAL PAIR
• This LV Current Sources has one negative feedback loop and one positive feedback loop.
• The negative feedback ( consisting of the error amplifier A and transistor M1)must be
greater than the positive( which consists of A and transistor M2) to have stability.
• The analysis is based on the small signal equivalent circuit shown in the next slide.
• Cx and Cy are the parasitic capacitances at nodes X and Y.
• goB is the conductance of the current source IB
• The error amplifier is characterized by one dominant pole at CZ/goa
Open loop transfer function with Cc
• The frequency response is simulated for two cases; i) With a simple transistor
tail current and ii) using the proposed LV current source.
• The effect of Rc is shown in curve ( c )
• Fig 5 (a) does not have Cc, thus its poor phase margin. Adding Rc to CC in series yields Fig 5( c )
 Vdd

I Vb

Vi1 Vi 2 M6
M i1 Mi2
Cc Vout

M3 M4
M5
Vss

Use of the proposed current source in simple two stage amplifier.

Cc has a resistor in series Rc to provide better stability.

Analog and Mixed-Signal Center (AMSC) TAMU

Frequency response of two stage amplifiers using LV current source (dashed)
and simple current source (solid).

Analog and Mixed-Signal Center (AMSC) TAMU

Measured output current of the simple (curve A) and LV (Curve B) current source.

Analog and Mixed-Signal Center (AMSC) TAMU

Measured I-V characteristics of the LV current source.

Analog and Mixed-Signal Center (AMSC) TAMU

 LOW VOLTAGE CURRENT SOURCES
VZ
M2 M1
IB2 A IB1 • Amplifier “A” forces the VDS of M1 and
X Y M2 to be equal. Thus IB1 = IB2 .
• R os  R Bref
Ros
• VREF  Vy  VDD  VSG,AUX  VSD,AUX
M2i MAX MAX
M1i Vi-
Vi+
IBref
rBref • Large variations of VZ are caused when
M1 and M2 enter in triode mode.

Using an auxiliary differential amplifier

LV Current Source MA4 MA3
VZ
Vy A vz
Vx VX MA1 MA2

Ao
As 
1  s CZ g Oa IB

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 An Alternative Approach for a LV Current Source*

• The auxiliary amplifier is implemented by NMOS cascoding transistor MCP

connected between node Z and node y.
Thus
vY
V
MCP Vcp A  Z  g m MCP ro MCP
VY
VZ Vy  VCP  VSG

MBC
VBC

Then
VyMAX  VDD  VDSSAT

icm  VDD
Vicmcan be extended to the upper rail V MAX

* J. Ramirez-Angulo, R. G. Carvajal and A. J. Lopez-Martin, “Single Transistor High Impedance Tail Current Source with Extended
Common-Mode Input Range and Reduced Supply Requirements”, IEEE Trans. on Circuits and Systems II, Vol. 54, No. 7,
pp. 581-585, July 2007.
 VBC MCB
• To reduce mismatch betweeen
IBC VDS1 and VDS2 a diode connected
VZ
M2 M1 NMOS MDP is inserted.
MDP MCP
Vy
IBREF + IBC
- M2i +
v in M1i MBP VBP v in

• Implementation of an enhanced LV current source where amplifier is implemented

by a simple cascoding (two transistor MCB and MBP)
• W L1i , 2i  W L
• W L1, 2  2W L
• W LMPB  4W L
 Potential LV Current-Mirrors

Goals: To reduce the input impedance and to increase the output impedance,
while keeping the voltage operation

M2 Iout Iin Vref Iout

Iin
Mc Aact
Vcas
M1 M2
M1 Mm

Iout
Iin Iout
Iin Vref Vref
Mc
M2 Mc
Mm
M1 Mm
M1 Vmirror

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 Iout
Iout IB IB Iin Iout
IB IB Iin
Iin M5
Vcas M2 M4
M2 M2 M4 X
M1 M3 M1 M3 M1 M3

Vshift Vdd
Iin Iin IB1 Iin Iout
Iout M3 M4 Iout
ROB
AFB
M1 M2
M1 M2 M1 M2
IB2

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