Current Driver for Infrared LED

Week 6: Digital-to-Analog Conversion

ECE 327: Electronic Devices and Circuits Laboratory I

Abstract
In the digital-to-analog conversion (DAC) lab, the output of the JK flip–flop used in the analog-to-
digital conversion (ADC) lab needs to drive a heavy load. The flip–flop output can only supply 1 mA
maximum, but the infrared LED needs to be driven by at least 10 mA and probably will need to operate
at 35–50 mA in this lab. So we need to build a current driver. Current drivers can easily be built with
with a single NPN or PNP transistor acting as either a current source or sink. Here, we review the
prototypical follower and switch circuits that could be used as drivers in this laboratory.

Contents 3 PNP Current Drivers 3

1 LED Operation 1 PNP Current Source . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

PNP Current Sink . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
2 NPN Current Drivers 2
NPN Current Source . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
NPN Current Sink . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 A Parts 4

1 LED Operation
The QEE113 infrared light-emitting diode (LED) should be operated with a current limiting resistor, as
shown in Figure 1.1, so that the forward current through the diode is between 10 mA and 50 mA.

i ≈ 40 mA

RL

∼1.25 V

Figure 1.1: Typical operation of QEE113 infrared light-emitting diode (LED).

In this laboratory, a forward current of 40 mA (or less) will be sufficient for eye-to-eye transmission of up
to ∼0.5 m to a QSE157 receiver. At 40 mA, the potential drop across the LED is 1.25–1.30 V. We use this
approximation to derive a nominal value for current-limiting resistor RL .
In the following, we show four different current driver architectures. In section 2, we show an NPN
transistor being used as a current source in a follower (i.e., active) configuration and as a current sink in a
switch (i.e., saturation) configuration. In section 3, we show a PNP transistor being used as a current source
in a switch (i.e., saturation) configuration and as a current sink in a follower (i.e., active) configuration.

c 2007–2009 by Theodore P. Pavlic

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ECE 327 [Week 6: Digital-to-Analog Conversion] Current Driver for Infrared LED

2 NPN Current Drivers

In both driver configurations shown in Figure 2.1, the current-limiting resistance RL must be set to deliver
i ≈ 40 mA to the LED.1

10 V The input Q comes from a flip–flop’s 10 V

non-inverted output. Voltages and cur-
C rents are shown for both output states.
B i (∼40/0 mA)
Q (10/0 V)
E
(∼9.35/0 V) (∼8.55/0 V) RL ≈ 214 Ω
(∼0.65/0 V)
i (∼40/0 mA)

RL ≈ 203 Ω (∼8.1/0 V)

(∼1.25/0 V)
(∼1.25/0 V) 10 kΩ
C
B
(∼1.25/0 V) Q (10/0 V) (∼0.2/10 V)
E

0V 0V
(a) NPN follower as current source (b) NPN switch as current sink

Figure 2.1: NPN (2N3904) current drivers for QEE113 infrared LED. The follower config-
uration in (a) biases the transistor into active mode. The switch configuration
in (b) biases the transistor into saturation mode. Circuit values are shown for
both high and low logic input Q. In the low case, transistor current is cutoff.

Although RL can be implemented with a variable resistor (e.g., two adjacent pins of a potentiometer), tuning
its value2 may have less of an impact than tuning the distance between the QEE113 and the QSE157.

NPN Current Source

In Figure 2.1(a), with input Q high, the transistor is in active mode. A BJT transistor in this mode
dynamically adjusts its effective collector-emitter resistance so that the base-emitter potential is maintained
at approximately 0.65 V. Therefore, the resistor–diode combination is driven by 0 V or 9.35 V depending
on whether Q is low or high, respectively. To make the high current equal to 40 mA, the current-limiting
resistor
8.1 V
RL ≈ = 202.5 Ω. (2.1)
40 mA

NPN Current Sink

In Figure 2.1(b), with input Q high, the transistor is in saturation mode. A BJT transistor in this mode is
not able to reduce its collector-emitter potential any farther. So it assumes a value of approximately 0.2 V.
Therefore, the resistor–diode combination is driven by 0 V or 9.8 V depending on whether Q is low or high,
respectively. To make the high current equal to 40 mA, the current-limiting resistor
8.55 V
RL ≈ = 213.75 Ω. (2.2)
40 mA
1 Active-mode analysis uses rail-to-rail logic assumption that is untrue for TTL; however, BJT saturation mode is slow.
2 That is, increase current if too little power is received and decrease current if the receiver triggers too easily.

c 2007–2009 by Theodore P. Pavlic

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ECE 327 [Week 6: Digital-to-Analog Conversion] Current Driver for Infrared LED

3 PNP Current Drivers

In both driver configurations shown in Figure 3.1, the current-limiting resistance RL must be set to deliver
i ≈ 40 mA to the LED.3 NOTE THAT Q, NOT Q, is used as an input.

10 V 10 V
10 kΩ
E i (40/0 mA)
B
Q (0/10 V) (∼0.2/10 V)
C (∼8.1/0 V) RL ≈ 203 Ω

i (40/0 mA) The input Q comes

from a flip–flop’s
RL ≈ 214 Ω inverted output.
(∼8.55/0 V) (∼1.25/0 V)
Voltages and cur-
rents are shown for
both output states. (∼0.65/0 V)

E
B
(∼1.25/0 V) Q (0/10 V)
C

0V 0V
(a) PNP switch as current source (b) PNP follower as current sink

Figure 3.1: PNP (2N3906) current drivers for QEE113 infrared LED. The switch configu-
ration in (a) biases the transistor into saturation mode. The follower configu-
ration in (b) biases the transistor into active mode. Circuit values are shown
for both low and high input Q. In the high case, transistor current is cutoff.

Although RL can be implemented with a variable resistor (e.g., two adjacent pins of a potentiometer), tuning
its value4 may have less of an impact than tuning the distance between the QEE113 and the QSE157.

PNP Current Source

In Figure 3.1(b), with input Q high, the transistor is in saturation mode. A BJT transistor in this mode is
not able to reduce its collector-emitter potential any farther. So it assumes a value of approximately 0.2 V.
Therefore, the resistor–diode combination is driven by 0 V or 9.8 V depending on whether Q is low or high,
respectively. To make the high current equal to 40 mA, the resistor current-limiting resistor nominally be
8.55 V
RL ≈ = 213.75 Ω. (3.1)
40 mA

PNP Current Sink

In Figure 3.1(a), with input Q high, the transistor is in active mode. A BJT transistor in this mode
dynamically adjusts its effective collector-emitter resistance so that the base-emitter potential is maintained
at approximately 0.65 V. Therefore, the resistor–diode combination is driven by 0 V or 9.35 V depending on
whether Q is low or high, respectively. To make the high current equal to 40 mA, the resistor current-limiting
resistor nominally be
8.1 V
RL ≈ = 202.5 Ω. (3.2)
40 mA
3 Active-mode analysis uses rail-to-rail logic assumption that is untrue for TTL; however, BJT saturation mode is slow.
4 That is, increase current if too little power is received and decrease current if the receiver triggers too easily.

c 2007–2009 by Theodore P. Pavlic

Copyright
Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 3.0 License Page 3 of 4
ECE 327 [Week 6: Digital-to-Analog Conversion] Current Driver for Infrared LED

A Parts

Top view of
2N3906
E E VBE ≈ 0.65 V
2N3906 “Points
PNP
B = B (2N3906) iN VCE,saturation ≈ 0.2 V
Proudly” β ≈ 100
C C

(a) 2N3906 PNP BJT transistor

(C)
(C)
“CCD” — “Cathode Current Departs” − −
1.25–1.3 V @ 40 mA
“ACE” — “Anode Current Enters” + +
(A)
(A)

(b) QEE113 infrared LED

Top view of
2N3904
C C VEB ≈ 0.65 V
2N3904 “Not
NPN
B = B (2N3904) Pointing VEC,saturation ≈ 0.2 V
iN” β ≈ 100
E E

(c) 2N3904 NPN BJT transistor

Figure A.1: Part pin-outs.

c 2007–2009 by Theodore P. Pavlic

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