Expanded range DC-DC converter

• US 9,374,005 B2
• Filed: 08/13/2014
• Issued: 06/21/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/13/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qorvo US, Inc. (Qorvo, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: RF Micro Devices Incorporated (Qorvo, Inc.)
• Inventors: Rozek, Ashraf, Kay, Michael R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mottola, Steven J
• Application Number:
  US14/458,341
• Publication Number:
  US 20150048891A1
• Time in Patent Office: 678 Days
• Field of Search: 330/127, 330/136, 330/297
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/007 Plural converter units in cascade push-pull DC/DC converters with pre-regulator H02M3/3374; DC-AC converters following a DC-DC stage including a high frequency transformer H02M7/4807; DC-AC converters following a DC-DC conversion stage generating periodically varying voltages H02M7/4826
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/07 using capacitors charged and discharged alternately by semiconductor devices with control electrode , e.g. charge pumps
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/158 including plural semiconductor devices as final control devices for a single load
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 1/0227 using supply converters
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2200/102 A non-specified detector of a signal envelope being used in an amplifying circuit
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2200/451 the amplifier being a radio frequency amplifier
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/005 using switched capacitors, e.g. dynamic amplifiers; using switched capacitors as resistors in differential amplifiers H03F3/45 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/19 with semiconductor devices only
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/195 in integrated circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/21 with semiconductor devices only H03F3/245 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/245 with semiconductor devices only

Abstract

A DC-DC converter, which provides a converter output voltage using a DC source voltage, is disclosed. The DC-DC converter includes converter control circuitry and a boosting charge pump. The converter control circuitry selects one of a first boost operating mode, a second boost operating mode, and a boost disabled mode based on the DC source voltage. During the boost disabled mode, the boosting charge pump presents a high impedance at a charge pump output of the boosting charge pump. Otherwise, the boosting charge pump provides a charge pump output voltage. During the first boost operating mode, a nominal value of the charge pump output voltage is equal to about one and one-half times the DC source voltage. During the second boost operating mode, a nominal value of the charge pump output voltage is equal to about two times the DC source voltage.

Claims

1. A DC-DC converter configured to provide a converter output voltage using a DC source voltage and comprising:

converter control circuitry configured to select one of a first boost operating mode, a second boost operating mode, and a boost disabled mode based on the DC source voltage, and further configured to select the boost disabled mode when a setpoint of the converter output voltage is less than the DC source voltage minus an operating headroom; and

a boosting charge pump having a charge pump output and configured to;

during the boost disabled mode, present a high impedance at the charge pump output;

during the first boost operating mode, provide a charge pump output voltage via the charge pump output, such that a nominal value of the charge pump output voltage is equal to about one and one-half times the DC source voltage; and

during the second boost operating mode, provide the charge pump output voltage via the charge pump output, such that a nominal value of the charge pump output voltage is equal to about two times the DC source voltage.

2. The DC-DC converter of claim 1 wherein the converter control circuitry is further configured to select the first boost operating mode when the DC source voltage is above a first source threshold and when a setpoint of the converter output voltage is above the DC source voltage.

3. The DC-DC converter of claim 2 wherein a maximum voltage rating of switching transistor elements in the DC-DC converter is greater than two times the first source threshold.

4. The DC-DC converter of claim 1 wherein the converter control circuitry is further configured to select the second boost operating mode when the DC source voltage is below a first source threshold and when a setpoint of the converter output voltage is above the DC source voltage.

5. The DC-DC converter of claim 4 wherein a maximum voltage rating of switching transistor elements in the DC-DC converter is greater than two times the first source threshold.

6. The DC-DC converter of claim 1 wherein the charge pump output voltage is the converter output voltage.

11. The DC-DC converter of claim 1 wherein a DC power source is configured to provide the DC source voltage.

12. The DC-DC converter of claim 11 wherein the DC power source is a battery.

13. The DC-DC converter of claim 1 wherein the converter control circuitry is further configured to receive a power supply control signal, which is representative of a setpoint of the converter output voltage.

14. The DC-DC converter of claim 1 wherein the converter control circuitry is further configured to control operation of the boosting charge pump using a first charge pump switching control signal.

16. The DC-DC converter of claim 1 wherein the converter control circuitry is further configured to select between a first voltage, a second voltage, and a third voltage for the charge pump output voltage using a first charge pump switching control signal and a second charge pump switching control signal to regulate the converter output voltage based on a setpoint of the converter output voltage.

17. The DC-DC converter of claim 16 wherein the first voltage is nominally equal to one of about one and one-half times the DC source voltage and about two times the DC source voltage, the second voltage is nominally equal to about the DC source voltage, and the third voltage is nominally equal to about zero volts.

18. The DC-DC converter of claim 1 wherein the DC-DC converter is further configured to provide a converter output signal, which has the converter output voltage, such that the converter output signal is an envelope power supply signal, which provides power for amplification to a radio frequency power amplifier.

19. The DC-DC converter of claim 18 wherein the radio frequency power amplifier is configured to receive and amplify a radio frequency input signal to provide a radio frequency transmit signal using the envelope power supply signal.

7. A DC-DC converter configured to provide a converter output voltage using a DC source voltage and comprising:

converter control circuitry configured to select one of a first boost operating mode, a second boost operating mode, and a boost disabled mode based on the DC source voltage, and further configured to select the boost disabled mode to at least partially charge a first flying capacitive element and at least partially charge a second flying capacitive element; and

a boosting charge pump comprising the first flying capacitive element and the second flying capacitive element and having a charge pump output and configured to;

during the boost disabled mode, present a high impedance at the charge pump output;

during the first boost operating mode, provide a charge pump output voltage via the charge pump output, such that a nominal value of the charge pump output voltage is equal to about one and one-half times the DC source voltage; and

during the second boost operating mode, provide the charge pump output voltage via the charge pump output, such that a nominal value of the charge pump output voltage is equal to about two times the DC source voltage.

8. The DC-DC converter of claim 7 wherein during the boost disabled mode, when the DC source voltage is above a first source threshold and when a setpoint of the converter output voltage is above the DC source voltage, the first flying capacitive element and the second flying capacitive element are coupled in series between a DC power source and a ground, such that a voltage across each of the first flying capacitive element and the second flying capacitive element is equal to around about one-half times the DC source voltage.

9. The DC-DC converter of claim 7 wherein during the boost disabled mode, when the DC source voltage is below a first source threshold and when a setpoint of the converter output voltage is above the DC source voltage, the first flying capacitive element and the second flying capacitive element are coupled in parallel with one another to form a parallel combination, which is coupled between a DC power source and a ground.

10. The DC-DC converter of claim 7 wherein during the first boost operating mode and the second boost operating mode, the first flying capacitive element and the second flying capacitive element are coupled in parallel with one another to form a parallel combination, which is coupled between a DC power source and the charge pump output.

15. A DC-DC converter configured to provide a converter output voltage using a DC source voltage and comprising:

converter control circuitry configured to select one of a first boost operating mode, a second boost operating mode, and a boost disabled mode based on the DC source voltage;

a boosting charge pump having a charge pump output and configured to;

during the boost disabled mode, present a high impedance at the charge pump output;

during the first boost operating mode, provide a charge pump output voltage via the charge pump output, such that a nominal value of the charge pump output voltage is equal to about one and one-half times the DC source voltage; and

during the second boost operating mode, provide the charge pump output voltage via the charge pump output, such that a nominal value of the charge pump output voltage is equal to about two times the DC source voltage; and

a buck converter having a buck converter output and coupled to the boosting charge pump, such that during the first boost operating mode and the second boost operating mode, the buck converter is configured to provide the converter output voltage via the buck converter output using the charge pump output voltage.