Circuit arrangement comprising a load transistor and a measuring transistor

An integrated circuit comprising:

• a load transistor comprising a first and a second load terminal and a control terminal;
• a measuring transistor comprising a first and a second load terminal and a control terminal, wherein the control terminals of the load and measuring transistors are coupled and the first load terminals of the load and measuring transistors are coupled;
• a first regulating circuit comprising a controllable resistor, the first regulating circuit driving the resistor depending on electrical potentials at the second load terminals of the load and measuring transistors;
• a current mirror circuit coupled between a measurement terminal and the measuring transistor;
• and
• deactivation means for deactivating the first regulating circuit depending on a current flowing through the measuring transistor.

A method of controlling a circuit arrangement comprising:

• providing a load current path comprising a load transistor having a first and a second load path terminal and a control terminal;
• providing a first measurement current path comprising a measuring transistor having a first and a second load path terminal and a control terminal;
• coupling the control terminal of the measuring transistor to the control terminal of the load transistor and the first load path terminal of the measuring transistor to the first load path terminal of the load transistor;
• driving a controllable resistor in a regulating circuit depending on electrical potentials at the second load path terminals of the load transistor and of the measuring transistor;
• mirroring the current from the first measurement current path into a second measurement current path with a current mirror circuit;
• and
• deactivating the first regulating circuit depending on a current flowing through the measuring transistor.