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Thanks for the citations Tim.
Yes Jim, the variation of dVf/dT over the various colors is less than I first expected as well. Lumileds specs an identical -2.0mV/C for their 1 and 3W LEDs in all colors: red, amber, green, cyan, blue, and white (see DS25 & DS45 at
I haven't measured these, for what that's worth.
Using an LED to bias a bjt current source is an old cheesy trick -- the LED drift mostly offsets the transistor's dVbe/dT.
Only surprise in Tim's numbers is that the blue and white are different, especially given that white LEDs are in fact blue LEDs painted with a bit of yellow phosphor.
As Jim Thompson pointed out, I only gave one signifcant figure. That was because the application didn't seem to care, and because that's about as good a generic answer as you can give. Your LED and YMMV. If it really matters, use a bandgap. For hobby purposes, a known or well-characterized LED might serve.
Ian's right too: LEDs are light-sensitive, so unless you want your bias to change with lighting, keep the LED dark.
James