Circuit arrangement for voltage regulation

• US 7,091,770 B2
• Filed: 10/21/2004
• Issued: 08/15/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/23/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
• Original Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
• Inventors: Schlaffer, Andreas
• Primary Examiner(s): Cunningham, Terry D.
• Application Number:
  US10/970,363
• Publication Number:
  US 20050073285A1
• Time in Patent Office: 663 Days
• Field of Search: 327/534, 327/535, 327/537, 327/538, 327/540, 327/541, 327/543, 327/545, 327/546, 363/59, 363/60, 323/316
• US Class Current: 327/541
• CPC Class Codes: G05F 3/24 wherein the transistors are of the field-effect type only G05F3/205, G05F3/26, G05F3/30 take precedence

Abstract

Circuit arrangement for voltage regulation having a voltage divider and a regulating circuit. The voltage divider is arranged between a first potential and a reference-ground potential and has a plurality of diodes connected in series, wherein an output voltage is tapped off at a terminal of one of the diodes. The regulating circuit, to which the output voltage and a reference voltage are applied, regulates the first potential based on a comparison of the output voltage with the reference voltage. The divider ratio of the voltage divider is altered by activating or deactivating one or more of the diodes, and is additionally altered by setting a magnitude of a voltage drop across at least one of the diodes.

Claims

1. A circuit arrangement for voltage regulation comprising:

a voltage divider, which is arranged between a first potential and a reference-ground potential and which has a plurality of diodes connected in series, wherein an output voltage is tapped off at a terminal of one of the diodes; and

a regulating circuit, to which the output voltage and a reference voltage are applied, and which regulates the first potential based on a comparison of the output voltage with the reference voltage,

wherein a divider ratio of the voltage divider is altered by activating or deactivating one or more of the diodes so that a magnitude of a voltage drop across at least one of the diodes is greater than zero and less than the threshold voltage of the at least one of the diodes.

2. The circuit arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the diodes are formed by respective MOS transistors connected as diodes.

3. The circuit arrangement according to claim 1, wherein a second terminal of one of the diodes, whose first terminal is connected to the reference-earth potential, is provided for tapping off the output voltage.

4. The circuit arrangement according to claim 1, further comprising a first transistor connected in parallel with a first one of the diodes to set the voltage drop across this first diode.

5. The circuit arrangement according to claim 4, further comprising a second transistor, which is connected in parallel with a second one of the diodes, which is connected to the first diode, to lower the voltage drop across the second diode.

6. The circuit arrangement according to claim 4, further comprising a control circuit, which drives the first transistor connected in parallel with the first diode, and which has an operational amplifier via which the first transistor is driven such that one of the terminals of the first diode assumes a predetermined voltage.

7. The circuit arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the regulating circuit comprises:

an operational amplifier having a non-inverting input and an inverting input, wherein the output voltage is applied to the non-inverting input and the reference voltage is applied to the inverting input; and

a charge pump circuit, which charges an output voltage of the operational amplifier and outputs the first potential.

8. An integrated circuit comprising the circuit arrangement according to claim 1.

9. An integrated circuit comprising the circuit arrangement according to claim 2.

10. An integrated circuit comprising the circuit arrangement according to claim 3.

11. An integrated circuit comprising the circuit arrangement according to claim 4.

12. An integrated circuit comprising the circuit arrangement according to claim 5.

13. An integrated circuit comprising the circuit arrangement according to claim 6.

14. An integrated circuit comprising the circuit arrangement according to claim 7.

15. The circuit arrangement according to claim 4, further comprising a control circuit configured to control the first transistor such that the first transistor sets the magnitude of the voltage drop across the first diode.

16. The circuit arrangement according to claim 15, wherein the control circuit includes an operational amplifier circuit having a feedback loop that is connected to at least one terminal of the first transistor or is connected to at least one terminal of the first diode.

17. The circuit arrangement according to claim 16, wherein the feedback loop is a positive feedback loop.

18. The circuit arrangement according to claim 15, wherein the control circuit includes an operational amplifier circuit having a positive feedback loop, wherein the operational amplifier circuit is connected to at least one terminal of the first transistor and is connected to at least one terminal of the first diode.

19. The circuit arrangement according to claim 15, wherein the magnitude of the voltage drop across the at least one of the diodes is further configurable to be set to at least three different magnitudes, including:

a first magnitude;

a second magnitude that is less than the first magnitude; and

a third magnitude that is less than the first magnitude but greater than the second magnitude.

20. An integrated circuit comprising the circuit arrangement according to claim 15.

21. An integrated circuit comprising the circuit arrangement according to claim 16.

22. An integrated circuit comprising the circuit arrangement according to claim 17.

23. An integrated circuit comprising the circuit arrangement according to claim 18.

24. An integrated circuit comprising the circuit arrangement according to claim 19.

25. A circuit arrangement for voltage regulation comprising:

a voltage dividing means, which is arranged between a first potential and a reference-ground potential and which has a plurality of diodes connected in series, wherein an output voltage is tapped off at a terminal of one of the diodes; and

a regulating means, to which the output voltage and a reference voltage are applied, and which regulates the first potential based on a comparison of the output voltage with the reference voltage,

wherein a divider ratio of the voltage dividing means is altered by activating or deactivating one or more of the diodes so that a magnitude of a voltage drop across at least one of the diodes is greater than zero and less than the threshold voltage of the at least one of the diodes.