Transient response circuit and power supply system

Abstract

This application provides a transient response circuit and power supply system, relating to the field of transient response technology. The transient response circuit includes an auxiliary energy storage unit; a switching unit connected between the auxiliary energy storage unit and a load terminal; and a controller connected to the switching unit and the load terminal, used to detect the voltage at the load terminal and, when the load terminal voltage is lower than a threshold, control the switching unit to conduct, causing the auxiliary energy storage unit to provide supplementary current to the load terminal. The auxiliary energy storage unit is configured to store electrical energy higher than the normal operating voltage of the load terminal before a voltage drop occurs at the load terminal. The transient response circuit and power supply system provided by this application have the advantages of being able to respond to transient effects and having lower cost.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of transient response technology, and more specifically, to a transient response circuit and power supply system. Background Technology

[0002] When modern chips switch loads, the load current changes drastically, causing transient voltage drops or overshoots in the supply voltage. Transient voltage drops can lead to chip logic errors, performance degradation, or even malfunction; voltage overshoots can damage internal chip components.

[0003] To suppress voltage transients, traditional solutions typically stabilize voltage by increasing the size of on-chip integrated capacitors or adding external capacitors. However, on-chip capacitors are large and expensive, and simply increasing the capacitance significantly increases chip costs. Furthermore, traditional solutions can only passively store energy and cannot actively and efficiently respond to rapid transient load changes.

[0004] Therefore, how to effectively improve the transient response performance of chip power supplies without significantly increasing capacitor capacity is a technical problem that urgently needs to be solved in this field. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this application is to provide a transient response circuit and power supply system to solve the problem in the prior art that it cannot actively and efficiently respond to rapid transient load changes.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the technical solutions adopted in the embodiments of this application are as follows: On one hand, embodiments of this application provide a transient response circuit, the transient response circuit comprising: Auxiliary energy storage unit; A switching unit is connected between the auxiliary energy storage unit and the load terminal; The controller connects the switching unit to the load terminal and is used to detect the voltage of the load terminal. When the voltage of the load terminal is lower than a threshold, the controller turns on the switching unit so that the auxiliary energy storage unit provides supplementary current to the load terminal. The auxiliary energy storage unit is configured to store electrical energy higher than the normal operating voltage of the load terminal before a voltage drop occurs at the load terminal.

[0007] Optionally, the auxiliary energy storage unit includes: A charge pump is used to boost the input voltage. An auxiliary capacitor, connected to the output terminal of the charge pump, is used to store the increased voltage; The switching unit is a switch array connected between the auxiliary capacitor and the load terminal; The controller is connected to the auxiliary capacitor, the charge pump, and the load terminal, respectively. The controller is used to control the charge pump to charge the auxiliary capacitor to a first preset voltage; when the voltage of the auxiliary capacitor drops to a second preset voltage, the controller controls the charge pump to recharge; when the voltage at the load terminal is detected to be lower than a third preset voltage, the controller controls the switch array to turn on and discharge to the load terminal; when the voltage at the load terminal is detected to rise back to a fourth preset voltage, the controller controls the switch array to turn off; wherein the third preset voltage is less than the fourth preset voltage, and the second preset voltage is less than the first preset voltage.

[0008] Optionally, the first preset voltage sets the maximum withstand voltage of the auxiliary capacitor.

[0009] Optionally, the switch array is composed of multiple parallel MOS transistors, and the controller controls different numbers of MOS transistors in the switch array to be turned on according to the voltage drop at the load terminal.

[0010] Optionally, the load terminal is connected to the main power supply circuit, and the main power supply circuit supplies power to the load terminal; the input terminal of the charge pump is connected to the main power supply circuit. Optionally, the auxiliary energy storage unit includes a high-voltage power supply terminal and an auxiliary capacitor, the auxiliary capacitor being connected to the output terminal of the high-voltage power supply terminal for storing the voltage of the high-voltage power supply terminal; the switching unit includes: The first gate array is connected between the high-voltage power supply terminal and the load terminal; The second gate array is connected between the load terminal and ground; The controller is connected to the high-voltage power supply terminal, the load terminal, the first gate array, and the second gate array, respectively. The controller is configured to, when detecting that the voltage at the load terminal is lower than a first low-voltage threshold, control the first gate array to open, supply power from the high-voltage power supply terminal to the load terminal until the load terminal voltage recovers to the low-voltage reference voltage or the high-voltage power supply terminal voltage is lower than the first high-voltage threshold; and when detecting that the voltage at the load terminal is higher than a second low-voltage threshold, control the second gate array to open, discharge current from the load terminal to ground until the load terminal voltage recovers to the low-voltage reference voltage. Wherein, the first low-voltage threshold is less than the low-voltage reference voltage, and the second low-voltage threshold is greater than the low-voltage reference voltage.

[0011] Optionally, the controller is further configured to: Monitor the voltage at the high-voltage power supply terminal; when the voltage at the high-voltage power supply terminal is lower than the second high-voltage threshold, prevent the first gate array from being turned on; Wherein, the first high-voltage threshold is greater than the second high-voltage threshold.

[0012] Optionally, the first gate array and / or the second gate array are composed of multiple parallel MOS transistors, and the controller controls different numbers of MOS transistors in the first gate array or the second gate array to be turned on according to the voltage drop or overshoot of the load terminal.

[0013] Optionally, the controller shuts down the first gate array when the load voltage recovers to the low-voltage reference voltage, or when the high-voltage power supply voltage is lower than 95% of the low-voltage reference voltage.

[0014] On the other hand, embodiments of this application also provide a power supply system, which includes the transient response circuit described above.

[0015] Compared with the prior art, this application has the following advantages: This application provides a transient response circuit, which includes an auxiliary energy storage unit; a switching unit connected between the auxiliary energy storage unit and the load terminal; and a controller connected between the switching unit and the load terminal, used to detect the voltage at the load terminal and, when the voltage at the load terminal is lower than a threshold, control the switching unit to turn on, so that the auxiliary energy storage unit provides supplementary current to the load terminal; wherein, the auxiliary energy storage unit is configured to store electrical energy higher than the normal operating voltage of the load terminal before a voltage drop occurs at the load terminal.

[0016] This application sets up an auxiliary energy storage unit to pre-store electrical energy higher than the load voltage. With the same capacitor capacity, more electrical energy can be stored, and a larger supplementary current can be provided when voltage transients occur. This improves the utilization rate of on-chip capacitors, relatively reduces the area of ​​on-chip capacitors that need to be integrated, and lowers chip costs.

[0017] To make the above-mentioned objectives, features and advantages of this application more apparent and understandable, preferred embodiments are described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Attached Figure Description

[0018] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, the accompanying drawings used in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. It should be understood that the following drawings only show some embodiments of this application and should not be regarded as a limitation of the scope. For those skilled in the art, other related drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0019] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the transient response circuit provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0020] Figure 2This is a first circuit diagram of an auxiliary energy storage unit provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0021] Figure 3 This is a second circuit diagram of the auxiliary energy storage unit provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0022] Figure 4 A third circuit diagram of the auxiliary energy storage unit provided in the embodiments of this application.

[0023] In the picture: 100 - Transient response circuit; 110 - Auxiliary energy storage unit; 111 - Charge pump; 112 - Auxiliary capacitor; 113 - High voltage power supply terminal; 121 - First gate array; 122 - Second gate array; 120 - Switching unit; 130 - Controller. Detailed Implementation

[0024] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of this application clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this application, and not all embodiments. The components of the embodiments of this application described and shown in the accompanying drawings can generally be arranged and designed in various different configurations.

[0025] Therefore, the following detailed description of the embodiments of this application provided in the accompanying drawings is not intended to limit the scope of the claimed application, but merely to illustrate selected embodiments of the application. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of this application without inventive effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0026] It should be noted that similar reference numerals and letters in the following figures indicate similar items; therefore, once an item is defined in one figure, it does not need to be further defined and explained in subsequent figures. Furthermore, in the description of this application, terms such as "first," "second," etc., are used only to distinguish descriptions and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0027] It should be noted that in this paper, relational terms such as first and second are used only to distinguish one entity or operation from another entity or operation, and do not necessarily require or imply any such actual relationship or order between these entities or operations.

[0028] The following detailed description of some embodiments of this application is provided in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Unless otherwise specified, the following embodiments and features can be combined with each other.

[0029] As described in the background section, during the operation of modern chips, when the load current switches rapidly, the supply voltage will experience a significant drop or sudden rise within a very short time. This phenomenon is called transient voltage change. To suppress this change, existing technologies generally rely on adding a large number of capacitors inside or outside the chip. The larger the capacitance, the more charge it stores, and the stronger its buffering capacity against voltage fluctuations. However, it should be noted that integrating large-capacity capacitors on-chip significantly occupies chip area, increases manufacturing process complexity, and drives up overall costs. Especially in advanced processes, the capacitance density per unit area is limited, further exacerbating the area and cost pressures brought about by relying on stacked capacitors for voltage stabilization.

[0030] In view of this, in order to solve the above problems, this application provides a transient response circuit, and the transient response circuit provided in this application is described by way of example below: As an optional implementation, please refer to Figure 1 The transient response circuit 100 includes an auxiliary energy storage unit 110, a switching unit 120, and a controller 130. The switching unit 120 is connected between the auxiliary energy storage unit 110 and the load terminal. The controller 130 is connected between the switching unit 120 and the load terminal and is used to detect the voltage at the load terminal. When the voltage at the load terminal is lower than a threshold, the controller turns on the switching unit 120 so that the auxiliary energy storage unit 110 provides supplementary current to the load terminal. Furthermore, the auxiliary energy storage unit 110 is configured to store electrical energy higher than the normal operating voltage of the load terminal before a voltage drop occurs at the load terminal.

[0031] Understandably, this application compensates for the voltage gap caused by the lag in the main power supply path by pre-storing electrical energy above the normal operating voltage of the load at the auxiliary energy storage unit 110 before a voltage drop occurs at the load. This is achieved by releasing an equivalent amount of electrical energy to the load at a higher voltage during transient events. Specifically, the auxiliary energy storage unit 110 does not simply reuse the original low-voltage power supply capacitor, but stores electrical energy in the auxiliary capacitor 112 at a higher voltage. Therefore, without increasing the physical area of ​​the on-chip capacitor, the voltage stability performance per unit capacitor is significantly improved by increasing the energy storage voltage.

[0032] During this process, the switching unit 120 is connected between the auxiliary energy storage unit 110 and the load end to form a controllable current path under the command of the controller 130. The controller 130 is connected between the switching unit 120 and the load end, continuously monitors the real-time voltage of the load end, and immediately controls the switching unit 120 to conduct when the voltage is lower than a preset threshold, so that the auxiliary energy storage unit 110 provides supplementary current to the load end. This supplementary current is not continuously output, but precisely intervenes and responds quickly when the voltage drops, and exits in time after the voltage at the load end rises back to a safe range, thereby avoiding interference with the steady-state operation of the main power supply system.

[0033] In summary, the auxiliary energy storage unit 110 described in this application is configured to store electrical energy higher than the normal operating voltage of the load before a voltage drop occurs at the load end. Its essence lies in changing the traditional voltage regulation approach: instead of simply increasing the physical size of the capacitor to increase the total energy storage, it achieves higher energy density and faster transient response capability under the same chip area by increasing the energy storage voltage level. This not only alleviates the dependence on large on-chip capacitors and reduces integration costs and chip area overhead, but also enhances the dynamic adaptability to load changes, fundamentally improving the voltage stability of low-voltage power supply networks under transient conditions.

[0034] It should be noted that the auxiliary energy storage unit 110 provided in this application can take many forms. For one implementation of the auxiliary energy storage unit 110, please refer to [link / reference needed]. Figure 2 and Figure 3 The auxiliary energy storage unit 110 includes: a charge pump 111 for increasing the input voltage; an auxiliary capacitor 112 connected to the output terminal of the charge pump 111 for storing the increased voltage; a switching unit 120, which is a switch array connected between the auxiliary capacitor 112 and the load terminal; and a controller 130 connected to the auxiliary capacitor 112, the charge pump 111, and the load terminal. The controller 130 controls the charge pump 111 to charge the auxiliary capacitor 112 to a first preset voltage; when the voltage of the auxiliary capacitor 112 drops to a second preset voltage, it controls the charge pump 111 to recharge; when the voltage at the load terminal is detected to be lower than a third preset voltage, it controls the switch array to turn on and discharge to the load terminal; and when the voltage at the load terminal is detected to rise back to a fourth preset voltage, it controls the switch array to turn off. The third preset voltage is less than the fourth preset voltage, and the second preset voltage is less than the first preset voltage.

[0035] Among them, the charge pump 111 is a DC-DC converter circuit that can increase the input voltage. By setting an auxiliary energy storage unit 110 consisting of the charge pump 111, the auxiliary capacitor 112 and the switch array in the transient response circuit 100, and cooperating with the controller 130 to realize intelligent charging and discharging management of auxiliary power, it can provide a precise and controllable supplementary current to the load at a higher voltage level when a voltage drop occurs at the load end, effectively suppressing voltage fluctuations caused by response delay in the main power supply path.

[0036] Specifically, the controller 130 can be used to implement triple collaborative control: First, it controls the charge pump 111 to charge the auxiliary capacitor 112 to a first preset voltage, which can be set as the maximum withstand voltage of the auxiliary capacitor 112 to maximize its energy storage capacity without damaging the device; Second, when the voltage of the auxiliary capacitor 112 drops to the second preset voltage due to self-leakage or other factors, the controller 130 restarts the charge pump 111 to replenish the voltage; Third, it monitors the load voltage in real time. When it detects that the voltage is lower than the third preset voltage, it determines that the load has a voltage drop trend, and the controller 130 immediately controls the switch array to turn on, allowing the auxiliary capacitor 112 to discharge to the load; When the load voltage rises back to the fourth preset voltage, the controller 130 turns off the switch array to terminate the discharge. During this process, the third preset voltage is less than the fourth preset voltage, and the second preset voltage is less than the first preset voltage, thus forming a dual-threshold control logic with hysteresis characteristics, avoiding frequent start-stop of the switch array near the voltage critical point, and ensuring stable system operation.

[0037] In practical applications, the load is connected to the main power supply circuit, which supplies power to the load. The input of the charge pump 111 can also be connected to the main power supply circuit, meaning it draws power directly from the chip's main power supply network without the need for an external high-voltage source. The auxiliary capacitor 112 is a metal-insulator-metal capacitor (MIM capacitor), which has high integration, good linearity, and temperature stability, making it suitable for high-density on-chip deployment. The switch array consists of multiple parallel MOS transistors (metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors). The controller 130 can dynamically adjust the number of MOS transistors in operation according to the voltage drop amplitude at the load end, thereby controlling the discharge current and achieving graded response and fine compensation for transient drops.

[0038] It should be noted that existing technologies generally rely on stacking a large number of low-voltage capacitors inside the chip to increase the total energy storage capacity in order to suppress voltage drops caused by load switching. However, due to limitations in capacitor density per unit area and process technology, obtaining sufficient buffer energy often requires a significant chip area, which increases manufacturing costs. The core of the structure and control method adopted in this embodiment lies in changing the energy storage method: instead of simply increasing the physical size of the capacitor, a charge pump 111 is used to boost the main low voltage (e.g., 1.0 V) to a higher voltage (e.g., 2.0 V) and then store it in an auxiliary capacitor 112 of the same capacity. According to the formula for the amount of charge stored in a capacitor, Q = CV, where Q represents the amount of charge stored in the capacitor, C represents the capacitance, and V represents the voltage, when the capacitance of the auxiliary capacitor 112 is 1 nF and the capacitance of the main capacitor is 2 nF, under the same current change I, the voltage drop supported only by the main capacitor is U2. However, after introducing this auxiliary structure, the total energy that can be released includes the remaining energy of the main capacitor and the energy released by the auxiliary capacitor 112. It can be calculated that the voltage drop is reduced to U3, and satisfies U3-U2 = 1 / 2U1. That is, after using this scheme, the lowest point of the load voltage is significantly raised, and the voltage drop depth is significantly reduced.

[0039] For example, assumption 1: the output voltage of the main power supply line The output voltage of charge pump 111 is 2. .

[0040] Comparison Condition 2: Main Power Supply Output The main circuit capacitor is 2nF; there is no auxiliary power supply.

[0041] Comparison condition 3: The sudden load current is the same, denoted by I*t.

[0042] Under condition 2: C main This indicates the capacitance of the main circuit capacitor.

[0043] Under condition 1: + ;in, It's 2nf. It is 1nF, U2 is the voltage after the drop under condition 2, and U3 is the voltage after the auxiliary power supply is added.

[0044] Substituting the above relationships, we obtain the following relationship: The voltage value of U3 is greater than that of U2, meaning that the voltage drop is lower after using the auxiliary energy storage unit 110 provided in this application. The above is a static voltage analysis based on a single current transient. In reality, the voltage drop may be more complex due to the influence of other capacitors and the main power supply circuit, which will not be elaborated here.

[0045] As can be seen, this embodiment, through the coordinated operation of charge pump 111 boost charging, auxiliary capacitor 112 high-voltage energy storage, switch array graded discharge, and controller 130 dual-threshold hysteresis control, not only achieves rapid, accurate, and adjustable compensation for transient voltage drops, but also significantly improves the energy utilization efficiency of capacitors per unit area without increasing the total area of ​​on-chip capacitors. This effectively alleviates the chip area waste and cost increase problems caused by over-reliance on large capacitors in traditional solutions.

[0046] For another implementation of the auxiliary energy storage unit 110, please refer to [link / reference]. Figure 4 The auxiliary energy storage unit 110 includes a high-voltage power supply terminal 113 and an auxiliary capacitor 112. The auxiliary capacitor 112 is connected to the output terminal of the high-voltage power supply terminal 113 and is used to store the voltage of the high-voltage power supply terminal 113. The switching unit 120 includes: a first gate array 121 connected between the high-voltage power supply terminal 113 and the load terminal; a second gate array 122 connected between the load terminal and ground; and a controller 130 connected to the high-voltage power supply terminal 113, the load terminal, the first gate array 121, and the second gate array 122. The controller 130 is used to detect... When the voltage at the load terminal is detected to be lower than the first low-voltage threshold, the first gate array 121 is controlled to turn on, supplying power from the high-voltage power supply terminal 113 to the load terminal until the load terminal voltage recovers to the low-voltage reference voltage or the voltage at the high-voltage power supply terminal 113 is lower than the first high-voltage threshold. When the voltage at the load terminal is detected to be higher than the second low-voltage threshold, the second gate array 122 is controlled to turn on, discharging current from the load terminal to ground until the load terminal voltage recovers to the low-voltage reference voltage. The first low-voltage threshold is less than the low-voltage reference voltage, and the second low-voltage threshold is greater than the low-voltage reference voltage.

[0047] It should be noted that during chip operation, when the load current undergoes a sudden change (such as the processor suddenly entering a high-computing-power state or instantly exiting), its supply voltage will fluctuate drastically within a very short period of time: one is a sudden voltage drop, i.e., a voltage spike; the other is a sudden voltage spike, i.e., an overshoot. If such transient voltage changes exceed the chip's safe operating range, it may lead to malfunctions, data errors, or even hardware damage.

[0048] This embodiment establishes a controllable energy interaction channel between the high-voltage power supply terminal 113 and the load terminal, enabling the originally isolated high- and low-voltage power supply systems to respond collaboratively to transient changes at the load terminal. This actively suppresses voltage dips and overshoots without relying on additional large-capacity capacitors. Specifically, the controllable energy interaction channel consists of three parts: a first gate array 121, a second gate array 122, and a controller 130. The first gate array 121 is connected between the high-voltage power supply terminal 113 and the load terminal, used to controllably replenish the load terminal with the stored electrical energy when the load terminal voltage dips. The second gate array 122 is connected between the load terminal and ground, used to controllably discharge excess electrical energy from the load terminal to ground when the load terminal voltage overshoots. The controller 130 is connected to the high-voltage power supply terminal 113, the load terminal, the first gate array 121, and the second gate array 122, respectively, used to monitor the voltage at both ends in real time and dynamically control the start and stop of the two gate arrays according to preset thresholds.

[0049] In this process, the controller 130 first monitors the load terminal voltage; when it detects that the voltage drops to the first low-voltage threshold (VL1), it determines that a voltage drop has occurred, and then controllably turns on the first gate array 121 according to the sampled drop amplitude. The first gate array 121 and / or the second gate array 122 are composed of multiple parallel MOS transistors. The controller 130 controls different numbers of MOS transistors in the first gate array 121 or the second gate array 122 to conduct according to the drop amplitude or overshoot amplitude of the load terminal voltage. Based on this, the controllable turn-on described in this application is not a simple full-on or full-off operation, but rather selectively conducts a portion of the multiple parallel-configured MOS transistors (i.e., the gate array structure), utilizing the inherent on-resistance of each switching unit 120 to form a power supply path with suitable impedance characteristics, thereby avoiding current surges and system oscillations caused by zero-impedance shoot-through. The power supply continues until the load voltage rises back to the low voltage reference voltage (V_l), or the voltage at the high voltage power supply terminal 113 drops below the first high voltage threshold (e.g., when the voltage at the high voltage power supply terminal 113 is lower than 95% of the low voltage reference voltage). At this point, to ensure the stability of the high voltage power supply terminal 113 itself, the controller 130 immediately shuts down the first gate array 121 and stops power supply.

[0050] At the same time, the controller 130 continuously monitors the voltage of the high-voltage power supply terminal 113. When the voltage is lower than the second high-voltage threshold (Vh2), the controller 130 prohibits the opening of the first gate array 121 to ensure that the power replenishment operation always occurs within the safe range where the high-voltage power supply terminal 113 has sufficient energy reserves. When the voltage of the high-voltage power supply terminal 113 is higher than the first high-voltage threshold (Vh1), the first gate array 121 is allowed to be opened, thereby forming a reliable working window of Vh1>Vh>Vh2.

[0051] Similarly, when the controller 130 detects that the load voltage rises to the second low-voltage threshold (VL2), it determines that a voltage overshoot has occurred. Based on the sampled overshoot amplitude, it controllably activates the second gate array 122. This gate array also consists of multiple parallel switching units 120. By adjusting the number of conducting units, a controllable impedance to ground is formed, thereby smoothly releasing excess charge at the load end and suppressing voltage spikes. This discharge behavior continues until the load voltage drops back to the low-voltage reference voltage (V_l). Throughout the process, all thresholds satisfy VL2>V_l>VL1, forming a sensitive response range symmetrically expanded above and below the low-voltage reference voltage. This allows the system to promptly identify minor disturbances while avoiding false triggering due to noise interference.

[0052] Understandably, this embodiment achieves on-demand power replenishment and active energy discharge between high and low voltage power supplies through the aforementioned dual-gate array collaborative control mechanism: during a voltage drop, power is replenished from the high-voltage side to support the low-voltage side; during an overshoot, energy is discharged to the ground to suppress the low-voltage side. For example, in a typical load current drop event, if this scheme is not activated, the load voltage will drop to U2; however, after activating this scheme, since the high-voltage power supply terminal 113 has pre-stored energy higher than the load voltage before the drop occurs (i.e., auxiliary energy storage function), and timely injection of compensation current through the first gate array 121, the load voltage actually drops to U3; according to theoretical analysis, the difference between the two satisfies the following relationship: U3 - U2 = 0.05U h ; Wherein, U3 represents the lowest voltage value after the load terminal transient voltage drop following the adoption of this scheme, and U2 represents the lowest voltage value after the load terminal transient voltage drop without the adoption of this scheme. h This represents the normal operating voltage of the high-voltage power supply terminal 113. It is evident that the voltage sag can be significantly reduced, and this improvement increases with the voltage U_h at the high-voltage power supply terminal 113. Similarly, the second gate array 122, through a controllable impedance discharge path, can also effectively compress overshoot peak values ​​and improve system robustness.

[0053] In summary, the technical problem this embodiment aims to solve is how to more efficiently and accurately suppress transient voltage drops and overshoots in the supply voltage when the chip load changes rapidly, without significantly increasing the chip area and manufacturing cost. This application abandons the approach of simply increasing the number of capacitors, instead utilizing the existing high-voltage power resources within the chip, transforming them into a dynamically adjustable transient support source. Furthermore, it achieves bidirectional, hierarchical, and impedance-controllable regulation of energy flow through a dual-gate array, thereby breaking through the response bottleneck of static energy storage devices at the principle level and providing a new implementation path for high-reliability, low-power, and small-area power management circuits.

[0054] Based on the above implementation, this application embodiment also provides a power supply system, which includes the transient response circuit described above.

[0055] In summary, this application provides a transient response circuit, which includes an auxiliary energy storage unit; a switching unit connected between the auxiliary energy storage unit and the load terminal; and a controller connected to the switching unit and the load terminal. The controller detects the voltage at the load terminal and, when the load terminal voltage is below a threshold, controls the switching unit to conduct, enabling the auxiliary energy storage unit to provide supplementary current to the load terminal. The auxiliary energy storage unit is configured to store electrical energy higher than the normal operating voltage of the load terminal before a voltage drop occurs. By setting an auxiliary energy storage unit, this application pre-stores electrical energy higher than the load voltage, allowing for the storage of more electrical energy with the same capacitor capacity. This provides a larger supplementary current during voltage transients, thereby improving the utilization rate of on-chip capacitors, relatively reducing the required integrated on-chip capacitor area, and lowering chip costs.

[0056] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of this application and is not intended to limit this application. Various modifications and variations can be made to this application by those skilled in the art. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of this application should be included within the protection scope of this application.

[0057] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that this application is not limited to the details of the exemplary embodiments described above, and that this application can be implemented in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics of this application. Therefore, the embodiments should be considered illustrative and non-limiting in all respects, and the scope of this application is defined by the appended claims rather than the foregoing description. Thus, all variations falling within the meaning and scope of equivalents of the claims are intended to be included within this application. No reference numerals in the claims should be construed as limiting the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A transient response circuit, characterized in that, The transient response circuit includes: Auxiliary energy storage unit; A switching unit is connected between the auxiliary energy storage unit and the load terminal; The controller connects the switching unit to the load terminal and is used to detect the voltage of the load terminal. When the voltage of the load terminal is lower than a threshold, the controller turns on the switching unit so that the auxiliary energy storage unit provides supplementary current to the load terminal. The auxiliary energy storage unit is configured to store electrical energy higher than the normal operating voltage of the load terminal before a voltage drop occurs at the load terminal.

2. The transient response circuit according to claim 1, characterized in that, The auxiliary energy storage unit includes: A charge pump is used to increase the input voltage. An auxiliary capacitor, connected to the output terminal of the charge pump, is used to store the increased voltage; The switching unit is a switch array connected between the auxiliary capacitor and the load terminal; The controller is connected to the auxiliary capacitor, the charge pump, and the load terminal respectively; The controller is used to control the charge pump to charge the auxiliary capacitor to a first preset voltage; when the voltage of the auxiliary capacitor drops to a second preset voltage, the controller controls the charge pump to recharge; when the voltage at the load terminal is detected to be lower than a third preset voltage, the controller controls the switch array to turn on and discharge to the load terminal; when the voltage at the load terminal is detected to rise back to a fourth preset voltage, the controller controls the switch array to turn off; wherein the third preset voltage is less than the fourth preset voltage, and the second preset voltage is less than the first preset voltage.

3. The transient response circuit according to claim 2, characterized in that, The first preset voltage is set to the maximum withstand voltage of the auxiliary capacitor.

4. The transient response circuit according to claim 2, characterized in that, The switch array is composed of multiple parallel MOS transistors, and the controller controls different numbers of MOS transistors in the switch array to be turned on according to the voltage drop at the load end.

5. The transient response circuit according to claim 2, characterized in that, The load terminal is connected to the main power supply line, which supplies power to the load terminal; the input terminal of the charge pump is connected to the main power supply line.

6. The transient response circuit according to claim 1, characterized in that, The auxiliary energy storage unit includes a high-voltage power supply terminal and an auxiliary capacitor. The auxiliary capacitor is connected to the output terminal of the high-voltage power supply terminal and is used to store the voltage of the high-voltage power supply terminal. The switching unit includes: The first gate array is connected between the high-voltage power supply terminal and the load terminal; The second gate array is connected between the load terminal and ground; The controller is connected to the high-voltage power supply terminal, the load terminal, the first gate array, and the second gate array, respectively. The controller is configured to, when detecting that the voltage at the load terminal is lower than a first low-voltage threshold, control the first gate array to open, supply power from the high-voltage power supply terminal to the load terminal until the load terminal voltage recovers to the low-voltage reference voltage or the high-voltage power supply terminal voltage is lower than the first high-voltage threshold; and when detecting that the voltage at the load terminal is higher than a second low-voltage threshold, control the second gate array to open, discharge current from the load terminal to ground until the load terminal voltage recovers to the low-voltage reference voltage. Wherein, the first low-voltage threshold is less than the low-voltage reference voltage, and the second low-voltage threshold is greater than the low-voltage reference voltage.

7. The transient response circuit according to claim 6, characterized in that, The controller is also configured to: Monitor the voltage at the high-voltage power supply terminal; when the voltage at the high-voltage power supply terminal is lower than the second high-voltage threshold, prevent the first gate array from being turned on; Wherein, the first high-voltage threshold is greater than the second high-voltage threshold.

8. The transient response circuit according to claim 6, characterized in that, The first gate array and / or the second gate array are composed of multiple parallel MOS transistors. The controller controls different numbers of MOS transistors in the first gate array or the second gate array to be turned on according to the voltage drop or overshoot of the load terminal.

9. The transient response circuit according to claim 6, characterized in that, The controller shuts down the first gate array when the load voltage recovers to the low-voltage reference voltage, or when the high-voltage power supply voltage is lower than 95% of the low-voltage reference voltage.

10. A power supply system, characterized in that, The power supply system includes the transient response circuit as described in any one of claims 1 to 9.

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