Title :
Ultra low noise current sources
Author :
Ciofi, C. ; Giannetti, R. ; Dattilo, V. ; Neri, B.
Author_Institution :
Dipt. di Ingegneria dell´´Inf., Pisa Univ., Italy
Abstract :
The current sources which are normally used in research laboratories are not suitable for low noise measurement systems because of the unacceptable level of low frequency noise which they introduce in the measurement chain. The most important source of low frequency noise in such instruments is the solid state device (usually a Zener diode) which is used as voltage reference. By using a novel circuital topology in which a lead battery which does not supply current is used as voltage reference, we have been able to design an ultra low noise current source characterized by a low-frequency noise level some orders of magnitude lower than that of similar commercial instrumentation. The design, realization and testing of such current source is presented
Keywords :
constant current sources; electric noise measurement; field effect transistor circuits; network synthesis; network topology; reference circuits; secondary cells; FET; Pb; current sources; lead battery; low frequency noise; low noise measurement; research laboratories; solid state device; topology; voltage reference; Battery charge measurement; Current measurement; Diodes; Frequency measurement; Instruments; Laboratories; Low-frequency noise; Noise measurement; Solid state circuits; Voltage;
Conference_Titel :
Instrumentation and Measurement Technology Conference, 1997. IMTC/97. Proceedings. Sensing, Processing, Networking., IEEE
Conference_Location :
Ottawa, Ont.
Print_ISBN :
0-7803-3747-6
DOI :
10.1109/IMTC.1997.612447
