Post Go back to editing

Problem with the Howland current source design

Thread Summary

The user designed a Howland current source using the LTC6091, which worked in simulation but saturated to the positive supply when a complex load was connected in practice. The issue was caused by DC current due to the offset voltage and the DC resistance of the complex load, leading to instability. Adding a 10uF capacitor in the positive feedback loop resolved the problem.
AI Generated Content
Category: Hardware
Product Number: LTC6091

I designed a howland current source using LTC6091. In simulation, it worked for both resistive and complex load. But practically, it only works for a resistive load or a resistor in parallel with a complex load. After connecting the complex load, the output saturates to positive supply. Does it have a stability problem?

2806.HowlandCurrentPump_SingleOpamp_complexLoad.asc

Thread Notes