Patent ID: 7800430

Claim:
An arrangement for generating an output current from an input voltage (V 1 , V 2 ), the arrangement including: at least one transistor (Q 1 ; Q 3 ) having a base-emitter junction wherein the voltage drop across said base-emitter junction determines the intensity of said output current and is exposed to temperature drift, a resistive network (R eq1 , R eq2 ) coupled to said at least one transistor (Q 1 ; Q 3 ), whereby the intensity of said output current is a function of both the voltage drop across said base-emitter junction of said at least one transistor (Q 1 , Q 3 ) and the resistance value of said resistive network (R eq1 , R eq2 ) wherein said resistive network (R eq1 , R eq2 ) includes at least one first (NTC 1 ; NTC 3 ) and at least one second (NTC 2 ; NTC 4 ) resistor element (NTC 1 , NTC 2 ; NTC 3 , NTC 4 ) whose resistance value varies with temperature to keep constant the intensity of said output current irrespective of any temperature drift in said voltage drop across said base-emitter junction, and wherein said at least one first (NTC 1 ; NTC 3 ) and said at least one second (NTC 2 ; NTC 4 ) resistor element whose resistance value varies with temperature have associated respective fixed value resistors (R 1 , R 5 ; R 2 , R 6 ).