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What are high current applications?
In high current applications, low RDS(ON) MOSFETs are typically chosen to minimize conduction losses at full loads. At light loads, though, the high gate charge and parasitic capacitance of these MOSFETs often cause power losses associated with gate driving and switching.
Can a power supply have too much current?
To answer the title of your question, the answer is no. It is not ok to supply more current to a component than its rated value. However, it is ok to have a voltage power supply rated for more current than the components rated value because the component will draw as much as it needs.
What is high current?
While any amount of current over 10 mA is capable of producing painful to severe shock, currents between 100 and 200 mA are considered lethal. Currents above 200 mA, though they can produce severe burns and unconsciousness, do not normally cause death if the victim is given immediate attention.
Why do you not need a precision current source?
Thanks in advance for your help! First, you don’t need a precision current source. The reason is that, at heart, a current source works by measuring the current through a resistor, then closes a feedback loop around the current measurement and a precision voltage source.
What should the current be at 50 Ma?
The currents are typically between 50 mA and 500 mA. Typically, this is done using an off-the-shelf programmable high precision <10 ppm precision current source to drive the load, and measuring the current separately on the low-side using a calibrated precision resistor and a high accuracy multimeter.
Do you need to program the current source?
The current source does not need to be programmable, as long as I can change a scaling resistor or two to change the set point for the particular experiment. (scaling resistor and the source in general can be temperature stabilized in an incubator)
What’s the average TCR of a current source?
Not only is TCR low, PCR is 5 ppm at 70C. Granted, swallowing half of your error budget in a single source is just asking for trouble, but that’s generally part of the game when doing things on the cheap. There is a very good reason why the current sources you’ve been looking at cost so much.