For a diode laser to maintain its frequency, output power, current and temperature, careful regulation of parameters is required. To best manage costs, the Physics Department at California State University looked to construct its own low-cost, low-noise current source for use with its in-laboratory diode lasers. To generate a suitably stable laser stream, the current sense resistor needed to be resistant to both internal and external temperature drifts, have a high-power rating, and a low thermal EMF. The most critical element of the current driver is the sub-circuit, responsible for current regulation since laser stability must not exceed overall sense resistor stability. In this application, the use of traditional commercial current controllers was too cost-prohibitive. The viable resistor solution therefore needed to be both low-cost and high-precision.