Low dropout voltage regulator with switching output current boost circuit

• US 7,683,592 B2
• Filed: 09/06/2006
• Issued: 03/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/06/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Atmel Corporation (Microchip Technology Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Atmel Corporation (Microchip Technology Incorporated)
• Inventors: Carreira, Joao Pedro Antunes, Soude, Thierry, Demolli, Frederic
• Primary Examiner(s): Han; Jessica
• Assistant Examiner(s): PHAM, EMILY P
• Application Number:
  US11/516,535
• Publication Number:
  US 20080054867A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,294 Days
• Field of Search: 323280-282, 323273-275, 323/269, 323/285
• US Class Current: 323/275
• CPC Class Codes: G05F 1/575 characterised by the feedback circuit

Abstract

A low dropout voltage regulator with switching output current boost circuit. In one aspect of the invention, a voltage regulator circuit includes a low dropout voltage regulator providing an output voltage at an output based on an input voltage at an input, and a boost circuit connected to the low dropout voltage regulator. The boost circuit includes a comparator and a boost transistor device for allowing additional current to be provided to the output of the low dropout voltage regulator when the output voltage of the current regulator falls below a predetermined threshold.

Claims

1. A voltage regulator circuit, comprising:

an input;

an output;

an error amplifier to receive a reference voltage and a first feedback voltage and to output an error signal,

a transistor coupled between the input and the output to receive the error signal, the error amplifier coupled to the transistor;

a boost circuit coupled to the transistor, the boost circuit including a boost transistor and a comparator, wherein the boost transistor is coupled between the input and the output, wherein the comparator is coupled to the boost transistor and to receive the reference voltage and a second feedback voltage, wherein the boost transistor is turned on to pass current from the input to the output when the reference voltage is higher than the second feedback voltage; and

a resistor network coupled in series between the output and a ground, the resistor network comprising a first resistor, a second resistor, and a third resistor, wherein the first feedback voltage is tapped between the first resistor and the second resistor, wherein the second feedback voltage is tapped between the second resistor and the third resistor.

2. The voltage regulator circuit of claim 1, comprising a capacitor coupled between the output and ground.

3. The voltage regulator circuit of claim 1, wherein the boost transistor provides additional current at the output when the voltage at the output falls below a predetermined threshold.

4. The voltage regulator circuit of claim 1, wherein a source of the transistor and a source of the boost transistor are coupled to the input.

5. The voltage regulator circuit of claim 1, wherein a drain of the transistor and a drain of the boost transistor are coupled to the output.

6. The voltage regulator circuit of claim 1, wherein the third resistor is directly connected to the output.

7. The voltage regulator circuit of claim 1, wherein the first resistor is directly connected to the ground.

8. The voltage regulator circuit of claim 1, wherein the first feedback voltage is given by the relation:

V_FB1= (R₁/(R₁+R₂+R₃))*V_out, wherein, R₁ is the resistance of the first resistor, R₂ is the resistance of the second resistor, R₃ is the resistance of the third resistor, V_FB1 is the first feedback voltage, and V_out is the output voltage.

9. The voltage regulator circuit of claim 1, wherein the second feedback voltage is given by the relation:

V_FB2=((R₂+R₁)/(R₁+R₂+R₃))*V_out, wherein, R₁ is the resistance of the first resistor, R₂ is the resistance of the second resistor, R₃ is the resistance of the third resistor, V_FB2 is the second feedback voltage, and V_out is the output voltage.

10. A voltage regulator circuit comprising:

a reference voltage source;

an error amplifier including a first input, a second input, and a first output, the first input to receive a reference voltage from the reference voltage source, the second input to receive a first feedback voltage;

a first transistor including a gate coupled to the first output, a source to receive an input voltage, and a drain coupled to an output;

a boost circuit including;

a comparator including a third input to receive the reference voltage, a fourth input to receive a second feedback voltage, and a comparator output; and

a second transistor including a gate coupled to the comparator output, a source to receive the input voltage, and a drain coupled to the output; and

a resistor network coupled in series between the output and ground, the resistor network comprising, in series, a first resistor, a second resistor, and a third resistor, wherein the first feedback voltage is tapped between the first resistor and the second resistor, wherein the second feedback voltage is tapped between the second resistor and the third resistor.

11. The voltage regulator circuit of claim 10, wherein the first transistor includes a PMOS transistor.

12. The voltage regulator circuit of claim 10, wherein the second transistor includes a PMOS transistor.

13. The voltage regulator circuit of claim 10, wherein the third resistor includes a node connected to the output.

14. The voltage regulator circuit of claim 10, wherein the first resistor includes a node connected to the ground.

15. A voltage regulator circuit comprising:

a reference voltage source;

an error amplifier including a first input, a second input, and a first output, the first input to receive a reference voltage from the reference voltage source, the second input to receive a first feedback voltage;

a first transistor including a gate coupled to the first output, a source to receive an input voltage, and a drain coupled to an output;

a boost circuit including;

a comparator including a third input to receive the reference voltage, a fourth input to receive a second feedback voltage, and a comparator output; and

a second transistor including a gate coupled to the comparator output, a source to receive the input voltage, and a drain coupled to the output; and

a resistor network coupled in series between the output and ground, the resistor network comprising, in series, a first resistor, a second resistor, and a third resistor, wherein the first feedback voltage is tapped between the first resistor and the second resistor, wherein the second feedback voltage is tapped between the second resistor and the third resistor and the first feedback voltage is given by the relation;

V_FB1=(R₁/(R₁ +R₂+R₃))*V_out, wherein, R₁ is the resistance of the first resistor, R₂ is the resistance of the second resistor, R₃is the resistance of the third resistor, V_FB1 is the first feedback voltage, and V_out is the output voltage.

16. A voltage regulator circuit, comprising:

a reference voltage source;

an error amplifier including a first input, a second input, and a first output, the first input to receive a reference voltage from the reference voltage source, the second input to receive a first feedback voltage;

a first transistor including a gate coupled to the first output, a source to receive an input voltage, and a drain coupled to an output;

a boost circuit including;

a comparator including a third input to receive the reference voltage, a fourth input to receive a second feedback voltage, and a comparator output; and

a second transistor including a gate coupled to the comparator output, a source to receive the input voltage, and a drain coupled to the output; and

a resistor network coupled in series between the output and ground, the resistor network comprising, in series, a first resistor, a second resistor, and a third resistor, wherein the first feedback voltage is tapped between the first resistor and the second resistor, wherein the second feedback voltage is tapped between the second resistor and the third resistor and the second feedback voltage is given by the relation;

V_FB2=((R₂+R₁)/(R₁+R₂+R₃))*V_out, wherein, R₁ is the resistance of the first resistor, R₂ is the resistance of the second resistor, R₃ is the resistance of the third resistor, V_FB2 is the second feedback voltage, and V_out is the output voltage.

17. A voltage regulator circuit, comprising:

an input;

an output;

an error amplifier to receive a reference voltage and a first feedback voltage and output an error signal, the error amplifier coupled to a transistor, the transistor coupled between the input and the output to receive the error signal;

a boost circuit coupled to the transistor, the boost circuit including a boost transistor and a comparator, wherein the boost transistor is coupled between the input and the output, wherein the comparator is coupled to the boost transistor and to receive the reference voltage and a second feedback voltage, wherein the boost transistor is turned on to pass current from the input to the output when the reference voltage is higher than the second feedback voltage; and

a resistor network coupled in series between the output and a ground, the resistor network consisting of a first resistor, a second resistor, and a third resistor, wherein the first feedback voltage is tapped between the first resistor and the second resistor, wherein the second feedback voltage is tapped between the second resistor and the third resistor.

18. The voltage regulator circuit of claim 17, wherein the boost transistor includes a PMOS transistor.

19. The voltage regulator circuit of claim 17, wherein the third resistor is connected to the output.

20. The voltage regulator circuit of claim 17, wherein the first resistor is connected to the ground.