Slope and level trim DAC for voltage reference

• US 6,329,804 B1
• Filed: 10/13/1999
• Issued: 12/11/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: National Semiconductor Corporation (Texas Instruments, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: National Semiconductor Corporation (Texas Instruments, Inc.)
• Inventors: Mercer, Mark J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wong, Peter S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Vu, Bao Q.
• Application Number:
  US09/416,896
• Time in Patent Office: 790 Days
• Field of Search: 323/313, 323/314, 323/315, 323/316
• US Class Current: 323/315
• CPC Class Codes: G05F 3/30 Regulators using the difference between the base-emitter voltages of two bipolar transistors operating at different current densities G05F3/26 takes precedence

Abstract

A method and apparatus for trimming the level and slope in a voltage reference using current-switching DACs to inject small correction currents into or draw currents from the voltage reference circuit. Each DAC is controlled via a programmable non-volatile memory, which can be programmed after final packaging. Thus, the present technique enables trimming the voltage reference circuit after the circuit has been packaged. For the slope trim, the current is injected into or drawn from one side or the other of the band-gap core cell. The level trim DAC sources a correction current into or sinks a correction current from the resistor chain that sets the voltage level at the base of the transistors in the band-gap core. The level and slope trim DACs generate currents that are precise multiples of the currents through the resistors being trimmed. Thus the corrections are invariant with process and temperature, the necessary trim range is minimized, and the shape of the remaining error (curvature) is not altered. This current replication technique has the same effect as an ideal trim, i.e. produces the same result as changing the values of the resistors around which the trim circuits are placed.

Claims

1. A circuit for adjusting the level or slope trim in a voltage reference, the circuit comprising:

a differential amplifier connected across a reference resistor having a first terminal and a second terminal;

a first current mirror connected to an output of the differential amplifier; and

a second current mirror connected to the first current mirror.

2. The circuit of claim 1, further comprising an output node connected to the second current mirror, wherein the second current mirror sources a current through the output node to the voltage reference.

3. The circuit of claim 2, wherein the first current mirror comprises a control transistor and at least one mirror transistor.

4. The circuit of claim 3, wherein an output of the differential amplifier is connected to the control transistor.

5. The circuit of claim 4, wherein a positive input terminal of the differential amplifier is connected to the control transistor.

6. The circuit of claim 5, wherein a negative input terminal of the differential amplifier is connected to the second terminal of the reference resistor.

7. The circuit of claim 6, further comprising a first resistor connected between the first terminal of the reference resistor and a node formed by the positive terminal of the differential amplifier and the control transistor.

8. The circuit of claim 2, wherein the second current mirror comprises a controlling diode connected to the first current mirror, and at least one mirror transistor.

9. The circuit of claim 8, wherein the second current mirror comprises a plurality of mirror transistors, each mirror transistor of the current mirror having a control switch.

10. The circuit of claim 9, further comprising a non-volatile memory to store control codes for controlling the transistor switches.

11. The circuit of claim 10, wherein the output node injects a current produced by the second current mirror into the voltage reference, and the magnitude of the current is controlled by the transistor switches.

12. The circuit of claim 10, wherein the non-volatile memory is an EEPROM that is programmed after the voltage reference circuit has been packaged.

13. The circuit of claim 2, wherein the first current mirror comprises a plurality of mirror transistors, each mirror transistor having a control switch.

14. The circuit of claim 2, wherein the differential amplifier is an output transconductance amplifier (OTA).

15. The circuit of claim 2, wherein the output node further comprises a selection switch for switching the current into one side of a band-gap core to compensate for a slope error.

16. A circuit for adjusting the level or slope trim in a voltage reference, the circuit comprising:

a differential amplifier connected across a reference resistor having a first terminal and a second terminal;

a first current mirror connected to an output of the differential amplifier; and

an output node connected to the first current mirror, wherein the first current mirror sinks a current through the output node from the voltage reference.

17. The circuit of claim 16, wherein the differential amplifier is an output transconductance amplifier (OTA).

18. The circuit of claim 16, wherein the first current mirror comprises a plurality of mirror transistors, each mirror transistor having a control switch.

19. The circuit of claim 16, wherein the output node further comprises a selection switch for switching the current drawn from one side of a band-gap core to compensate for a slope error.

20. The circuit of claim 16, wherein the first current mirror comprises a control transistor and at least one mirror transistor.

21. The circuit of claim 20, wherein an output of the differential amplifier is connected to the control transistor.

22. The circuit of claim 21, wherein a positive input terminal of the differential amplifier is connected to the control transistor.

23. The circuit of claim 22, wherein a negative input terminal of the differential amplifier is connected to the second terminal of the reference resistor.

24. The circuit of claim 23, further comprising a first resistor connected between the first terminal of the reference resistor and a node formed by the positive terminal of the differential amplifier and the control transistor.

25. The circuit of claim 18, further comprising a non-volatile memory to store control codes for controlling the transistor switches.

26. The circuit of claim 25, wherein the non-volatile memory is an EEPROM that is programmed after the voltage reference circuit has been packaged.

27. The circuit of claim 26, wherein the output node draws a current from the voltage reference, and the magnitude of the current is controlled by the transistor switches.

28. A method for trimming the voltage level of an output voltage in a voltage reference circuit, the method comprising:

producing a reference current having a similar temperature coefficient as a current flowing in the voltage reference;

mirroring the reference current to produce a desired base trim current;

mirroring the base trim current to produce a desired level trim correction current; and

injecting the level trim correction current into the voltage reference circuit.

29. The method of claim 28, further comprising:

programming a non-volatile memory to control the current mirroring, after the voltage reference circuit has been packaged.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the mirroring of the reference current and the base trim current comprises selecting an appropriate combination of current mirror transistors.

31. A method for trimming the slope of an output voltage in a voltage reference circuit, the method comprising:

producing a reference current having a similar temperature coefficient as a current flowing in the voltage reference;

mirroring the reference current to produce a desired base slope current;

mirroring the base slope current to produce a desired slope trim correction current; and

injecting the slope trim correction current into a band-gap core.

32. The method of claim 31, further comprising:

programming a non-volatile memory to control the current mirroring, after the voltage reference circuit has been packaged.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein the mirroring of the reference current and the base trim current comprises selecting an appropriate combination of current mirror transistors.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein the slope trim correction current is selectably injected into one side of the band-gap core to adjust the slope up or down.

35. A method for trimming the voltage level of an output voltage in a voltage reference circuit, the method comprising:

producing a reference current having a similar temperature coefficient as a current flowing in the voltage reference;

mirroring the reference current; and

sinking a correction current equal to a multiple of the reference current from the voltage reference circuit.

36. The method of claim 35, further comprising:

programming a non-volatile memory to control the current mirroring, after the voltage reference circuit has been packaged.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein the mirroring of the reference current comprises selecting an appropriate combination of current mirror transistors.

38. A method for trimming the slope of an output voltage in a voltage reference circuit, the method comprising:

producing a reference current having a similar temperature coefficient as a current flowing in the voltage reference;

mirroring the reference; and

sinking a correction current equal to a multiple of the reference current from a band-gap core.

39. The method of claim 38, further comprising:

programming a non-volatile memory to control the current mirroring, after the voltage reference circuit has been packaged.

40. The method of claim 39, wherein the mirroring of the reference comprises selecting an appropriate combination of current mirror transistors.

41. The method of claim 40, wherein the slope trim correction current is selectably drawn from one side of the band-gap core to adjust the slope up or down.

42. A circuit for adjusting the level or slope trim in a voltage reference, the circuit comprising:

a differential amplifier connected across a reference resistor having a first terminal and a second terminal;

a first current mirror connected to an output of the differential amplifier;

a second current mirror connected to the first current mirror;

a third current mirror; and

an output node connected to the second and third current mirrors.

43. The circuit of claim 42, wherein the second current mirror injects a correction current into the voltage reference and the third current mirror draws a correction current out of the voltage reference, as selected by transistor switches controlled by a non-volatile memory.

44. The circuit of claim 43, wherein the differential amplifier produces a reference current having a similar temperature coefficient as a current flowing in the voltage reference.

45. The circuit of claim 44, wherein the correction current produced by the second current mirror or the third current mirror has a similar temperature coefficient as the current flowing in the voltage reference.