Digital regulator

• US 10,444,782 B1
• Filed: 03/05/2019
• Issued: 10/15/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Winbond Electronics Corporation
• Original Assignee: Winbond Electronics Corporation
• Inventors: Lin, Chih-Feng
• Primary Examiner(s): Nash, Gary A
• Application Number:
  US16/292,581
• Time in Patent Office: 224 Days
• Field of Search: 323283, 323311, 323312
• CPC Class Codes: G05F 1/562 with a threshold detection shunting the control path of the final control device
• CPC Class Codes: G05F 1/565 sensing a condition of the system or its load in addition to means responsive to deviations in the output of the system, e.g. current, voltage, power factor G05F1/563 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05F 1/575 characterised by the feedback circuit
• CPC Class Codes: G05F 3/24 wherein the transistors are of the field-effect type only G05F3/205, G05F3/26, G05F3/30 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/157 with digital control
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 19/017509 Interface arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 19/20 characterised by logic function, e.g. AND, OR, NOR, NOT circuits H03K19/003 - H03K19/01 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 2005/00078 Fixed delay
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 5/00 Manipulating of pulses not covered by one of the other main groups of this subclass circuits with regenerative action H03K3/00, H03K4/00; by the use of non-linear magnetic or dielectric devices H03K3/45

Abstract

A digital regulator at least includes a comparator, a hysteresis comparator, a first control circuit, a second control circuit, a first transistor, and a second transistor. The comparator compares a reference voltage with an internal voltage, so as to generate a first control voltage. The hysteresis comparator compares the reference voltage with the internal voltage, so as to generate a second control voltage. The first transistor is coupled between a relatively high internal voltage and a control node. The first transistor is controlled by the first control circuit according to the first control voltage and the second control voltage. The second transistor is coupled between the control node and the internal voltage. The second transistor is controlled by the second control circuit according to the first control voltage and the second control voltage.

Claims

1. A digital regulator, comprising:

a comparator, coupled to a first external voltage, wherein the comparator is configured to compare a reference voltage with an internal voltage, so as to generate a first control voltage;

a hysteresis comparator, coupled to the first external voltage, wherein the hysteresis comparator is configured to compare the reference voltage with the internal voltage, so as to generate a second control voltage;

a first level shifter, coupled to a relatively high internal voltage, wherein the first level shifter generates a pre-control voltage according to the first control voltage;

a pre-driver, coupled to the relatively high internal voltage, wherein the pre-driver generates a gate control voltage at a control node according to the pre-control voltage;

a first control circuit, generating a third control voltage according to the first control voltage and the second control voltage;

a second control circuit, generating a fourth control voltage according to the first control voltage and the second control voltage;

a first transistor, wherein the first transistor has a control terminal for receiving the third control voltage, a first terminal coupled to the relatively high internal voltage, and a second terminal coupled to the control node;

a second transistor, wherein the second transistor has a control terminal for receiving the fourth control voltage, a first terminal coupled to the internal voltage, and a second terminal coupled to the control node; and

a third transistor, wherein the third transistor has a control terminal coupled to the control node, a first terminal coupled to the internal voltage, and a second terminal coupled to a second external voltage.

2. The digital regulator as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first transistor is a PMOS transistor (P-type Metal Oxide Semiconductor Field Effect Transistor), and each of the second transistor and the third transistor is an NMOS transistor (N-type Metal Oxide Semiconductor Field Effect Transistor).

3. The digital regulator as claimed in claim 1, wherein the relatively high internal voltage is higher than the first external voltage, and the first external voltage is higher than the second external voltage.

4. The digital regulator as claimed in claim 1, wherein in response to the internal voltage being lower than the reference voltage, the first control voltage is equal to the first external voltage, and wherein in response to the internal voltage being higher than the reference voltage, the first control voltage is equal to a ground voltage.

5. The digital regulator as claimed in claim 1, wherein in response to the internal voltage being lower than the reference voltage minus a voltage difference, the second control voltage rises from a ground voltage to the first external voltage, and wherein in response to the internal voltage being higher than the reference voltage plus the voltage difference, the second control voltage drops from the first external voltage to the ground voltage.

6. The digital regulator as claimed in claim 1, wherein a maximum of the first control voltage is equal to the first external voltage, and wherein a maximum of the pre-control voltage is equal to the relatively high internal voltage.

7. The digital regulator as claimed in claim 1, wherein the pre-driver comprises an inverter, and wherein the inverter of the pre-driver has a stronger capability of driving an output current than the first level shifter does.

8. The digital regulator as claimed in claim 1, wherein in response to the second control voltage rising to the first external voltage, the third control voltage drops from the relatively high internal voltage to a ground voltage, and wherein in response to the first control voltage dropping to the ground voltage, the third control voltage rises from the ground voltage to the relatively high internal voltage.

9. The digital regulator as claimed in claim 1, wherein in response to the second control voltage dropping to a ground voltage, the fourth control voltage rises from the ground voltage to the relatively high internal voltage, and wherein in response to the first control voltage rising to the first external voltage, the fourth control voltage drops from the relatively high internal voltage to the ground voltage.

10. The digital regulator as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first control circuit comprises:

a first inverter, wherein the first inverter has an input terminal for receiving the first control voltage, and an output terminal coupled to a first node;

a first inverting delay chain, wherein the first inverting delay chain has an input terminal coupled to the first node, and an output terminal coupled to a second node;

a first NAND gate, wherein the first NAND gate has a first input terminal coupled to the first node, a second input terminal coupled to the second node, and an output terminal coupled to a third node;

a second inverting delay chain, wherein the second inverting delay chain has an input terminal coupled to a fourth node for receiving the second control voltage, and an output terminal coupled to a fifth node;

a second NAND gate, wherein the second NAND gate has a first input terminal coupled to the fourth node, a second input terminal coupled to the fifth node, and an output terminal coupled to a sixth node;

a third NAND gate, wherein the third NAND gate has a first input terminal coupled to the third node, a second input terminal coupled to a seventh node, and an output terminal coupled to an eighth node;

a fourth NAND gate, wherein the fourth NAND gate has a first input terminal coupled to the eighth node, a second input terminal coupled to the sixth node, and an output terminal coupled to the seventh node;

a second inverter, wherein the second inverter has an input terminal coupled to the eighth node, and an output terminal coupled to a ninth node; and

a second level shifter, coupled to the relatively high internal voltage, wherein the second level shifter generates the third control voltage according to a voltage at the ninth node.

11. The digital regulator as claimed in claim 10, wherein a maximum of the voltage at the ninth node is equal to the first external voltage, and wherein a maximum of the third control voltage is equal to the relatively high internal voltage.

12. The digital regulator as claimed in claim 10, wherein each of the first inverting delay chain and the second inverting delay chain comprises an odd number of cascading inverters, and wherein the odd number is greater than or equal to 3.

13. The digital regulator as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second control circuit comprises:

a third inverter, wherein the third inverter has an input terminal for receiving the second control voltage, and an output terminal coupled to a tenth node;

a third inverting delay chain, wherein the third inverting delay chain has an input terminal coupled to the tenth node, and an output terminal coupled to an eleventh node;

a fifth NAND gate, wherein the fifth NAND gate has a first input terminal coupled to the tenth node, a second input terminal coupled to the eleventh node, and an output terminal coupled to a twelfth node;

a fourth inverting delay chain, wherein the fourth inverting delay chain has an input terminal coupled to a thirteenth node for receiving the first control voltage, and an output terminal coupled to a fourteenth node;

a sixth NAND gate, wherein the sixth NAND gate has a first input terminal coupled to the thirteenth node, a second input terminal coupled to the fourteenth node, and an output terminal coupled to a fifteenth node;

a seventh NAND gate, wherein the seventh NAND gate has a first input terminal coupled to the twelfth node, a second input terminal coupled to a sixteenth node, and an output terminal coupled to a seventeenth node;

an eighth NAND gate, wherein the eighth NAND gate has a first input terminal coupled to the seventeenth node, a second input terminal coupled to the fifteenth node, and an output terminal coupled to the sixteenth node; and

a third level shifter, coupled to the relatively high internal voltage, wherein the third level shifter generates the fourth control voltage according to a voltage at the sixteenth node.

14. The digital regulator as claimed in claim 13, wherein a maximum of the voltage at the sixteenth node is equal to the first external voltage, and wherein a maximum of the fourth control voltage is equal to the relatively high internal voltage.

15. The digital regulator as claimed in claim 13, wherein each of the third inverting delay chain and the fourth inverting delay chain comprises an odd number of cascading inverters, and wherein the odd number is greater than or equal to 3.