On practical construction of electronically controllable compact current amplifier based on commercially available elements and its application

This paper presents a new concept of a current amplifier (CA) with electronically adjustable features (input resistance and current gain) implemented using commercially available devices. Several variations of basic structure are studied, described and the selected solutions verified by PSpice simulations and, moreover, also by lab experiments. Saving one discrete active device in comparison to already known similar topologies of single-input and single-output version (CA-SISO) is significant benefit whereas all other qualitative features remain very similar to previously reported ones. Simple modification of CA concept to multiple-output version (CA-SIMO), having independent adjustable current gain in each of output branches, is easily available. Experimental tests of features of discussed concepts yield adjustability range of input resistance from 100 Ω to more than 10 kΩ and current gain adjusting from 0.1 to 3.5 with bandwidth (−3 dB) of CA transfer response up to 16 MHz. As an example of application, proposed CA was successfully implemented in quadrature oscillator with a very wide tunability range from 29 kHz to 4.94 MHz. It was achieved by electronic control of several adjustable parameters of proposed CA.