Self-Biased Voltage Reference Generators
AssigneeApple Inc.
InventorsEnrico Pardi, Maicol Cannella
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system for generating a voltage reference may include a feedback path coupled to a first power rail, a reference circuit coupled to a second power rail, an output transistor, and a feedback transistor. The output transistor operates as switch during a first time to connect the first power rail to the voltage reference, then operates in saturation during a second time to regulate the voltage reference to a target voltage set by the reference circuit based on the feedback path driving the gate of the output transistor via a resistance. Other aspects are also described and claimed.
Claims20
A system for generating a voltage reference, comprising:
- a feedback path coupled to a first power rail;
- an output transistor having a gate coupled to the feedback path and to a second power rail through a resistance, a source coupled to the first power rail, and a drain coupled to a voltage reference;
- and
- a feedback transistor having a gate coupled to the voltage reference and a drain coupled to the feedback path,
- wherein the output transistor operates as switch during a first time to connect the first power rail to the voltage reference, then operates in saturation during a second time to regulate the voltage reference to a target voltage based on the feedback path driving the gate of the output transistor.
A method for generating a voltage reference, comprising:
- operating an output transistor as switch during a first time to connect a first power rail to a voltage reference, wherein the output transistor has a gate coupled to a feedback path and to a second power rail through a resistance, a source coupled to the first power rail, and a drain coupled to a voltage reference, and wherein a feedback transistor has a gate coupled the voltage reference and a drain coupled to the feedback path;
- and
- operating the output transistor in saturation during a second time to regulate the voltage reference to a target voltage based on the feedback path driving the gate of the output transistor.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.