Voltage converter for converting an input voltage to an output voltage and driving circuit comprising a voltage converter
AssigneeNXP B.V.
InventorAndy C. Negoi
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The invention regards an improved voltage converter with increased current capability. The voltage converter architecture may be configured by software. In the prior art programmable charge pumps have been configured in such a way, that the unused stages were simply short circuited by a decoding logic. According to the invention these stages are used to increase the current capability of the first pumping stage. In particular the result is an increase in current capability of a proposed charge pump device by 10% to 15% without the need of additional parts and within the same area.
Claims18
A voltage converter for converting an input voltage to an output voltage comprising a plurality of cascaded voltage multipliers and control circuitry for controlling the plurality of voltage multipliers, wherein the control circuitry comprises a switching means for activating at least one first voltage multiplier selected from the plurality of voltage multipliers and for switching at least one further voltage multiplier located in the cascade before the first voltage multiplier in the same way as the first voltage multiplier.
A method of converting an input voltage to an output voltage by means of a voltage converter comprising a plurality of cascaded voltage multipliers, wherein at least one first voltage multiplier selected from the plurality of voltage multipliers is activated and at least one further voltage multiplier located in the cascade before the first voltage multiplier is switched in the same way as the first voltage.
A voltage converter for converting an input voltage to an output voltage, comprising:
- a plurality of cascaded voltage multipliers and control circuitry adapted to control the plurality of voltage multipliers, the control circuitry further comprising:
- a bottom plate driver adapted to activate at least one first voltage multiplier selected from the plurality of voltage multipliers and to switch at least one further voltage multiplier located in the cascade before the first voltage multiplier in the same way as the first voltage multiplier.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.