Negative voltage linear regulator controller
AssigneeTexas Instruments Incorporated
InventorMichael John Shay
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A circuit includes a regulation control circuit. The regulation control circuit includes an error amplifier to generate a control output signal based on an error signal input and a reference input. The regulation control circuit includes a level shifter to receive a negative voltage supplied to a load and to provide a positive error signal to the error signal input of the error amplifier. A driver circuit receives the control output signal from the error amplifier and generates a drive output signal in response to the control output signal. A regulation output circuit regulates the negative voltage supplied to the load in response to the drive output signal from the driver circuit.
Claims21
A regulation control circuit, comprising:
- an error amplifier having a control output, an error input, and a reference input;
- a level shifter having a positive supply input, a negative load voltage input, and a positive error output coupled to the error input of the error amplifier;
- a driver circuit having a positive supply input, a control input coupled to the control output from the error amplifier, and a drive output;
- and
- a regulation output circuit having a negative voltage input, a drive input coupled to the drive output from the driver circuit, and a negative load voltage output coupled to the negative load voltage input, the regulation output circuit including a regulation transistor coupled between the negative load voltage output and the negative input and having a control input coupled to the drive output that regulates a negative load voltage based on the drive output from the driver circuit, and the regulation output circuit includes a resistor coupled between the regulation transistor and the negative voltage input.
A circuit, comprising:
- an error amplifier having a control output, an error input, and a reference input;
- a current source having a current source output coupled to the error input of the error amplifier;
- a feedback circuit having an input coupled to the negative load voltage input and having a level-shifted error output coupled to the error input of the error amplifier;
- a driver circuit having an input coupled to the control output from the error amplifier and having a drive output;
- a regulation output circuit having a drive input coupled to the drive output, a negative voltage input, and a negative load voltage output coupled to the negative load voltage input, the regulation circuit including a transistor coupled to the drive output, and a resistor at a source node of the transistor.
A circuit, comprising:
- (a) a regulation control circuit, including:
- an error amplifier having an error input, a reference voltage input, and a control output;
- an analog gate circuit having a reference voltage input, a softstart pulse input, and a reference output coupled to the reference voltage input;
- and
- a level shifter having a positive supply voltage input, a negative load voltage input, and a positive error output coupled to the error input;
- and
- (b) a driver circuit having an input coupled to the positive supply voltage input, a control input coupled to the control output, and a drive output.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.