Showing posts with label MOSFET. Show all posts
Showing posts with label MOSFET. Show all posts

I/O Interfacing with current source and sink pins

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Current source and current sink are two commonly used terms that you will find in datasheets of microcontrollers and digital circuits. Even though most input pins of an IC nowadays are internally connected to the gate of MOSFET transistors which are voltage driven, there are situations when you have to take into account current capabilities (i.e. high speed switching or something else than a CMOS input is connected to an output pin). I'm thinking about LEDs and bipolar transistor driven devices, such as relay modules.

These inputs are current driven and need to source or sink currents to change state. Fortunately, most output pins of contemporary microcontrollers are push-pull type and can source and sink currents. This means you don't have to worry too much about the way you are connecting an LED to a digital output. But there are still in use circuits which can only sink or source currents. And if you're not paying attention to datasheet, you might very well fail to design a working circuit.

I/O Interfacing with current source and sink pins