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Industrial Output Driver for Universal Voltage or Current Output Applications

21st March 2007

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Texas Instruments has introduced a precision voltage-to-current converter/transmitter designed for standard 0-20mA and 4-20mA analog signals, as well as 5-25mA signals and voltage outputs. The XTR111 can deliver current up to 36mA and boasts output error detection and output disable. This new device, from the company's Burr-Brown product line, features low supply current of 500uA, low drift span of 5ppm/C and a wide 7V to 44V supply range. The XTR111 is easy to use and adaptable to many applications such as analog current output for industrial process control and three-wire sensor systems.

The XTR111 features an external resistor that sets the ratio between the input voltage and output current. The circuit can be modified for voltage output as well. With accuracy of 0.015 percent and low cost, it is ideally suited for current-mode sensor excitation and as a voltage-controlled current source.

When combined with an external MOSFET, the XTR111 ensures large voltage compliance extending below ground as well as easy power dissipation. Output disable control can be used for conditions where the output should present zero current.

Providing an excellent central building block for three-wire sensor system designs, the XTR111 can pre-condition sensor signals through digitally calibrated sensor signal conditioning chips (such as PGA309),

ultra low-power microcontrollers (such as MSP430), and discrete combinations of instrumentation amplifiers and voltage references (such as INA122, INA118 and REF31xx), or low-power op amps and voltage references (such as OPA335, OPA344 and REF32xx).