High speed on-chip precision buffer with switched-load rejection
AssigneeLinear Technology Holding LLC
InventorsStephen Todd Van Duyne, Kalin Valeriev Lazarov, Zhiming Xiao
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A buffer system may have an output for driving a switched load that changes during periods indicated by a switching signal. The buffer system may operate in a closed loop when the switching signal indicates that a load change is not taking place by comparing a signal indicative of the output of the buffer system with a reference voltage. The buffer system may operate in an open loop when the switching signal indicates that a load change is taking place by not comparing signal indicative of the output of the buffer system with the reference voltage. Both the buffer system and the switched load may be on the same chip.
Claims17
A buffer system having an output for driving a switched load and an input for receiving a switching signal that represents a presence or an absence of the switched load, wherein the switching signal is generated by the switched load or another circuit driving or monitoring the switched load, the buffer system comprising:
- an error amplifier configured to generate an error signal output responsive to a difference between a reference voltage and a voltage at the output;
- and
- a main buffer configured to receive and buffer the error signal output from the error amplifier and deliver the buffered error signal output to the output of the buffer system,
- wherein, in a closed loop configuration, the output of the main buffer is switchably coupled to the error amplifier in response to the switching signal indicating the absence of a load change, and
- wherein, in an open loop configuration, the output of the main buffer is switchably decoupled from the error amplifier in response to the switching signal indicating the presence of the load change.
An electronic circuit on a single chip comprising:
- a switched load;
- a buffer system having an output for driving the switched load and an input for receiving a switching signal that represents a presence or an absence of the switched load, wherein the switching signal is generated by the switched load or another circuit driving or monitoring the switched load, the buffer system comprising:
- an error amplifier configured to generate an error signal output responsive to a difference between a reference voltage and a voltage at the output;
- and
- a main buffer configured to receive and buffer the error signal output from the error amplifier and deliver the buffered error signal output to the output of the buffer system,
- wherein, in a closed loop configuration, the output of the main buffer is switchably coupled to the error amplifier in response to the switching signal indicating the absence of a load change, and
- wherein, in an open loop configuration the output of the main buffer is switchably decoupled from the error amplifier in response to the switching signal indicating the presence of the load change.
A buffer system having an output for driving a switched load and an input for receiving a switching signal that represents a presence or an absence of the switched load, wherein the switching signal is generated by the switched load or another circuit driving or monitoring the switched load, the buffer system comprising:
- means for generating an error signal output responsive to a difference between a reference voltage and a voltage at the output;
- first means for receiving and buffering the error signal output from the error amplifier and delivering the buffered error signal output to the output of the buffer system,
- wherein, in a closed loop configuration, the output of the first means for receiving and buffering is switchably coupled to the means for generating the error signal output in response to the switching signal indicating the absence of a load change, and
- wherein, in an open loop configuration, the output of first means for receiving and buffering is switchably decoupled from the means for generating the error signal output in response to the switching signal indicating the presence of the load change.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.