A current conveyor based BIC sensor for current monitoring in mixed-signal circuits

Abstract

Quiescent current monitoring is considered as an interesting and efficient technique for mixed-signal testing, where fault detection of analog parts requires the precise measure of the I/sub ddq/. This paper presents a very simple current sensor for on-chip current monitoring giving an accurate analog output proportional to the quiescent current. The proposed circuit is based on a second generation current conveyor. Experimental results show the functionality of the proposed configuration and its linear output characteristic.