Linear TEC (Thermo Electric Cooler) Driver

TEC is one of the cooler that was popular because of its robustness and maintenance free characteristic. This article shows one example of the TEC driver. To operate this circuit operates we need a single +5V supply and drives the TEC in the most preferred “constant-current” mode.  It will deliver ±2A into a TEC. Picture below shows the schematic of the circuit:

As the amplifier of this TEC driver, this circuit uses a voltage-controlled current source. The effect of thermal “back  EMF” on current through the TEC under dynamic temperature control conditions can be  eliminated by constant current drive.  Besides that, it also assures that TEC drive current is independent of production variations in TEC long-term aging or junctions . [Schematic diagram source: Burr-Brown Products Application Report]