Voltage converter system and method having a stable output voltage
AssigneeMicron Technology, Inc.
InventorsChristophe J. Chevallier, Dumitru Cioaca
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus and method for compensating for a decreasing internal voltage that is generated from a higher external voltage. In response to the internal voltage decreasing in excess of a voltage margin, the amount by which the higher external voltage is reduced in generating the internal voltage is adjusted to raise the internal voltage.
Claims58
A voltage converter for converting a first voltage to an output voltage having a lower voltage than the first voltage, the voltage converter, comprising:
- an input node to which a first voltage is provided;
- an output node at which an output voltage having a lower voltage than the first voltage is provided;
- a voltage reduction circuit interposed between the input and output nodes and having a control node to which a control signal is applied, the voltage reduction circuit reducing the voltage of the first voltage according to the voltage of the control signal to provide the output voltage at the output node;
- and
- a feedback circuit having first and second inputs coupled to the input and output nodes, respectively, and further having an output coupled to the control node of the voltage reduction circuit, the feedback circuit coupling the input node to the control terminal in response to the voltage of the output voltage decreasing in excess of a voltage difference to compensate for the decrease in the output voltage.
A voltage converter for converting a first voltage to an output voltage having a lower voltage than the first voltage, the voltage converter, comprising:
- a voltage conversion circuit having an input node to which the first voltage is provided, an output node at which the output voltage is provided, and a control node to which a control signal having a control voltage is provided, the voltage conversion circuit generating an output voltage having a voltage relative to the first voltage based on the voltage of the control signal;
- and
- a feedback circuit having a sense node coupled to the output node, a supply node coupled to the input node, and a feedback node coupled to the control node, the feedback circuit generating a feedback signal at the feedback node to compensate for a decrease in the output voltage in response to the voltage of the output voltage falling below a trigger voltage.
A voltage converter for converting a first voltage to an output voltage having a lower voltage than the first voltage, the voltage converter, comprising:
- an input node to which a first voltage is provided;
- an output node at which an output voltage having a lower voltage than the first voltage is provided;
- a voltage controlled impedance device interposed between the input and output nodes and having a control node to which a control signal is applied, the voltage controlled impedance device reducing the voltage of the first voltage according to the voltage of the control signal to provide the output voltage at the output node;
- and
- a negative feedback circuit capacitively coupled between the control node of the voltage controlled impedance device and the output node to compensate for a decreasing output voltage by decreasing the impedance of the voltage controlled impedance device.
A voltage converter for converting a first voltage to an output voltage having a lower voltage than the first voltage, the voltage converter, comprising:
- an input node to which a first voltage is provided;
- an output node at which an output voltage having a lower voltage than the first voltage is provided;
- a voltage controlled impedance device interposed between the input and output nodes and having a control node to which a control signal is applied, the voltage reduction circuit reducing the voltage of the first voltage according to the voltage of the control signal to provide the output voltage at the output node;
- and
- a feedback circuit coupled to the input, output, and control nodes to transfer charge from the input node to the control node of the voltage controlled impedance device on the order of a decrease in charge of the control node.
A compensation circuit for a voltage converter that converts a first voltage applied to an input voltage node to an output voltage provided at an output voltage node, the output voltage having a lower voltage than the first voltage based on the voltage of a control signal applied to a control terminal of a voltage controlled impedance device coupled between the input and output voltage nodes, the compensation circuit comprising:
- a switch coupled between the input voltage node and the control terminal of the voltage controlled impedance device and having a control terminal, the switch coupling the input voltage node to the control terminal in response to the output voltage decreasing in excess of a voltage difference;
- and
- a voltage divider having load elements coupled between the input node and ground and further having a bias node coupled to the control terminal of the switch and the output node, the voltage divider maintaining a voltage at the control terminal of the switch to isolate the input node and the control terminal of the voltage controlled impedance device until the voltage of the output voltage decreases in excess of the voltage difference.
A compensation circuit for a voltage converter that converts a first voltage applied to an input voltage node to an output voltage provided at an output voltage node, the output voltage having a lower voltage than the first voltage based on the voltage of a control signal applied to a control terminal of a voltage controlled impedance device coupled between the input and output voltage nodes, the compensation circuit comprising:
- a switch coupled-between the input voltage node and the control terminal of the voltage controlled impedance device and having a control terminal, the switch coupling the input voltage node to the control terminal in response to the output voltage decreasing in excess of a voltage difference;
- a voltage divider having load elements coupled between the input node and ground and further having a bias node coupled to the control terminal of the switch and the output node;
- and
- a capacitor having a first terminal coupled to the output node and a second terminal coupled to the bias node.
A memory device, comprising:
- an address bus;
- a control bus;
- a data bus;
- an address decoder coupled to the address bus;
- a read/write circuit coupled to the data bus;
- a memory-cell array coupled to the address decoder, control circuit, and read/write circuit;
- and
- a voltage converter for converting a first voltage to an output voltage, the output voltage having a lower voltage than the first voltage and used internally to the memory device, the voltage converter comprising:
- a voltage conversion circuit having an input node to which the first voltage is provided, an output node at which the output voltage is provided, and a control node to which a control signal having a control voltage is provided, the voltage conversion circuit generating an output voltage having a voltage relative to the first voltage based on the voltage of the control signal;
- and
- a feedback circuit having a sense node coupled to the output node, a supply node coupled to the input node, and a feedback node coupled to the control node, the feedback circuit generating a feedback signal at the feedback node to compensate for a decrease in the output voltage in response to the voltage of the output voltage falling below a trigger voltage.
A computer system, comprising:
- a data input device;
- a data output device;
- a processor coupled to the data input and output devices;
- and
- a memory device coupled to the processor, the memory device comprising:
- an address bus;
- a control bus;
- a data bus;
- an address decoder coupled to the address bus;
- a read/write circuit coupled to the data bus;
- a memory-cell array coupled to the address decoder, control circuit, and read/write circuit;
- and
- a voltage converter for converting a first voltage to an output voltage, the output voltage having a lower voltage than the first voltage and used internally to the memory device, the voltage converter comprising:
- a voltage conversion circuit having an input node to which the first voltage is provided, an output node at which the output voltage is provided, and a control node to which a control signal having a control voltage is provided, the voltage conversion circuit generating an output voltage having a voltage relative to the first voltage based on the voltage of the control signal;
- and
- a feedback circuit having a sense node coupled to the output node, a supply node coupled to the input node, and a feedback node coupled to the control node, the feedback circuit generating a feedback signal at the feedback node to compensate for a decrease in the output voltage in response to the voltage of the output voltage falling below a trigger voltage.
A method for generating an internal voltage from an external voltage, comprising:
- converting the external voltage to a lower internal voltage through a voltage controlled impedance device;
- and
- in response to the internal voltage decreasing in excess of a trigger amount, coupling the external voltage to the voltage controlled impedance device to reduce its impedance.
A method for compensating for an internal voltage that is decreasing, the internal voltage generated from a higher external voltage, the method comprising in response to the internal voltage decreasing in excess of a voltage margin, adjusting an amount by which the higher external voltage is reduced in generating the internal voltage.
A method for generating an internal voltage from an external voltage, comprising:
- converting the external voltage to a lower internal voltage through a voltage controlled impedance device;
- and
- transferring charge from the external voltage on the order of a decrease in charge of the internal voltage to reduce impedance of the voltage controlled impedance device.
A method for generating an internal voltage from an external voltage, comprising:
- converting the external voltage to a lower internal voltage through a voltage controlled impedance device;
- inverting a decrease in the internal voltage to generate an feedback signal;
- and
- applying the feedback signal to the voltage controlled impedance device to reduce its impedance.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.