Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!sdd.hp.com!samsung!munnari.oz.au!labtam!graeme
From: graeme@labtam.labtam.oz (Graeme Gill)
Newsgroups: sci.electronics
Subject: Re: LED history ?
Summary: Low noise voltage reference
Message-ID: <5896@labtam.labtam.oz>
Date: 30 Jan 91 06:47:51 GMT
References: <1991Jan16.034246.12843@zoo.toronto.edu> <1962@atlas.tegra.COM> <1991Jan28.031708.6748@cs.uow.edu.au>
Organization: Labtam Australia, Melbourne, Australia
Lines: 13

>In a pinch, I've used an LED as a crude voltage regulator.  The
>knee of the curve is about 1.8 volts, which beats hooking up three
>silicon diodes to get a handy 2 volt drop.  Those low voltage Zeners
>can be rather inconvenient to find, if you're just fooling around
>just prototyping something.

	I've seen LEDs used as voltage references in Audio equipment,
as the forward biased diode is noticeably quieter than a reverse biased
zener diode.

	Graeme Gill
	Electronic Design Engineer
	Labtam Australia