Accurate current sensing is used in a wide variety of applications where the current is either regulated as part of a feedback loop – in a switched mode power supply (SMPS), for example, or a to control torque and speed in a motor driver - or controlled to detect levels that could be critical or dangerous for the system and implement appropriate over-current protections.
Very often current sensing is performed by measuring the voltage drop developed across shunt-resistors that can be connected to ground (low-side sensing) or to the supply rail (high-side sensing).
ST provides a range of solutions to help engineers implement high-efficiency and accurate current sensing applications including current-sense amplifiers, high-precision operational amplifiers and comparators.
