Patent ID: 6856182

Claim:
A controllable current source, comprising a first and a second supply terminal ( 12 , 14 ) for the application of a first and a second supply potential (V 1 , V 2 ), respectively, an output terminal ( 16 ) for current delivery, which is connected via a first current path ( 18 ) with the first supply terminal ( 12 ) and via a second current path ( 20 ) with the second supply terminal ( 14 ), with the current paths ( 18 , 20 ) each having a supply side current control device ( 22 , 24 ), activatable by a current control signal (S 1 , S 2 ), for on/off-switching of the respective current control device ( 22 , 24 ), as well as an output side current adjustment device ( 26 , 28 ) in series to the current control device, for adjusting a current caused by activation of the respective current control device ( 22 , 24 ), wherein the current paths ( 18 , 20 ) are each allocated a potential adjustment device ( 40 1 , 40 2 ), by means of which, when the current control device ( 22 , 24 ) of the current path ( 18 , 20 ) is inactive, a predetermined adjustment potential (V aa , V bb ), whose value lies between the two supply potentials, is applied to an intermediate section ( 30 , 32 ) lying between the current control device and the current adjustment device, and wherein the potential adjustment device ( 40 1 , 40 2 ) comprises a voltage divider formed by two serially connected FETs for dividing a voltage applied to the voltage divider and for supplying a potential at a node between the two voltage divider FETs as the adjustment potential (V aa , V bb ).