Charge pump circuit
AssigneeCirrus Logic International Semiconductor Ltd.
InventorsJohn P. Lesso, Peter J. Frith, John L. Pennock
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A bipolar output charge pump circuit having a network of switching paths for selectively connecting an input node and a reference node for connection to an input voltage, a first pair of output nodes, two pairs of flying capacitor nodes, and a controller for controlling the switching of the network of switching paths. The controller is operable to control the network of switching paths when in use with two flying capacitors connected to the two pairs of flying capacitor nodes, to provide a first mode and a second mode when in use with two flying capacitors connected to the flying capacitor nodes, wherein at least the first mode corresponds to a bipolar output voltage of +/−3VV, +/−VV/5 or +/−VV/6.
Claims20
A charge pump circuit operable to output a bipolar output voltage, comprising:
- at least one input node configured to receive an input voltage;
- a first output node and a second output node configured to output the bipolar output voltage;
- flying capacitor nodes configured for connection of a plurality of flying capacitors;
- a network of switching paths for interconnecting said nodes;
- and
- a switch controller operable in at least a first mode to control the network of switching paths, when in use with two flying capacitors connected to the flying capacitor nodes and with first and second reservoir capacitors connected to the first and second output nodes respectively, to repeatedly charge the first and second reservoir capacitors to provide a first nominal bipolar output voltage, wherein the first nominal bipolar output voltage is one of ±3VV, ±2VV, ±VV/3, ±VV/4, ±VV/5 or ±VV/6, where VV is the input voltage;
- wherein the switch controller is operable such that a frequency of charging the first and second reservoir capacitors in said first mode is variable from a first maximum frequency to at least a second lower frequency.
A charge pump circuit operable to output a bipolar output voltage, comprising:
- at least one input node configured to receive an input voltage;
- first and second output nodes for outputting the bipolar output voltage;
- flying capacitor nodes configured for connection to at least first and second flying capacitors;
- a network of switching paths for interconnecting said nodes;
- and
- a switch controller operable in at least a first mode to control the network of switching paths, when in use with first and second reservoir capacitors connected to the first and second output nodes respectively, to repeatedly charge the first and second reservoir capacitors to provide a bipolar output voltage, wherein the bipolar output voltage is one of ±3VV, ±2VV, ±VV/3, ±VV/4, ±VV/5 or ±VV/6, where VV is the input voltage;
- wherein the switch controller is operable to controllably vary a frequency of charging the first and second reservoir capacitors up to a maximum frequency.
A charge pump circuit for receiving a voltage input and outputting a bipolar output voltage, the charge pump circuit comprising:
- output nodes for outputting the bipolar output voltage, the output nodes being connected, in use, to first and second reservoir capacitors;
- flying capacitor nodes for connection to a plurality of flying capacitors;
- a switch network comprising a plurality of switches;
- a switch controller for selectively controlling said switches in a sequence of switch states to generate the bipolar output voltage, wherein the bipolar output voltage is one of ±3VV, ±2VV, ±VV/3, ±VV/4, ±VV/5 or ±VV/6, where VV is the input voltage and wherein the switch controller is operable such that a frequency of charging of the first and second reservoir capacitors is controllably variable in use, and
- wherein the switch network comprises at least a first switch formed on a first region of semiconductor substrate where the first region is isolated from the rest of the substrate by one or more n-well regions.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.