Voltage-regulator circuit, corresponding electronic device and method
AssigneeSTMicroelectronics S.r.l.
InventorsCarmelo Burgio, Mauro Giacomini
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A voltage-regulator circuit with a current-adder output node for supplying a load with a load current at a regulated output voltage includes an analog portion sensitive to the output voltage and including one or more reference-voltage sources. The analog portion applies to the current-adder node a first current that is a function of the difference between the output voltage and the reference voltage. A digital portion including an integrator is sensitive to the first current. The integrator is coupled to a current source for applying to the current-adder node a second current so that the first current and the second current supply on the current-adder output a load current at the aforesaid regulated output voltage.
Claims21
A voltage regulator circuit, comprising:
- an output current summing node configured to be coupled to an electric load;
- an analog control loop circuit configured to provide an analog current to the output current summing node, the analog current including a positive analog current and a negative analog current;
- and
- a digital control loop circuit configured to provide a digital current to the output current summing node based on an integration of the analog current, the analog current and the digital current collectively forming a load current to be supplied to the electric load.
A voltage regulator circuit, comprising:
- an output current summing node configured to be coupled to an electric load;
- an analog control loop circuit configured to provide an analog current to the output current summing node, the analog current including a positive analog current and a negative analog current and having a value based on a difference between a regulated output voltage on the output current summing node and a first reference voltage;
- and
- a digital control loop circuit configured to provide a digital current to the output current summing node based on an integration of the analog current, the analog current and the digital current together being a load current to be supplied to the electric load and the digital control loop circuit further configured to control the analog control loop circuit to asymptotically provide most of the load current through the digital current and to reduce values of the positive and negative analog currents.
A method, comprising:
- detecting a regulated output voltage on an output node;
- generating at least one reference voltage;
- providing to the output node an analog current including a positive analog current and negative analog current;
- digitally integrating the analog current;
- providing a digital current to the output node based on the integrating of the analog current;
- and
- providing on the output node a load current equal to the sum of the digital current and the analog current.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.