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AP P LICATION BULLETIN
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AN EASY SOLUTION TO CURRENT
LIMITING AN OP AMP
By Richard Kulavik
1
Many circuits today not only require voltage regulation but
Figure 1 shows two REG1117s (U1, U2) with R1, from the
VOUT pins to the Adj pins allowing
they also need current regulation. Some systems draw ex-
cessive current during power on, which can cause expensive
system components to burn up due to improper powering of
supplies. This is not the only problem associated with
excessive currents. Some applications need to limit the
current an op amp can provide to a specific load. This circuit
can provide this type of function by making constant current
sources out of simple regulators.
IREG(MAX) = (1.25V/R1) – 50µA
3
4
to be sources from the floating output to the system. If the
system does not sink or source more than or equal to IREG(MAX)
,
the regulators will be out of regulation and will drop its
voltage across VOUT, to Adj equalling 1.25V + IREG • R1,
where IREG is equal to the current demands of the system.
When the current demands of the system rise and approach
1.25V/R1, the regulator will begin to maintain its regulation
and provide a maximum current, limited by R1. At this point,
the maximum voltage drop will be equal to 1.2V + 1.25V or
2.45V from VIN to Adj. The supply voltage minus 2.45V will
determine the compliance voltage of the current regulator.
The REG1117 can source from 10mA to 800mA using the
circuits shown.
The REG1117 is a low cost, low drop out, adjustable
regulator that can be used for both voltage and current
regulation. In the normal mode of operation, applying a
fixed voltage on the input pin will provide a fixed voltage
between VOUT and Adj. Placing a resistor across VOUT and
Adj will limit the amount of current delivered to the load by
making the regulator appear as a constant current source.
Two problems can arise from creating a circuit such as the
one described in Figure 1. The first problem is that the
REG1117s have a transient response that will affect the
output of the amplifier. Figure 2 shows the output voltage
deviation in millivolts versus time from the REG1117. This
voltage transient will appear as a ringing voltage to the load
of the amplifier. If bypass capacitors are added on the power
supply pins of an amplifier (A1), the ringing can be reduced
at the cost of greater overshoot and longer settling times.
Remember that bypass capacitors are on the supply leads of
+VS
3
VOUT
2
U1
IREG
REG1117
R1
1
Adj
50µA
Rf
LINE TRANSIENT RESPONSE
CBYPASS
60
CIN = 1µF
COUT = 10µF Tantalum
System
40
Load
A1
IOUT = 0.1A
20
3
0
–20
VOUT
CBYPASS
U2
REG1117
Adj
IREG
2
–40
R1
1
5.25
4.25
3.25
–VS
0
20
40
60
80 100 120 140 160 180 200
Time (µs)
FIGURE 2. Transient Response of the REG1117.
FIGURE 1. A Voltage Regulator Can Be Used as a Current
Regulator and an Op Amp.
©1995 Burr-Brown Corporation
AB-099
Printed in U.S.A. May, 1995