A charge pump, phase-locked loop, chip and electronic device
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202521529218.6
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Utility models(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2025-07-21
- Publication Date
- 2026-09-11
- Estimated Expiration
- 2035-07-21
AI Technical Summary
[0003]相关技术中，通过降低电荷泵的工作电流来降低电荷泵的静态电流，从而降低电荷泵的功耗，这种方式会导致电荷泵到锁相环输出的噪声贡献增加，从而影响锁相环最终的噪声性能
[0029]借由上述技术方案，本申请提供的一种电荷泵、锁相环、芯片及电子设备，与相关技术相比，本申请通过在电荷泵中设置电荷泵主电路和至少一个开关，并将电荷泵主电路与至少一个开关连接；至少一个开关用于在电荷泵主电路切换状态的情况下切换至少一个尾电流路径进行分流，使得本申请可以通过至少一个开关切换电荷泵主电路的尾电流路径，进而对电荷泵主电路的尾电流进行分流，通过对尾电流进行分流可以在保障电荷泵的正常噪声性能的情况下降低电荷泵整体功耗。
Smart Images
Figure CN224746461U_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This application relates to the field of circuit technology, and in particular to a charge pump, phase-locked loop, chip, and electronic device. Background Technology
[0002] A current-steering charge pump is a circuit used in integrated circuit design for voltage conversion or regulation. It achieves precise control of the output voltage by controlling the direction and magnitude of the current, and is typically used in applications requiring high precision and high-speed response, such as phase-locked loops (PLLs), clock data recovery (CDR) circuits, and power management.
[0003] In related technologies, the quiescent current of the charge pump is reduced by lowering the operating current of the charge pump, thereby reducing the power consumption of the charge pump. However, this method leads to an increase in the noise contribution of the charge pump to the output of the phase-locked loop, which in turn affects the final noise performance of the phase-locked loop. Summary of the Invention
[0004] In view of this, this application provides a charge pump, a phase-locked loop, a chip, and an electronic device.
[0005] In a first aspect, this application provides a charge pump, including: a charge pump main circuit and at least one switch;
[0006] The charge pump main circuit is connected to the at least one switch;
[0007] The at least one switch is used to switch at least one tail current path for shunting when the charge pump main circuit is in a switching state.
[0008] Optionally, it may also include: a first current source;
[0009] The first current source is connected to the first switch in the at least one switch;
[0010] The first current source and the first switch form the first tail current path.
[0011] Optionally, it may also include: a second current source;
[0012] The second current source is connected to the second switch in the at least one switch;
[0013] The second current source and the second switch form the second tail current path.
[0014] Optional features also include: inductors;
[0015] The inductor is connected to the first switch and the second switch respectively;
[0016] The inductor is used to isolate the first tail current path and the second tail current path.
[0017] Optionally, the charge pump main circuit includes: at least one switching transistor;
[0018] The at least one switching transistor is used to switch the state of the charge pump main circuit.
[0019] Optionally, the charge pump main circuit includes: a third current source and an amplifier;
[0020] The base of the first switching transistor in the at least one switching transistor is connected to the signal input terminal, the collector of the first switching transistor is connected to the third current source, the output terminal of the amplifier, and the negative input terminal of the amplifier, respectively, the emitter of the first switching transistor is connected to the first switch, and the positive input terminal of the amplifier is connected to the signal input terminal.
[0021] The first switch is used to switch the charge pump main circuit to a hold state and connect it to the first tail current path when it is in the on state.
[0022] Optionally, the charge pump main circuit includes: a fourth current source;
[0023] The base of the second switch in the at least one switch is connected to the signal input terminal, the collector of the second switch is connected to the fourth current source, and the emitter of the second switch is connected to the second switch.
[0024] The second switch is used to switch the charge pump main circuit to the working state and connect it to the second tail current path when it is in the on state.
[0025] Optionally, the first switch and the second switch are kept in an opposite-phase on state.
[0026] Secondly, this application provides a phase-locked loop, including the charge pump described in the first aspect.
[0027] Thirdly, this application provides a chip including the charge pump described in the first aspect.
[0028] Fourthly, this application provides an electronic device, including the charge pump described in the first aspect, or the phase-locked loop described in the second aspect, or the chip described in the third aspect.
[0029] By employing the above technical solutions, this application provides a charge pump, phase-locked loop, chip, and electronic device. Compared with related technologies, this application sets up a charge pump main circuit and at least one switch in the charge pump, and connects the charge pump main circuit to the at least one switch. The at least one switch is used to switch at least one tail current path for shunting when the charge pump main circuit switches states. This allows the application to switch the tail current path of the charge pump main circuit through at least one switch, thereby shunting the tail current of the charge pump main circuit. By shunting the tail current, the overall power consumption of the charge pump can be reduced while ensuring the normal noise performance of the charge pump.
[0030] The above description is only an overview of the technical solution of this application. In order to better understand the technical means of this application and to implement it in accordance with the contents of the specification, and to make the above and other objects, features and advantages of this application more obvious and understandable, the following are specific embodiments of this application. Attached Figure Description
[0031] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and form part of this specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with this application and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of this application.
[0032] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, for those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.
[0033] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a charge pump provided in an embodiment of this application is shown;
[0034] Figure 2 A schematic diagram illustrating an example provided in an embodiment of this application is shown;
[0035] Figure 3 A schematic diagram illustrating an example provided in an embodiment of this application is shown;
[0036] exist Figure 1 middle:
[0037] 1- Charge pump main circuit;
[0038] 2- At least one switch. Detailed Implementation
[0039] In the description of this application, it should be understood that the terms "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are used only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this application.
[0040] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. In the description of this application, "multiple" means two or more, unless otherwise explicitly specified.
[0041] In this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," "linking," and "fixing," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal connection between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this application according to the specific circumstances.
[0042] The present application will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the embodiments and features described in the embodiments of the present application can be combined with each other.
[0043] The following is combined with Figure 1 This application describes a charge pump according to some embodiments.
[0044] This application provides a charge pump, such as Figure 1 As shown, it includes: a charge pump main circuit 1 and at least one switch 2; the charge pump main circuit 1 is connected to at least one switch 2; the at least one switch 2 is used to switch at least one tail current path for shunting when the charge pump main circuit 1 is in a switching state.
[0045] It should be noted that the charge pump in this embodiment can be a current-steering charge pump. Specifically, a current-steering charge pump is a specific type of charge pump circuit, mainly used in voltage regulation or conversion applications requiring high precision and high-speed response. This type of charge pump achieves precise control of the output voltage by controlling the direction and magnitude of the current, and is particularly suitable for applications such as phase-locked loops (PLLs), clock data recovery (CDR) circuits, and power management.
[0046] In some examples, the basic idea of a current-driven charge pump is to use current sources to replace the traditional switching network controlling the charging and discharging process of a capacitor. The main purpose of this is to improve the linearity and stability of the output voltage, especially maintaining high accuracy under varying loads. Key components may include, but are not limited to: Current sources: A current-driven charge pump uses a pair of well-matched current sources instead of the switches and diodes found in traditional charge pumps. These two current sources are used for charging and discharging operations, respectively. Control logic: The control logic determines which current source should be activated and when. This is typically based on the input signal (such as the phase error signal in a PLL). Capacitor: The capacitor remains the primary component for storing charge. Depending on the operation of the current sources, the capacitor charges or discharges, thus changing the output voltage. Compensation mechanisms: To further improve performance, additional compensation mechanisms may be needed to reduce mismatches caused by factors such as process technology and temperature.
[0047] In this embodiment, the tail current path of the charge pump main circuit 1 can be switched by at least one switch 2, so that the charge pump main circuit 1 can be connected to at least one tail current path for current diversion by switching the tail current path by at least one switch 2.
[0048] Compared with related technologies, this embodiment sets up a charge pump main circuit and at least one switch in the charge pump, and connects the charge pump main circuit to the at least one switch; the at least one switch is used to switch at least one tail current path for shunting when the charge pump main circuit switches states, so that this embodiment can switch the tail current path of the charge pump main circuit by at least one switch, thereby shunting the tail current of the charge pump main circuit. By shunting the tail current, the overall power consumption of the charge pump can be reduced while ensuring the normal noise performance of the charge pump.
[0049] Optionally, the charge pump in this embodiment further includes: a first current source I2; the first current source is connected to a first switch SW1 in at least one switch 2; the first current source I2 and the first switch SW1 form a first tail current path.
[0050] In this embodiment, the first tail current path can be the tail current path in the static state of the charge pump. By configuring the first current source I2 in the first tail current path to a smaller current, the first tail current can be turned on when the charge pump is not working or is in a holding state, thereby reducing the overall power consumption of the charge pump.
[0051] Optionally, the charge pump in this embodiment further includes: a second current source I3; the second current source I3 is connected to the second switch SW2 of at least one switch 2; the second current source I3 and the second switch SW2 form a second tail current path.
[0052] In this embodiment, the second tail current path can be the tail current path in the charge pump operating state. By configuring the second current source I3 in the second tail current path to a larger current, the second tail current can be turned on when the charge pump is working, thereby ensuring the normal noise performance of the charge pump.
[0053] Optionally, the charge pump in this embodiment further includes: an inductor L; the inductor L is connected to the first switch SW1 and the second switch SW2 respectively; the inductor L is used to isolate the first tail current path and the second tail current path.
[0054] In this embodiment, an inductor L is added between the first switch SW1 and the second switch SW2 to isolate the two tail current paths, namely the first power module and the second power module. This prevents the glitches caused by the transient charging and discharging during the switching of the first switch SW1 and the second switch SW2 from affecting each other. The typical value of the entire inductor L is 1nH, which can be implemented on the chip by covering the entire charge pump with multiple turns of metal inductor. This does not increase the overall area of the charge pump.
[0055] Optionally, the charge pump main circuit includes: at least one switching transistor; the at least one switching transistor is used to switch the state of the charge pump main circuit.
[0056] In this embodiment, at least one switch can switch the charge pump main circuit between an operating state and a holding state. Accordingly, when the charge pump main circuit is switched to the holding state based on at least one switch, the first switch SW1 is turned on and the second switch SW2 is turned off, that is, the charge pump main circuit is switched to the first tail current path, thereby reducing the overall power consumption of the charge pump.
[0057] As an alternative approach, when the charge pump main circuit is switched to the operating state based on at least one switching transistor, the first switch SW1 is turned off and the second switching transistor SW2 is turned on, that is, the charge pump main circuit is switched to the second tail current path, thereby ensuring the normal noise performance of the charge pump.
[0058] Optionally, the charge pump main circuit includes: a third current source I1 and an amplifier U; the base of at least one of the switching transistors, the first switching transistor D1, is connected to the signal input terminal; the collector of the first switching transistor D1 is connected to the third current source I1, the output terminal of the amplifier U, and the negative input terminal of the amplifier U, respectively; the emitter of the first switching transistor D1 is connected to the first switch SW1; and the positive input terminal of the amplifier U is connected to the signal input terminal; the first switching transistor D1 is used to switch the charge pump main circuit to a holding state and connect to the first tail current path when it is in the on state.
[0059] In this embodiment, the operational amplifier U helps achieve more precise current source control. For example, in a typical phase-locked loop (PLL), a current-driven charge pump is responsible for converting the phase error signal into a control voltage. The specific workflow is as follows: 1. Phase comparator: Generates a current pulse signal proportional to the phase error. 2. Current-driven charge pump: Selectively activates the charging or discharging current source based on the output of the phase comparator. If an operational amplifier is used, it can be added before the current source to precisely control the amount of charge injected or extracted, ensuring linearity and accuracy. 3. Loop filter: Converts the pulsed current output by the charge pump into a smooth control voltage. 4. Voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO): Adjusts its output frequency according to the control voltage to make it as close as possible to the reference frequency. 5. Feedback path: The output of the VCO is frequency-divided and returned to the phase comparator, forming a closed-loop control system.
[0060] As an alternative approach, when the first switch D1 is on and the second switch D2 is off, the first switch SW1 is on and the second switch SW2 is off. At this time, the charge pump main circuit is in a holding state, and Iout = -Ioffset. The first current source I1 flows into the second current source I2 through the first switch D1, effectively switching the charge pump main circuit 1 to the first tail current path. This reduces the overall power consumption of the charge pump by keeping the I1 = I2 current very low.
[0061] Optionally, the charge pump main circuit includes: a fourth current source Ioffset; the base of at least one of the switching transistors, a second switching transistor D2, is connected to the signal input terminal, the collector of the second switching transistor D2 is connected to the fourth current source Ioffset, and the emitter of the second switching transistor D2 is connected to the second switch SW2; the second switching transistor D2 is used to switch the charge pump main circuit to the working state and connect to the second tail current path when it is in the on state.
[0062] In circuit design, a static current source (Ioffset) is a circuit component or configuration that provides a constant current, maintaining a constant output current even when the voltage across its terminals changes. Ioffset, as a form of static current source, is specifically used to compensate for bias current errors in circuits, ensuring a more stable and accurate operating point. The specific functions of the static current source Ioffset include, but are not limited to: 1. Bias Compensation: In operational amplifiers and other high-precision circuits, bias current can cause undesirable errors. Ioffset can be used to offset these bias currents, thereby improving circuit accuracy. 2. Stability Enhancement: By injecting or extracting a precise static current into or from a specific node, the stability and response characteristics of the circuit can be improved, especially under temperature variations or load changes. 3. Matching and Balancing: In differential pairs, current mirrors, and other structures, using a static current source can help better match the operating conditions of transistors or other active devices, reducing the effects of mismatch.
[0063] As an alternative, when the second switch D2 is turned on and the first switch D1 is turned off, the second switch SW2 is turned on and the first switch SW1 is turned off. At this time, the charge pump main circuit is in working state, Iout = I2 - Ioffset, that is, the charge pump main circuit 1 is switched to the second tail current path, thereby ensuring the normal noise performance of the charge pump.
[0064] Optionally, the first switch D1 and the second switch D2 are kept in an inverted state.
[0065] It should be noted that the input signals of the first and second switching transistors are opposite signals. For example, if the input signal of the first switching transistor is high at the current moment, the input signal of the second switching transistor is low; conversely, if the input signal of the first switching transistor is low at the current moment, the input signal of the second switching transistor is high.
[0066] In this embodiment, when the second switch D2 is open and the first switch D1 is closed, the second switch SW2 is open and the first switch SW1 is closed. At this time, Iout = I2 - Ioffset. When the first switch D1 is open and the second switch D2 is closed, the first switch SW1 is open and the second switch SW2 is closed. At this time, Iout = -Ioffset. The first current source I1 flows into the second current source I2 through the first switch D1. Since the second current source I2 in related technologies is divided into two current sources I2 and I3, and switched synchronously by switches, they do not affect each other. When the charge pump is working normally, it switches to the third current source I3, and vice versa. This allows the I1 = I2 current to be very low. However, since the current source I3 can be relatively large during normal operation, it does not affect the normal noise performance of the charge pump. Furthermore, an inductor L is added between the first switch SW1 and the second switch SW2 to isolate the first power module 3 and the second power module 4, so that the glitches caused by the transient charging and discharging during the switching of the two sides will not affect each other. The typical value of the entire inductor L is 1nH, which can be achieved on the chip by covering the entire charge pump with multiple turns of metal inductor. This does not increase the overall area of the charge pump. In this way, the current consumption can be significantly reduced without affecting the noise performance and area of the charge pump itself.
[0067] In related technologies, such as Figure 2 The diagram shows the architecture of a current-driven charge pump in related technologies. Under normal circumstances, current I1 equals current I2, and Ioffset is a relatively small offset current. In normal applications, when the charge pump is working normally, within the same cycle, as shown in the switching control signal timing diagram above, when switch P is on and switch N is off, Iout = I2 - Ioffset; when switch N is on and switch P is off, Iout = -Ioffset. At this time, current I1 flows into current I2 through switch N. Since in a phase-locked loop (PLL) system, the larger the current I2, the smaller the noise contributed by the charge pump to the entire PLL output. Therefore, currents I1 and I2 will be relatively large. However, when the PLL is locked, the on-time of switch P is often very long within the same cycle, but the on-time of switch N is relatively long. Therefore, when switch N is on and the corresponding switch P is off, current I1 flows into switch P through switch N. This current is essentially flowing directly from the power supply to ground; this part is the static current of the charge pump, and therefore, current consumption accounts for the majority of the total current consumption. In related technologies, reducing this portion of current can reduce the overall power consumption of the charge pump, but the problem is that it leads to a greater noise contribution from the charge pump.
[0068] It should be noted that the embodiments of this application are mainly used in the radio frequency transceiver link of communication SOC, especially in scenarios with a very strong demand for low power consumption, such as 5G terminals, Bluetooth Low Energy, and Wi-Fi Low Energy. Figure 3 The diagram illustrates a typical architecture for a communication SOC (System on Chip) signal link, primarily comprising radio frequency (RF), baseband, and high-speed interface components. The RF phase-locked loop (PLL), baseband PLL, and high-speed interface PLL provide local oscillator clocks to the mixer for spectrum shifting, provide sampling clocks to the digital-to-analog converter (DAC) and analog-to-digital converter (ADC), and provide data transfer clocks to the high-speed interface, respectively. The technology proposed in this patent is mainly applied in these scenarios.
[0069] Compared with related technologies, this embodiment sets up a charge pump main circuit and at least one switch in the charge pump, and connects the charge pump main circuit to the at least one switch; the at least one switch is used to switch at least one tail current path for shunting when the charge pump main circuit switches states, so that this embodiment can switch the tail current path of the charge pump main circuit by at least one switch, thereby shunting the tail current of the charge pump main circuit. By shunting the tail current, the overall power consumption of the charge pump can be reduced while ensuring the normal noise performance of the charge pump.
[0070] Based on the above-described charge pump, this application also provides an electronic device that includes the above-described charge pump.
[0071] Optionally, the aforementioned physical devices may also include a user interface, a network interface, a camera, radio frequency (RF) circuitry, sensors, audio circuitry, a Wi-Fi module, etc. The user interface may include a display screen, input units such as a keyboard, etc., and optional user interfaces may also include USB interfaces, card reader interfaces, etc. The network interface may optionally include standard wired interfaces, wireless interfaces (such as Wi-Fi interfaces), etc.
[0072] Those skilled in the art will understand that the physical device structure provided in this embodiment does not constitute a limitation on the physical device, and may include more or fewer components, or combine certain components, or have different component arrangements.
[0073] Through the above description of the embodiments, those skilled in the art can clearly understand that this application can be implemented by means of software plus necessary general-purpose hardware platform, or it can be implemented by hardware. By applying the solution of this embodiment, compared with related technologies, this embodiment sets up a charge pump main circuit and at least one switch in the charge pump, and connects the charge pump main circuit to at least one switch; the at least one switch is used to switch at least one tail current path for shunting when the charge pump main circuit switches states, so that this embodiment can switch the tail current path of the charge pump main circuit by at least one switch, thereby shunting the tail current of the charge pump main circuit. By shunting the tail current, the overall power consumption of the charge pump can be reduced while ensuring the normal noise performance of the charge pump.
[0074] It should be noted that, in this document, relational terms such as "first" and "second" are used merely to distinguish one entity or operation from another, and do not necessarily require or imply any such actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. Furthermore, the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such a process, method, article, or apparatus. Without further limitations, an element defined by the phrase "comprising one..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that includes said element.
[0075] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of this application, enabling those skilled in the art to understand or implement this application. Various modifications to these embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be implemented in other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of this application. Therefore, this application is not to be limited to the embodiments described herein, but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features claimed herein.
Claims
1. A charge pump characterized by, include: The charge pump main circuit and at least one switch; The charge pump main circuit is connected to the at least one switch; The at least one switch is used to switch at least one tail current path for shunting when the charge pump main circuit is in a switching state.
2. The charge pump of claim 1, wherein, Also includes: First current source; The first current source is connected to the first switch in the at least one switch; The first current source and the first switch form the first tail current path.
3. The charge pump of claim 2, wherein, Also includes: Second current source; The second current source is connected to the second switch in the at least one switch; The second current source and the second switch form the second tail current path.
4. The charge pump according to claim 3, characterized in that, Also includes: inductance; The inductor is connected to the first switch and the second switch respectively; The inductor is used to isolate the first tail current path and the second tail current path.
5. The charge pump according to any one of claims 2 to 4, characterized in that, The charge pump main circuit includes: at least one switching transistor; The at least one switching transistor is used to switch the state of the charge pump main circuit.
6. The charge pump of claim 5, wherein, The charge pump main circuit includes: a third current source and an amplifier; The base of the first switching transistor in the at least one switching transistor is connected to the signal input terminal, the collector of the first switching transistor is connected to the third current source, the output terminal of the amplifier, and the negative input terminal of the amplifier, respectively, the emitter of the first switching transistor is connected to the first switch, and the positive input terminal of the amplifier is connected to the signal input terminal. The first switch is used to switch the charge pump main circuit to a hold state and connect it to the first tail current path when it is in the on state.
7. The charge pump of claim 6, wherein, The charge pump main circuit includes: a second switching transistor and a fourth current source; The base of the second switch in the at least one switch is connected to the signal input terminal, the collector of the second switch is connected to the fourth current source, and the emitter of the second switch is connected to the second switch. The second switch is used to switch the charge pump main circuit to the working state and connect it to the second tail current path when it is in the on state.
8. The charge pump of claim 7, wherein, The first switch and the second switch remain in an inverted on state.
9. A phase-locked loop, characterized in that, Includes a charge pump as described in any one of claims 1 to 8.
10. A chip, characterized by Includes a charge pump as described in any one of claims 1 to 8.
11. An electronic device, comprising: It includes the charge pump according to any one of claims 1 to 8, or the phase-locked loop according to claim 9, or the chip according to claim 10.