STDA041 October   2026 OPA690

 

  1.   1
  2.   Abstract
  3.   Trademarks
  4. 1Introduction
    1. 1.1 Design Summary
  5. 2Theory of Operation
    1. 2.1 Circuit Overview
    2. 2.2 Closed-loop Operation
    3. 2.3 FET Operation Region
  6. 3Design Procedure
    1. 3.1 Choosing FET
      1. 3.1.1 Ciss
      2. 3.1.2 Compliance Voltage Range
      3. 3.1.3 Safe Operating Area (SOA)
    2. 3.2 Rsense Selection
      1. 3.2.1 Effect of ESL
    3. 3.3 Opamp Selection
      1. 3.3.1 Bandwidth
      2. 3.3.2 Slew Rate
      3. 3.3.3 Opamp Output Current
  7. 4Design Based Component Selection
    1. 4.1 Design for Trise = 100ns
      1. 4.1.1 FET Selection
      2. 4.1.2 Rsense Selection
      3. 4.1.3 Opamp Selection
        1. 4.1.3.1 Bandwidth
        2. 4.1.3.2 Slew Rate
        3. 4.1.3.3 Output Current
    2. 4.2 Architecture Selection (Quick Reference)
  8. 5Circuit Architecture Selection
    1. 5.1 Single Feedback Method
    2. 5.2 Dual Feedback Method
    3. 5.3 Enhanced Dual Feedback Method
  9. 6Results
  10. 7Related Documentation

1 Introduction

The rapid growth of data-center computing increases the demand for high-performance systems with efficient power management. A transient load tester is a circuit that creates rapid changes in load current to evaluate the transient response and stability of a power delivery system. Such testing helps assess how effectively a system handles sudden changes in power demand. A voltage-controlled current source (VCCS) provides a programmable load current for implementing a transient load tester. The output current is controlled by an input voltage using a closed-loop opamp, power FET, and precision sense resistor. This reference design presents VCCS implementations optimized for different requirements and high-speed operation. This design supports accurate power delivery testing for modern GPU and CPU power supply and data-center applications.