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US 7,453,244 B1Granted
Low dropout regulator with control loop for avoiding hard saturation
AssigneeNational Semiconductor Corporation
InventorJames T. Doyle
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A hard saturation mode of operation can be avoided in an LDO regulator by providing an additional feedback control loop. The additional control loop cooperates with the LDO regulator's amplifier stage and output stage to maintain at least a minimum desired voltage drop across the output stage from the power supply to the load.
Claims20
A voltage regulator comprising:
- an amplifier stage operable to receive an input signal;
- an output stage coupled to the amplifier stage, the output stage having a first terminal operable to be coupled to a power supply rail and a second terminal operable to be coupled to a load;
- and
- a control loop circuit coupled to the amplifier stage and the output stage, the control loop circuit operable to adjust the input signal so as to maintain at least a specified voltage drop between the first and second terminals of the output stage.
1 more element
An apparatus comprising:
- a load operable to receive a regulated voltage;
- a signal source operable to generate a control signal;
- and
- a voltage regulator comprising:
- an amplifier stage operable to receive the control signal;
- an output stage coupled to the amplifier stage, the output stage having a first terminal coupled to a power supply rail and a second terminal coupled to the load;
- and
- a control loop circuit coupled to the amplifier stage and the output stage, the control loop circuit operable to adjust the control signal so as to maintain at least a specified voltage drop between the first and second terminals of the output stage.
5 more elements
A method comprising:
- receiving a control signal and generating an output voltage using a voltage regulator, the voltage regulator comprising an amplifier stage and an output stage, the output stage having a first terminal coupled to a power supply rail and a second terminal coupled to a load;
- and
- adjusting the control signal so as to maintain at least a specified voltage drop between the first and second terminals of the output stage.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.