Low power oscillator circuit with temperature compensation circuit and electronic apparatus thereof
AssigneeNuvoton Technology Corporation
InventorsCheng-Tao Li, Ping-Wen Lai
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A low power oscillator circuit with temperature compensation is illustrated. A current supply unit of an oscillator used to output an output current which is proportional to a reference current. As the temperature is increased, both a first threshold and the reference current of a unidirectional conduct in the temperature compensation circuit are decreased. Because a delay time of the oscillating signal is proportional to the first threshold voltage, and the delay time is inversely proportional to the reference current, the effects of the first threshold voltage and the reference current on the delay time are canceled, and the delay time of the oscillating signal is not affected by the temperature.
Claims17
A low power oscillator circuit, comprising:
- a current supply unit, having a reference current output end, a first current output end, a second current output end, a third current output end, and a fourth current output end, wherein a reference current is outputted via the reference current output end, a first output current is outputted via the first current output end, a second output current is outputted via the second current output end, a third output current is outputted via the third current output end, a fourth output current is outputted via the fourth current output end, the reference current is decreased as a temperature increases, wherein the first output current, the second output current, the third output current, and the fourth output current are proportional to the reference current;
- a temperature compensation circuit, electrically connected to the second current output end, and comprising a unidirectional conduction element, and a resistor string which is connected to the unidirectional conduction element in parallel, wherein the unidirectional conduction element has a first threshold voltage, and the first threshold voltage is configured to determine whether the unidirectional conduction element is conducted, one end of the unidirectional conduction element that is connected to the resistor string is connected to the second current output end, and the other end of the unidirectional conduction element that is connected to the resistor string is at a low voltage;
- a bias circuit, electrically connected to the reference current output end, the first current output end and the temperature compensation circuit, and configured to receive the reference current to generate a reference voltage and output the first output current to a middle node of the resistor string, to make a voltage of the middle node of the resistor string the same as the reference voltage, wherein the voltage of the middle node is configured to determine the first threshold voltage;
- and
- a drive circuit, electrically connected to the third current output end and the fourth current output end, and comprising an output transistor and a capacitor, wherein one end of the capacitor is electrically connected to a gate of the output transistor, another end of the capacitor is electrically connected to a source of the output transistor, and the source of the output transistor is electrically connected to the low voltage;
- wherein the output transistor has a second threshold voltage, the second threshold voltage is configured to determine to turn on/off the output transistor, the output transistor generates an oscillating signal via turning on/off, and the first threshold voltage is equal to the second threshold voltage.
A low power oscillator circuit, comprising:
- a current supply unit, configured to generate a reference current, and generate a first current, a second current, a third current and a fourth current based on the reference current, wherein the first current, the second current, the third current and the fourth current are proportional to the reference current;
- a temperature compensation circuit, electrically connected to the current supply unit, configured to receive the second current, and comprising an unidirectional conduction element, and a resistor string which is connected to the unidirectional conduction element in parallel, wherein the unidirectional conduction element has a first threshold voltage, the first threshold voltage is configured to determine whether the unidirectional conduction element is conducted, one end of the unidirectional conduction element that is connected to the resistor string is configured to receive the second current, and the other end of the unidirectional conduction element that is connected to the resistor string in parallel is at a low voltage;
- a bias circuit, electrically connected to the current supply unit and the temperature compensation circuit, configured to receive the reference current, generate a reference voltage and output an output current to a middle node of the resistor string, so as to generate a voltage at the middle node of the resistor string, wherein the voltage is the same as the reference voltage, and configured to determine the first threshold voltage;
- and
- a drive circuit, electrically connected to the current supply unit, and comprising an output transistor and a capacitor, wherein one end of the capacitor is electrically connected to a gate of the output transistor, another end of the capacitor is electrically connected to a source of the output transistor, the source of the output transistor is electrically connected to the low voltage, the end of the capacitor is configured to receive the third current, a drain of the output transistor is configured to receive the fourth current, the output transistor has a second threshold voltage, the second threshold voltage is configured to determine whether the output transistor is conducted, the second threshold voltage is the same as the first threshold voltage, and the drain of the output transistor is configured to output an oscillating signal.
An electronic device, comprising:
- a low power oscillator circuit, comprising:
- a current supply unit, having a reference current output end, a first current output end, a second current output end, a third current output end, and a fourth current output end, wherein a reference current is outputted via the reference current output end, a first output current is outputted via the first current output end, a second output current is outputted via the second current output end, a third output current is outputted via the third current output end, a fourth output current is outputted via the fourth current output end, the reference current is decreased as a temperature increases, wherein the first output current, the second output current, the third output current, and the fourth output current are proportional to the reference current;
- a temperature compensation circuit, electrically connected to the second current output end, and comprising a unidirectional conduction element, and a resistor string which is connected to the unidirectional conduction element in parallel, wherein the unidirectional conduction element has a first threshold voltage, and the first threshold voltage is configured to determine whether the unidirectional conduction element is conducted, one end of the unidirectional conduction element that is connected to the resistor string is connected to the second current output end, and the other end of the unidirectional conduction element that is connected to the resistor string is at a low voltage;
- a bias circuit, electrically connected to the reference current output end, the first current output end and the temperature compensation circuit, and configured to receive the reference current to generate a reference voltage and output the first output current to a middle node of the resistor string, to make a voltage of the middle node of the resistor string the same as the reference voltage, wherein the voltage of the middle node is configured to determine the first threshold voltage;
- a drive circuit, electrically connected to the third current output end and the fourth current output end, and comprising an output transistor and a capacitor, wherein one end of the capacitor is electrically connected to a gate of the output transistor, the other end of the capacitor is electrically connected to a source of the output transistor, and the source of the output transistor is electrically connected to the low voltage;
- wherein the output transistor has a second threshold voltage, the second threshold voltage is configured to determine to turn on/off the output transistor, the output transistor generates an oscillating signal via turning on/off, and the first threshold voltage is equal to the second threshold voltage;
- and
- a function circuit, electrically connected to the low power oscillator circuit, configured to operate based on an oscillating signal.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.