Current-sense amplifier for precision rail monitoring
The STMicroelectronics TSC2012IST is a single-channel current-sense amplifier in an 8-MiniSO package, designed to measure current through an external shunt resistor and output a proportional voltage. The 490 kHz -3 dB bandwidth and 5.2 V/µs slew rate allow it to track fast current transients in switching power supplies, motor drives, and solenoid control loops.
A 5.2 V/µs slew rate means the output can swing from 0 V to 2.5 V in under 500 ns, fast enough to capture the rising edge of a short-circuit current pulse in a 100 kHz switching converter. The 490 kHz -3 dB bandwidth covers the fundamental and several harmonics of a typical 50–200 kHz SMPS switching frequency, so the amplifier can report average current and ripple content without significant attenuation. For slower signals like battery discharge or DC motor stall current, the bandwidth is more than adequate.
Supply voltage range and output drive
The 2.7 V minimum supply lets the TSC2012IST run from a 3.3 V rail with 600 mV of headroom, or from a 5 V rail with the full 5.5 V maximum. Input offset voltage is 500 µV, which translates to a 0.5% error on a 100 mV shunt drop — acceptable for most overcurrent and load-monitoring applications.