Re: explanation needed

When you've got a driving circuit, such as a digital output or an opamp or
such it will be applying a particular voltage to some load, and that
particular voltage will cause some current to flow. Now the current is a
plain scalar quantity in this case, either into or out of the driving
device. To describe in which direction the current is travelling the device
is normally refered to as sinking XX mA if the current is flowing into the
driving pin, or as sourcing XX mA if the current is flowing out of the
driving pin.
Normally digital outputs are better at sinking current than sourcing.
This is caused by the driving circuit being a totem pole output... not
really required knowledge to use the thing.

NB: all currents refered to in this email are conventional current

>Date: Sun, 14 Sep 2003 20:38:01 -0000
>From: "Don Thigpen" <piggy@...>
>
>what is meant by the following ...........
>
>" sinking XX ma "
>
>boy do i have a lot to learn !
>
>don