Radiation tolerant discrete reference for dc-dc converter

By using a combination of discrete bipolar junction transistors and Zener diodes, a radiation-resistant discrete reference voltage source was constructed, solving the problem of high-cost radiation-resistant integrated reference voltage sources and achieving the effects of low cost, high precision, and high radiation tolerance.

CN116530002BActive Publication Date: 2026-04-21CRANE ELECTRONICS INC
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Patent Information

Authority / Receiving Office
CN · China
Patent Type
Patents(China)
Current Assignee / Owner
CRANE ELECTRONICS INC
Filing Date
2022-09-01
Publication Date
2026-04-21

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

Existing radiation-hardened integrated reference voltage sources are expensive and lack cost-effective alternatives.

Method used

By employing a combination of discrete bipolar junction transistors and Zener diodes, and adjusting the resistance values ​​of the resistors and transistors, a radiation-resistant discrete reference voltage source is constructed to achieve high precision and high radiation tolerance.

Benefits of technology

It offers lower cost than traditional integrated reference voltage sources while maintaining high accuracy and radiation tolerance of up to 300 krad, with performance comparable to traditional reference circuits.

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Abstract

The radiation tolerant discrete reference voltage source includes only two bipolar junction transistors, five resistors, and a Zener diode. Two of the resistors form a voltage divider for the output reference voltage. The values of the resistors included in the voltage divider can be selected to output a desired reference voltage level, such as 5.00 V, 4.00 V, or 2.50 V, which avoids the need to obtain a unique voltage reference for these reference voltage levels and provides design flexibility. The radiation tolerant discrete reference voltage source provides improved control against radiation and does not require a high gain transistor. Because relatively few low cost components are used, the radiation tolerant discrete reference voltage source can be manufactured at a low cost.
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Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to power converters, and more specifically, to radiation-resistant discrete reference voltage sources for direct current (DC) to DC power converters. Background Technology

[0002] Radiation-hardened integrated voltage references are typically much more expensive than their non-radiation-hardened equivalents. For example, radiation-hardened integrated voltage references are often integrated bandgap devices, such as the LT1009 integrated reference circuit or the LM136 reference diode from Texas Instruments. The LT1009 integrated reference circuit and the LM136 reference diode can cost $180 and $160 respectively. The cost of a non-radiation-hardened equivalent per component is less than $5. Therefore, there is a desire to provide radiation-hardened integrated voltage references at a lower cost. Summary of the Invention

[0003] This invention provides a discrete voltage reference source using discrete bipolar junction transistors. Embodiments of this disclosure can achieve very high accuracy and radiation tolerance up to 300 krad (Si) using only discrete resistors, Zener diodes, and two transistors, while exhibiting voltage variations of less than 1%. The discrete voltage reference source according to this disclosure can be used for power conversion in applications such as printed circuit boards (PCBs) and hybrid DC-DC converters.

[0004] The radiation-resistant discrete reference voltage source according to this disclosure may include: an input terminal for receiving an input signal provided by an external voltage source during operation; an output terminal for outputting an output signal from the radiation-resistant discrete reference voltage source during operation; a first resistor including a first terminal and a second terminal, the first terminal of the first resistor being electrically connected to the input terminal and the second terminal of the first resistor being electrically connected to the output terminal; a second resistor including a first terminal and a second terminal, the first terminal of the second resistor being electrically connected to the output terminal and the second terminal of the second resistor being electrically connected to a ground conductor; a Zener diode including a first terminal and a second terminal, wherein the first terminal of the Zener diode is electrically connected to the input terminal; a third resistor including a first terminal and a second terminal, wherein the first terminal of the third resistor is electrically connected to the second terminal of the Zener diode; and a fourth resistor. The fourth resistor includes a first terminal and a second terminal, wherein the first terminal of the fourth resistor is electrically connected to the second terminal of the third resistor, and the second terminal of the fourth resistor is electrically connected to the ground conductor; a fifth resistor includes a first terminal and a second terminal, wherein the first terminal of the fifth resistor is electrically connected to the input terminal; a first transistor includes a first terminal, a second terminal, and a third terminal, wherein the first terminal of the first transistor is electrically connected to the first terminal of the fourth resistor, the second terminal of the first transistor is electrically connected to the second terminal of the fifth resistor, and the third terminal of the first transistor is electrically connected to the ground conductor; and a second transistor includes a first terminal, a second terminal, and a third terminal, wherein the first terminal of the second transistor is electrically connected to the second terminal of the fifth resistor, the second terminal of the second transistor is electrically connected to the ground conductor, and the third terminal of the second transistor is electrically connected to the input terminal.

[0005] The first terminal of a Zener diode can be the cathode terminal, and the second terminal of a Zener diode can be the anode terminal.

[0006] Each of the first transistor and the second transistor can be a bipolar junction transistor.

[0007] The first transistor can be a negative-positive-negative (NPN) bipolar junction transistor, and the second transistor can be a positive-negative-positive (PNP) bipolar junction transistor. The first terminal of the first transistor can be the base terminal, the second terminal of the first transistor can be the collector terminal, and the third terminal of the first transistor can be the emitter terminal. The first terminal of the second transistor can be the base terminal, the second terminal of the second transistor can be the collector terminal, and the third terminal of the second transistor can be the emitter terminal.

[0008] The radiation-resistant discrete reference voltage source may also include a capacitor having a first terminal and a second terminal, wherein the first terminal of the capacitor is electrically connected to the output terminal, and the second terminal of the capacitor is electrically connected to the ground conductor.

[0009] The radiation-resistant discrete reference voltage source according to this disclosure may include: an input terminal for receiving an input signal provided by an external voltage source during operation; an output terminal for outputting an output signal from the radiation-resistant discrete reference voltage source during operation; a first resistor including a first terminal and a second terminal, the first terminal of the first resistor being electrically connected to the input terminal and the second terminal of the first resistor being electrically connected to the output terminal; a second resistor including a first terminal and a second terminal, the first terminal of the second resistor being electrically connected to the output terminal and the second terminal of the second resistor being connected to a ground conductor; a Zener diode including a first terminal and a second terminal, wherein the first terminal of the Zener diode is electrically connected to the input terminal; a third resistor including a first terminal and a second terminal, wherein the first terminal of the third resistor is electrically connected to the second terminal of the Zener diode; a fourth resistor including a first terminal and a second terminal, the first terminal of the fourth resistor being electrically connected to the second terminal of the third resistor and the second terminal of the fourth resistor being electrically connected to the ground conductor; and a fifth resistor including a first terminal and a second terminal, wherein... The first terminal of the fifth resistor is electrically connected to the input terminal; the first transistor includes a first terminal, a second terminal, and a third terminal, wherein the first terminal of the first transistor is electrically connected to the first terminal of the fourth resistor, the second terminal of the first transistor is electrically connected to the second terminal of the fifth resistor, and the third terminal of the first transistor is electrically connected to a ground conductor; the second transistor includes a first terminal, a second terminal, and a third terminal, wherein the first terminal of the second transistor is electrically connected to the second terminal of the fifth resistor, and the second terminal of the second transistor is electrically connected to a ground conductor; the third transistor includes a first terminal, a second terminal, and a third terminal, wherein the first terminal of the fourth transistor is electrically connected to the third terminal of the third transistor, the second terminal of the fourth transistor is electrically connected to the ground conductor, and the third terminal of the second transistor is electrically connected to the first terminal of the Zener diode.

[0010] The first terminal of a Zener diode can be the cathode terminal, and the second terminal of a Zener diode can be the anode terminal.

[0011] Each of the first transistor, the second transistor, the third transistor, and the fourth transistor can be a bipolar junction transistor.

[0012] The first transistor may be a negative-positive-negative (NPN) bipolar junction transistor, and each of the second, third, and fourth transistors may be a positive-negative-positive (PNP) bipolar junction transistor. The first terminal of the first transistor may be its base terminal, the second terminal of the first transistor may be its collector terminal, and the third terminal of the first transistor may be its emitter terminal. Similarly, the first terminal of the second transistor may be its base terminal, the second terminal of the second transistor may be its collector terminal, and the third terminal of the second transistor may be its emitter terminal. The first terminal of the third transistor may be its base terminal, the second terminal of the third transistor may be its collector terminal, and the third terminal of the third transistor may be its emitter terminal. The first terminal of the fourth transistor may be its base terminal, the second terminal of the fourth transistor may be its collector terminal, and the third terminal of the fourth transistor may be its emitter terminal.

[0013] The radiation-resistant discrete reference voltage source may further include a capacitor having a first terminal and a second terminal, wherein the first terminal of the capacitor is electrically connected to the output terminal, and the second terminal of the capacitor is electrically connected to the ground conductor.

[0014] A method for providing a radiation-resistant discrete reference voltage source according to the present invention, characterized by comprising: electrically connecting a first terminal of a first resistor to an input terminal; electrically connecting a second terminal of the first resistor to an output terminal; electrically connecting a first terminal of a second resistor to the output terminal; electrically connecting a second terminal of the second resistor to a ground conductor; electrically connecting a first terminal of a Zener diode to the input terminal; electrically connecting a first terminal of a third resistor to a second terminal of the Zener diode; electrically connecting a first terminal of a fourth resistor to a second terminal of the third resistor; electrically connecting a second terminal of the fourth resistor to the ground conductor; electrically connecting a first terminal of a fifth resistor to the input terminal; electrically connecting a first terminal of a first transistor to a first terminal of the fourth resistor; electrically connecting a second terminal of the first transistor to a second terminal of the fifth resistor; electrically connecting a third terminal of the first transistor to a ground conductor; electrically connecting a first terminal of a second transistor to a second terminal of the fifth resistor; and electrically connecting a second terminal of the second transistor to a ground conductor.

[0015] The method may further include electrically connecting the third terminal of the second transistor to the first terminal of the Zener diode. The first transistor may be a negative-positive-negative (NPN) bipolar junction transistor, and the second transistor may be a positive-negative-positive (PNP) bipolar junction transistor. The first terminal of the Zener diode may be the cathode terminal, the second terminal of the Zener diode may be the anode terminal, the first terminal of the first transistor may be the base terminal, the second terminal of the first transistor may be the collector terminal, and the third terminal of the first transistor may be the emitter terminal. The first terminal of the second transistor may be the base terminal, the second terminal of the second transistor may be the collector terminal, and the third terminal of the second transistor may be the emitter terminal.

[0016] The method may further include: electrically connecting a first terminal of a third transistor to a third terminal of a second transistor; electrically connecting a second terminal of the third transistor to a ground conductor; electrically connecting a first terminal of a fourth transistor to a third terminal of the third transistor; electrically connecting a second terminal of the fourth transistor to the ground conductor; and electrically connecting a third terminal of the fourth transistor to a first terminal of a Zener diode. The first transistor may be a negative-positive-negative (NPN) bipolar junction transistor, and the second transistor may be a positive-negative-positive (PNP) bipolar junction transistor. The first terminal of a Zener diode can be its cathode terminal, and the second terminal of a Zener diode can be its anode terminal. Similarly, the first terminal of a first transistor can be its base terminal, the second terminal of a first transistor can be its collector terminal, and the third terminal of a first transistor can be its emitter terminal. Likewise, the first terminal of a second transistor can be its base terminal, the second terminal of a second transistor can be its collector terminal, and the third terminal of a second transistor can be its emitter terminal. The first terminal of a third transistor can be its base terminal, the second terminal of a third transistor can be its collector terminal, and the third terminal of a third transistor can be its emitter terminal. Finally, the first terminal of a fourth transistor can be its base terminal, the second terminal of a fourth transistor can be its collector terminal, and the third terminal of a fourth transistor can be its emitter terminal.

[0017] The method may further include: forming a third resistor as a first film; forming the fourth resistor as a second film; changing the resistance of the third resistor by modifying the first film; and changing the resistance of the fourth resistor by modifying the second film. Attached Figure Description

[0018] Figure 1A A circuit diagram of a radiation-resistant discrete reference voltage source according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0019] Figure 1B shows a circuit diagram including a conventional radiation-resistant discrete reference voltage source.

[0020] Figure 2A It shows the result of Figure 1A The curve of the voltage supplied by voltage source V1 shown in Figure 1B.

[0021] Figure 2B It shows the response to Figure 2A The input signal is shown in the simulated curves of the voltage reference signal output from the conventional radiation-resistant discrete reference voltage source shown in Figure 1B at different temperatures.

[0022] Figure 2C It shows the response to Figure 2A The input signal shown, from different temperatures Figure 1A The diagram shows a simulated curve of the voltage reference signal output from the radiation-resistant discrete reference voltage source.

[0023] Figure 3A A circuit diagram of a radiation-resistant discrete reference voltage source according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0024] Figure 3B shows a circuit diagram including a conventional radiation-resistant discrete reference voltage source.

[0025] Figure 4A It shows the result of Figure 3A The curve of the voltage supplied by voltage source V1 shown in Figure 3B.

[0026] Figure 4B It shows the response to Figure 4A The input signal is shown in the simulated curves of the voltage reference signal output from the conventional radiation-resistant discrete reference voltage source shown in Figure 3B at different temperatures.

[0027] Figure 4C It shows the response to Figure 4A The input signal shown, from different temperatures Figure 3A The figure shows simulated curves of the voltage reference signal output from the radiation-resistant discrete reference voltage source at different temperatures. Detailed Implementation

[0028] Figure 1AA circuit diagram of a radiation-resistant discrete reference voltage source 10 according to a first embodiment of the present invention is shown. The reference voltage source 10 includes an input terminal IN, which is electrically connected to an external voltage source V1 via an external resistor R7. Within the reference voltage source 10, the input terminal IN is electrically connected to a first terminal of resistor R1. A second terminal of resistor R1 is electrically connected to an output terminal OUT and a first terminal of resistor R2, which has a second terminal electrically connected to a ground conductor at a reference potential. Resistors R1 and R2 form a voltage bridge, which, by selecting appropriate values ​​for the resistances of resistors R1 and R2, allows the voltage level at the output terminal OUT to be easily adjusted to a desired voltage level (e.g., 5.00V, 4.00V, 2.50V), avoiding the need for a single voltage reference and providing significant design flexibility.

[0029] The input terminal IN is also electrically connected to the cathode terminal of Zener diode D1, the emitter terminal of transistor Q2, and the first terminal of resistor R5. The anode terminal of Zener diode D1 is electrically connected to the first terminal of resistor R3. The second terminal of resistor R3 is electrically connected to the first terminal of resistor R4 and the base terminal of transistor Q1. The second terminal of resistor R4 is electrically connected to the ground conductor at the reference potential. The second terminal of resistor R5 is electrically connected to the base terminal of transistor Q2 and the collector terminal of transistor Q1. The emitter terminal of transistor Q1 is electrically connected to the ground conductor at the reference potential.

[0030] In one example implementation, resistor R1 has a value of 17.45kΩ, resistor R2 has a value of 10kΩ, resistor R3 has a value of 620kΩ, resistor R4 has a value of 5kΩ, resistor R5 has a value of 9kΩ, Zener diode D1 is a UDZV6.2B Zener diode from ROHM Semiconductor, transistor Q1 is a 2N3904 negative-positive-negative (NPN) bipolar junction transistor from Motorola, and transistor Q2 is from ON Semiconductor (ON Semiconductor). The 2N3906 positive-negative-positive (PNP) bipolar junction transistor.

[0031] Advantageously, the radiation-resistant discrete reference voltage source 10 provides improved control over radiation resistance and does not require any special high-gain transistors. The discrete reference voltage source 10 has been tested at -55°C with a voltage variation of less than 1% for 300 krads (Si).

[0032] In one implementation, a radiation-resistant discrete reference voltage source 10 is constructed on a sub-assembly using thick-film technology, and then modified before the sub-assembly is mounted on the motherboard to achieve desired characteristics. More specifically, using thick-film technology, resistor R3 is formed as a first film, and resistor R4 is formed as a second film. Subsequently, during a laser trimming process, the resistances of resistor R3 and resistor R4 are changed by trimming the first and second films respectively using a laser, such that a desired voltage is present at the base terminal of transistor Q1. Thus, the desired accuracy can be achieved before the radiation-resistant discrete reference voltage source 10 is mounted on the motherboard. After the radiation-resistant discrete reference voltage source 10 is mounted on the motherboard, the output terminal OUT is electrically connected (e.g., using wires and solder) to a circuit on the motherboard to provide a reference voltage to the circuit via the output terminal OUT.

[0033] In one embodiment, the Zener diode D1 becomes more resistant with increasing temperature (i.e., has a positive temperature coefficient), and the transistor Q1 becomes less resistant with increasing temperature (i.e., has a negative temperature coefficient). More specifically, in at least some embodiments, the Zener diode D1 has a Zener voltage of 6.2V, and its positive temperature coefficient is compensated by the negative temperature coefficient of the transistor Q1, which has a base-emitter voltage Vbe of 0.6V. The negative temperature coefficient of the transistor Q1 can be fine-tuned by changing the resistance values ​​of resistors R3 and R4, for example by trimming resistors R3 and R4, to eliminate the temperature effect and generate 6.8V between the cathode terminal of the Zener diode D1 and the ground conductor.

[0034] Additionally, a soft-start capacitor C1 can be added to the output node OUT of the radiation-resistant discrete reference voltage source 10 to perform the soft-start function of the converter, similar to an integrated reference. For example, the soft-start capacitor includes a first terminal electrically connected to the output terminal OUT and a second terminal electrically connected to a ground conductor at the reference potential.

[0035] Figure 1B shows a circuit diagram including a conventional radiation-resistant integrated reference circuit U1, which is the LT1009 integrated reference circuit from Linear Technologies. The conventional radiation-resistant integrated reference circuit U1 is electrically connected to the voltage source V1 via Zener diode D3 and resistor R15, as shown in Figure 1B.

[0036] Figure 2A The diagram shows a simulated curve of the signal during a voltage scan of a radiation-resistant discrete reference voltage source 10 and a conventional radiation-resistant integrated reference circuit U1. Figure 1AThe voltage source V1 outputs as shown in Figure 1B. More specifically, the signal output from the voltage source V1 is provided to the input terminal IN of the radiation-resistant discrete reference voltage source 10 via resistor R7, and to the input terminal of the conventional radiation-resistant integrated reference circuit U1 via resistor R15 and Zener diode D3. Figure 2A The vertical axis represents voltage in volts (V), and the range shown is from 8V to 36V. Figure 2A The horizontal axis represents time in milliseconds (ms), and the range shown is from 0 ms to 2.0 ms. For example... Figure 2A As shown, the input signal increases linearly from 8 volts to 36 volts in 1 millisecond, and then decreases linearly back to 8 volts from 36 volts in 1 millisecond.

[0037] Figure 2B An analog graph of the voltage reference signal is shown, which responds to... Figure 2A The input signal shown is output from the output terminal of a conventional radiation-resistant integrated reference circuit U1 at different temperatures T1, T2 and T3. Figure 2B The vertical axis represents voltage in volts (V), and the range shown is from 2.493V to 2.505V. Figure 2B The horizontal axis represents time in milliseconds (ms), and the range shown is from 0 ms to 2.0 ms.

[0038] Figure 2C An analog graph of the voltage reference signal is shown, which responds to... Figure 2A The input signal shown, at different temperatures T1, T2, and T3, from Figure 1A The output terminal OUT of the radiation-resistant discrete reference voltage source 10 shown is used for output. Figure 2C The vertical axis represents voltage in volts (V), and the range shown is from 2.486V to 2.504V. Figure 2C The horizontal axis represents time in milliseconds (ms), and the range shown is from 0 ms to 2.0 ms.

[0039] By comparison Figure 2B and Figure 2C It can be seen that, Figure 1A The radiation-resistant discrete reference voltage source 10 shown has performance and temperature coefficient as good as the conventional radiation-resistant integrated reference circuit U1 shown in Figure 1B. The radiation-resistant discrete reference voltage source 10 according to this disclosure advantageously includes relatively fewer components, and its cost is approximately 10% of the cost of the conventional radiation-resistant integrated reference circuit U1.

[0040] Figure 3AA circuit diagram of a radiation-resistant discrete reference voltage source 20 according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. The radiation-resistant discrete reference voltage source 20 is similar in many relevant respects to Figure 1A The radiation-resistant discrete reference voltage source 10 shown in the diagram, except that it does not use a single PNP bipolar junction transistor Q2, uses three cascaded PNP bipolar junction transistors Q2, Q3 and Q4 to improve line rejection.

[0041] The radiation-resistant discrete reference voltage source 20 includes an input terminal IN, which is electrically connected to an external voltage source V1 via an external resistor R8. Within the reference voltage source 20, the input terminal IN is electrically connected to a first terminal of resistor R1. The second terminal of resistor R1 is electrically connected to an output terminal OUT and a first terminal of resistor R2, which has a second terminal electrically connected to a ground conductor at a reference potential. Resistors R1 and R2 form a voltage bridge that allows the voltage level at the output terminal OUT to be easily adjusted to a desired voltage level (e.g., 5.00V, 4.00V, 2.50V) by selecting appropriate values ​​for resistors R1 and R2. This avoids the need for a single voltage reference and provides design flexibility.

[0042] The input terminals are also electrically connected to the cathode terminal of Zener diode D1, the emitter terminal of transistor Q4, and the first terminal of resistor R5. The anode terminal of Zener diode D1 is electrically connected to the first terminal of resistor R3. The second terminal of resistor R3 is electrically connected to the first terminal of resistor R4 and the base terminal of transistor Q1. The second terminal of resistor R4 is electrically connected to the ground conductor at a reference potential. The emitter terminal of transistor Q1 is electrically connected to the ground conductor at a reference potential. The collector terminal of transistor Q1 is electrically connected to the second terminal of resistor R5 and the base terminal of transistor Q2. The emitter terminal of transistor Q2 is electrically connected to the base terminal of transistor Q3. The emitter terminal of transistor Q3 is electrically connected to the base terminal of transistor Q4. The collector terminals of transistors Q2, Q3, and Q4 are electrically connected to the ground conductor at a reference potential.

[0043] In one example implementation, resistor R1 has a value of 17.4kΩ, resistor R2 has a value of 10kΩ, resistor R3 has a value of 1.2kΩ, resistor R4 has a value of 10kΩ, resistor R5 has a value of 10kΩ, and Zener diode D1 is a UDZV6.4B Zener diode from ROHM Semiconductor. Transistor Q1 is a 2N3904 negative-positive-negative (NPN) bipolar junction transistor from Motorola, and transistors Q2, Q3, and Q4 are each from ON Semiconductor. The 2N3906 positive-negative-positive (PNP) bipolar junction transistor.

[0044] Figure 3B shows a circuit diagram including a conventional radiation-resistant integrated reference circuit U1, which is the LT1009 integrated reference circuit from Linear Technologies. The conventional radiation-resistant integrated reference circuit U1 is electrically connected to the voltage source V1 via Zener diode D3 and resistor R15, as shown in Figure 3B.

[0045] Figure 4A The diagram shows a simulated curve of the signal during a voltage scan of a radiation-resistant discrete reference voltage source 20 and a conventional radiation-resistant integrated reference circuit U1. Figure 3A And the voltage source V1 output shown in Figure 3B. More specifically, the signal output from the voltage source V1 is provided to the input terminal IN of the radiation-resistant discrete reference voltage source 20 via resistor R8, and to the input terminal of the conventional radiation-resistant integrated reference circuit U1 via resistor R15 and Zener diode D3. Figure 4A The vertical axis represents voltage in volts (V), and the range shown is from 8V to 36V. Figure 4A The horizontal axis represents time in milliseconds (ms), and the range shown is from 0 ms to 2.0 ms. For example... Figure 4A As shown, the input signal increases linearly from 8 volts to 36 volts in 1 millisecond, and then decreases linearly back to 8 volts from 36 volts in 1 millisecond.

[0046] Figure 4B An analog graph of the voltage reference signal is shown, which responds to... Figure 4A The input signal shown is output from the output terminal of a conventional radiation-resistant integrated reference circuit U1 at different temperatures T1, T2 and T3. Figure 4B The vertical axis represents voltage in volts (V), and the range shown is from 2.493V to 2.505V. Figure 4B The horizontal axis represents time in milliseconds (ms), and the range shown is from 0 ms to 2.0 ms.

[0047] Figure 4C An analog graph of the voltage reference signal is shown, which responds to... Figure 4A The input signal shown, at different temperatures T1, T2 and T3, from Figure 3A The output terminal OUT of the radiation-resistant discrete reference voltage source 20 shown is output. Figure 4C The vertical axis represents voltage in volts (V), and the range shown is from 2.4936V to 2.5024V. Figure 4CThe horizontal axis represents time in milliseconds (ms), and the range shown is from 0 ms to 2.0 ms.

[0048] By comparison Figure 4B and Figure 4C It can be seen that, Figure 3A The radiation-resistant discrete reference voltage source 20 shown has performance and temperature coefficients that are as good as, and in some cases even better than, the conventional radiation-resistant integrated reference circuit U1 shown in Figure 3B. The radiation-resistant discrete reference voltage source 20 according to this disclosure advantageously comprises relatively few components, and its cost is approximately 10% of the cost of the conventional radiation-resistant integrated reference circuit U1.

[0049] Further embodiments can be provided by combining the various embodiments described above. All U.S. patents, U.S. patent application publications, U.S. patent applications, foreign patents, foreign patent applications and non-patent publications mentioned in and / or listed in the application data sheets are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. If necessary, aspects of the embodiments can be modified to employ concepts from various patents, applications and publications to provide additional embodiments.

[0050] Based on the detailed description above, these and other changes can be made to the embodiments. Generally, the terminology used in the following claims should not be construed as limiting the claims to the specific embodiments disclosed in the specification and claims, but should be interpreted to include all possible embodiments and the full scope of equivalents conferred by these claims. Therefore, the claims are not limited to this disclosure.

[0051] U.S. Patent Application No. 17 / 466,866, filed on September 3, 2021 (which claims priority hereof), is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

Claims

1. A radiation-resistant discrete reference voltage source, comprising: Input terminals are used to input signals provided by an external voltage source during operation; The output terminal outputs an output signal from the radiation-resistant discrete reference voltage source during operation; A first resistor includes a first terminal and a second terminal, wherein the first terminal of the first resistor is electrically connected to the input terminal, and the second terminal of the first resistor is electrically connected to the output terminal; The second resistor includes a first terminal and a second terminal, wherein the first terminal of the second resistor is electrically connected to the output terminal, and the second terminal of the second resistor is electrically connected to a ground conductor; A Zener diode includes a first terminal and a second terminal, wherein the first terminal of the Zener diode is electrically connected to the input terminal; A third resistor includes a first terminal and a second terminal, wherein the first terminal of the third resistor is electrically connected to the second terminal of the Zener diode; A fourth resistor includes a first terminal and a second terminal, wherein the first terminal of the fourth resistor is electrically connected to the second terminal of the third resistor, and the second terminal of the fourth resistor is electrically connected to the ground conductor; The fifth resistor includes a first terminal and a second terminal, wherein the first terminal of the fifth resistor is electrically connected to the input terminal; A first transistor includes a first terminal, a second terminal, and a third terminal, wherein the first terminal of the first transistor is electrically connected to the first terminal of the fourth resistor, the second terminal of the first transistor is electrically connected to the second terminal of the fifth resistor, and the third terminal of the first transistor is electrically connected to the ground conductor; and The second transistor includes a first terminal, a second terminal, and a third terminal, wherein the first terminal of the second transistor is electrically connected to the second terminal of the fifth resistor, the second terminal of the second transistor is electrically connected to the ground conductor, and the third terminal of the second transistor is electrically connected to the input terminal.

2. The radiation-resistant discrete reference voltage source according to claim 1, wherein: The first terminal of the Zener diode is the cathode terminal of the Zener diode, and The second terminal of the Zener diode is the anode terminal of the Zener diode.

3. The radiation-resistant discrete reference voltage source according to claim 1, wherein, Each of the first transistor and the second transistor is a bipolar junction transistor.

4. The radiation-resistant discrete reference voltage source according to claim 1, wherein: The first transistor is a negative-positive-negative (NPN) bipolar junction transistor, and The second transistor is a positive-negative-positive (PNP) bipolar junction transistor.

5. The radiation-resistant discrete reference voltage source according to claim 4, wherein: The first terminal of the first transistor is the base terminal of the first transistor. The second terminal of the first transistor is the collector terminal of the first transistor. The third terminal of the first transistor is the emitter terminal of the first transistor. The first terminal of the second transistor is the base terminal of the second transistor. The second terminal of the second transistor is the collector terminal of the second transistor, and The third terminal of the second transistor is the emitter terminal of the second transistor.

6. The radiation-resistant discrete reference voltage source according to claim 1, further comprising: A capacitor has a first terminal and a second terminal, wherein the first terminal of the capacitor is electrically connected to the output terminal, and the second terminal of the capacitor is electrically connected to the ground conductor.

7. A radiation-resistant discrete reference voltage source, comprising: Input terminals are used to input signals provided by an external voltage source during operation; The output terminal outputs an output signal from the radiation-resistant discrete reference voltage source during operation; A first resistor includes a first terminal and a second terminal, wherein the first terminal of the first resistor is electrically connected to the input terminal, and the second terminal of the first resistor is electrically connected to the output terminal; The second resistor includes a first terminal and a second terminal, wherein the first terminal of the second resistor is electrically connected to the output terminal, and the second terminal of the second resistor is electrically connected to a ground conductor; A Zener diode includes a first terminal and a second terminal, wherein the first terminal of the Zener diode is electrically connected to the input terminal; A third resistor includes a first terminal and a second terminal, wherein the first terminal of the third resistor is electrically connected to the second terminal of the Zener diode; A fourth resistor includes a first terminal and a second terminal, wherein the first terminal of the fourth resistor is electrically connected to the second terminal of the third resistor, and the second terminal of the fourth resistor is electrically connected to the ground conductor; The fifth resistor includes a first terminal and a second terminal, wherein the first terminal of the fifth resistor is electrically connected to the input terminal; A first transistor includes a first terminal, a second terminal, and a third terminal, wherein the first terminal of the first transistor is electrically connected to the first terminal of the fourth resistor, the second terminal of the first transistor is electrically connected to the second terminal of the fifth resistor, and the third terminal of the first transistor is electrically connected to the ground conductor. The second transistor includes a first terminal, a second terminal, and a third terminal, wherein the first terminal of the second transistor is electrically connected to the second terminal of the fifth resistor, and the second terminal of the second transistor is electrically connected to the ground conductor; A third transistor includes a first terminal, a second terminal, and a third terminal, wherein the first terminal of the third transistor is electrically connected to the third terminal of the second transistor, and the second terminal of the third transistor is electrically connected to the ground conductor; and The fourth transistor includes a first terminal, a second terminal, and a third terminal, wherein the first terminal of the fourth transistor is electrically connected to the third terminal of the third transistor, the second terminal of the fourth transistor is electrically connected to the ground conductor, and the third terminal of the second transistor is electrically connected to the first terminal of the Zener diode.

8. The radiation-resistant discrete reference voltage source according to claim 7, wherein: The first terminal of the Zener diode is the cathode terminal of the Zener diode, and The second terminal of the Zener diode is the anode terminal of the Zener diode.

9. The radiation-resistant discrete reference voltage source according to claim 7, wherein, Each of the first transistor, the second transistor, the third transistor, and the fourth transistor is a bipolar junction transistor.

10. The radiation-resistant discrete reference voltage source according to claim 7, wherein: The first transistor is a negative-positive-negative (NPN) bipolar junction transistor, and Each of the second transistor, the third transistor, and the fourth transistor is a positive-negative-positive (PNP) bipolar junction transistor.

11. The radiation-resistant discrete reference voltage source according to claim 10, wherein: The first terminal of the first transistor is the base terminal of the first transistor. The second terminal of the first transistor is the collector terminal of the first transistor. The third terminal of the first transistor is the emitter terminal of the first transistor. The first terminal of the second transistor is the base terminal of the second transistor. The second terminal of the second transistor is the collector terminal of the second transistor. The third terminal of the second transistor is the emitter terminal of the second transistor. The first terminal of the third transistor is the base terminal of the third transistor. The second terminal of the third transistor is the collector terminal of the third transistor. The third terminal of the third transistor is the emitter terminal of the third transistor. The first terminal of the fourth transistor is the base terminal of the fourth transistor. The second terminal of the fourth transistor is the collector terminal of the fourth transistor, and The third terminal of the fourth transistor is the emitter terminal of the fourth transistor.

12. The radiation-resistant discrete reference voltage source according to claim 7, further comprising: A capacitor has a first terminal and a second terminal, wherein the first terminal of the capacitor is electrically connected to the output terminal, and the second terminal of the capacitor is electrically connected to the ground conductor.

13. A method for providing a radiation-resistant discrete reference voltage source, the method comprising: Electrically connect the first terminal of the first resistor to the input terminal; Electrically connect the second terminal of the first resistor to the output terminal; Electrically connect the first terminal of the second resistor to the output terminal; Electrically connect the second terminal of the second resistor to the ground conductor; The first terminal of the Zener diode is electrically connected to the input terminal; The first terminal of the third resistor is electrically connected to the second terminal of the Zener diode; The first terminal of the fourth resistor is electrically connected to the second terminal of the third resistor; The second terminal of the fourth resistor is electrically connected to the grounding conductor; Electrically connect the first terminal of the fifth resistor to the input terminal; The first terminal of the first transistor is electrically connected to the first terminal of the fourth resistor; The second terminal of the first transistor is electrically connected to the second terminal of the fifth resistor; The third terminal of the first transistor is electrically connected to the grounding conductor; The first terminal of the second transistor is electrically connected to the second terminal of the fifth resistor; The second terminal of the second transistor is electrically connected to the grounding conductor; as well as The third terminal of the second transistor is electrically connected to the first terminal of the Zener diode.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein: The first transistor is a negative-positive-negative (NPN) bipolar junction transistor, and The second transistor is a positive-negative-positive (PNP) bipolar junction transistor.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein: The first terminal of the Zener diode is the cathode terminal of the Zener diode. The second terminal of the Zener diode is the anode terminal of the Zener diode. The first terminal of the first transistor is the base terminal of the first transistor. The second terminal of the first transistor is the collector terminal of the first transistor. The third terminal of the first transistor is the emitter terminal of the first transistor. The first terminal of the second transistor is the base terminal of the second transistor. The second terminal of the second transistor is the collector terminal of the second transistor, and The third terminal of the second transistor is the emitter terminal of the second transistor.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising: The first terminal of the third transistor is electrically connected to the third terminal of the second transistor; The second terminal of the third transistor is electrically connected to the grounding conductor; The first terminal of the fourth transistor is electrically connected to the third terminal of the third transistor; The second terminal of the fourth transistor is electrically connected to the grounding conductor; as well as The third terminal of the fourth transistor is electrically connected to the first terminal of the Zener diode.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein: The first transistor is a negative-positive-negative (NPN) bipolar junction transistor, and The second transistor is a positive-negative-positive (PNP) bipolar junction transistor.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein: The first terminal of the Zener diode is the cathode terminal of the Zener diode. The second terminal of the Zener diode is the anode terminal of the Zener diode. The first terminal of the first transistor is the base terminal of the first transistor. The second terminal of the first transistor is the collector terminal of the first transistor. The third terminal of the first transistor is the emitter terminal of the first transistor. The first terminal of the second transistor is the base terminal of the second transistor. The second terminal of the second transistor is the collector terminal of the second transistor. The third terminal of the second transistor is the emitter terminal of the second transistor. The first terminal of the third transistor is the base terminal of the third transistor. The second terminal of the third transistor is the collector terminal of the third transistor. The third terminal of the third transistor is the emitter terminal of the third transistor. The first terminal of the fourth transistor is the base terminal of the fourth transistor. The second terminal of the fourth transistor is the collector terminal of the fourth transistor, and The third terminal of the fourth transistor is the emitter terminal of the fourth transistor.

19. The method of claim 13, further comprising: The third resistor is formed as a first film; The fourth resistor is formed as a second film; The resistance of the third resistor is changed by modifying the first film; as well as The resistance of the fourth resistor is changed by modifying the second film.

Citation Information

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