Voltage regulator with load pole stabilization

• US 5,648,718 A
• Filed: 09/29/1995
• Issued: 07/15/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: SGS-Thomson Microelectronics (STMicroelectronics NV)
• Original Assignee: SGS-Thomson Microelectronics (STMicroelectronics NV)
• Inventors: Edwards, William Ernest
• Primary Examiner(s): Wong, Peter S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Vu, Bao Q.
• Application Number:
  US08/536,436
• Time in Patent Office: 655 Days
• Field of Search: 323/273, 323/274, 323/280, 323/275, 330/109
• US Class Current: 323/274
• 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

Abstract

A voltage regulator with load pole stabilization is disclosed. The voltage regulator consists of an error amplifier, an integrator which includes a switched capacitor, a pass transistor, and a feed back circuit. In one embodiment, the integrator circuit includes an amplifier, a capacitor, and a switched capacitor which is driven by a voltage controlled oscillator. The voltage controlled oscillator changes its frequency of oscillation proportional to the output current. In another embodiment, the switched capacitor is driven by a current controlled oscillator whose frequency of oscillation is also proportional to the output current of the voltage regulator. When the output current demand is large, the controlled oscillators increase the frequency which decreases the effective resistance of the switched capacitor thereby changing the frequency of the zero to respond to the change in the load pole. Conversely, the effective resistance is increased as the current demand is decreased, also to respond to the decrease in load pole. Consequently, the disclosed voltage regulator has high stability without consuming excess power.

Claims

1. A voltage regulator circuit having an error amp, an amplifier, a pass transistor, and a feedback circuit, wherein the amplifier further comprises:

a compensation capacitor coupled to the amplifier; and

a switched capacitor having a clock input coupled to an output of the amplifier, the switched capacitor operable to vary the zero of the voltage regulator as a function of the current draw on the voltage regulator output.

2. The voltage regulator circuit of claim 1, further comprising a variable oscillator coupled between the output of the amplifier and the clock input of the switched capacitor, and operable to switch the switched capacitor at a frequency proportional to a current demand on the voltage regulator.

3. The voltage regulator circuit of claim 1 further comprising a voltage controlled oscillator having an input coupled to the output of the amplifier and having an output coupled to the clock input of the switched capacitor.

4. The voltage regulator of claim 1 further comprising a current controlled oscillator having an input coupled to the output of the amplifier and having an output coupled to the clock input of the switched capacitor.

5. The voltage regulator of claim 1 wherein the switched capacitor comprises:

a first transistor having a drain, source, and a gate for receiving a clock signal from a variable frequency source;

a capacitor having a first end coupled to the drain of the first transistor and having a second end coupled to ground; and

a second transistor having a drain coupled to the first end of the capacitor, having a source, and having a gate for receiving an inverted clock signal from the variable frequency source.

6. The voltage regulator circuit of claim 5 wherein the variable frequency source comprises a voltage controlled oscillator.

7. The voltage regulator circuit of claim 5 wherein the variable frequency source comprises a current controlled oscillator.

8. The voltage regulator circuit of claim 5 wherein the first transistor and the second transistor are MOSFET transistors.

9. A voltage regulator circuit comprising:

an error amp having a noninverting input for receiving a reference voltage, an inverting input, and an output;

an amplifier with an input coupled to the output of the error amp and having an output;

a compensation capacitor coupled to the amplifier;

a switched capacitor having a clock input coupled to the output of the amplifier and operable to vary the zero of the voltage regulator as the output current of the voltage regulator varies;

a pass transistor having a current path with a first end coupled to a voltage source and a second end coupled to an output of the voltage regulator, and having a control input coupled to the output of the amplifier; and

a feedback path coupled between the second end of the conductive path of the pass transistor and the inverting input of the error amp.

10. The voltage regulator circuit of claim 9, further comprising a variable oscillator coupled between the output of the amplifier and the clock input of the switched capacitor, and operable to switch the switched capacitor at a frequency proportional to a current demand on the voltage regulator.

11. The voltage regulator circuit of claim 9 further comprising a voltage controlled oscillator having an input coupled to the output of the amplifier and having an output coupled to the clock input of the switched capacitor.

12. The voltage regulator of claim 9 further comprising a current controlled oscillator having an input coupled to the output of the amplifier and having an output coupled to the clock input of the switched capacitor.

13. The voltage regulator of claim 9 wherein the switched capacitor comprises:

a first transistor having a drain, source, and a gate for receiving a clock signal from a variable frequency source;

a capacitor having a first end coupled to the drain of the first transistor and having a second end coupled to ground; and

a second transistor having a drain coupled to the first end of the capacitor, having a source, and having a gate for receiving an inverted clock signal from the variable frequency source.

14. The voltage regulator circuit of claim 13 wherein the variable frequency source comprises a voltage controlled oscillator.

15. The voltage regulator circuit of claim 13 wherein the variable frequency source comprises a current controlled oscillator.

16. The voltage regulator circuit of claim 13 wherein the first transistor and the second transistor are MOSFET transistors.

17. A method for stabilizing a regulating voltage from a voltage regulator with a load pole by generating a load pole cancelling zero comprising the steps of:

generating a clock signal having a frequency that varies with the load current of the voltage regulator; and

driving a switched capacitor with the generated clock signal to vary the zero of the voltage regulator as a function of the load current.

18. A method of claim 17 wherein the step of generating a clock signal is implemented using a voltage control oscillator.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein the step of generating a clock signal is implemented using a current control oscillator.

20. A power supply which includes a voltage regulating circuit comprising:

an error amp having a noninverting input for receiving a reference voltage, an inverting input, and an output;

an integrator circuit comprising;

an amplifier with an input coupled to the output of the error amp and having an output,

a switched capacitor and a capacitor coupled in series across the input and output of the amplifier, the switched capacitor operable to vary the zero of the voltage regulating circuit as a function of the current draw on the voltage regulating circuit;

a pass transistor having a current path with a first end coupled to a voltage source and a second end, and having a control element coupled to the output of the integrator circuit; and

a feedback circuit coupled between the second end of the conductive path of the pass transistor and the inverting input of the error amp.

21. A voltage regulator circuit comprising:

an error amp having a first input for receiving a reference voltage, a second input, and an output;

an amplifier having an input coupled to the output of the error amp and having an output;

a compensation capacitor coupled to the amplifier;

a switched capacitor coupled to the amplifier and having a clock input;

a variable oscillator having an input coupled to the output of the amplifier and an output coupled to the clock input of the switched capacitor, the variable oscillator and the switched capacitor together operable to vary the zero of the voltage regulator to track the varying load pole of the voltage regulator; and

a feedback path having one end coupled to the output of the amplifier and another end coupled to the second input of the error amp.

22. The voltage regulator of claim 21 wherein the capacitor and the switched capacitor are coupled in series between the input and output of the amplifier.

23. The voltage regulator of claim 21, further comprising a pass transistor coupled between a voltage source and an output of the voltage regulator, and having a control input coupled to the output of the amplifier.

24. The voltage regulator of claim 23, further comprising a sense resistor coupled between the pass transistor and the output of the voltage regulator, the two ends of the sense resistor being coupled to the input of the variable oscillator.

25. The voltage regulator of claim 23, further comprising a transistor coupled between the voltage source and the input of the variable oscillator, and having a control input coupled to the output of the amplifier.

26. The voltage regulator of claim 21, further comprising a voltage divider coupled between the output of the voltage regulator and the one end of the feedback path.

27. An automatic stabilization circuit for a voltage regulator having a regulating element coupled to an output terminal and connectable to a load, a feed back element, and an amplifier having input and output terminals, the automatic stabilization circuit comprising:

a variable oscillator having a control input coupled to the output terminal and an oscillator output generating a variable frequency clock signal whose frequency is dependent on changes in the load; and

a switched capacitor circuit coupled to the amplifier to provide variable compensation to the amplifier, the switched capacitor circuit receiving the variable frequency clock signal and generating a variable impedance whose value varies in response to changes in the frequency of the variable frequency clock signal.