Adjustable Capacitor Charge Pumping for Stable Voltage Regulation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing voltage supply circuits struggle to accurately maintain a specified voltage level in the presence of component aging, temperature changes, and manufacturing deviations, often requiring manual trimming of capacitors to compensate for these variations.
Innovation Solution
A voltage supply circuit utilizing an adjustable capacitor, an alternating voltage source, and a charge source, with an adjusting circuit that periodically samples the voltage and adjusts the capacitance of the adjustable capacitor to maintain the specified voltage by increasing or decreasing it as needed, thereby compensating for environmental and manufacturing changes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If manual trimming of capacitors is used to compensate for variations, then voltage regulation accuracy is improved, but device complexity and manufacturing time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The voltage supply circuit automatically adjusts its own capacitance through the adjusting circuit that monitors output voltage and controls the switchable capacitor configuration, eliminating the need for external manual trimming operations while maintaining voltage regulation accuracy
Solution Approach 2:
The capacitor configuration is made dynamically adjustable through switchable connections that allow the circuit to change its total capacitance based on detected voltage conditions, enabling automatic adaptation without manual intervention
2Device complexity
If fixed capacitance is used in voltage supply circuits, then device complexity is reduced, but voltage stability deteriorates under environmental changes
Solution Approach 1:
The circuit transitions from fixed to dynamic capacitance by incorporating switchable capacitor elements that can reconfigure their connections based on detected voltage conditions, allowing the total capacitance to adapt to environmental changes while maintaining voltage stability
Solution Approach 2:
The adjusting circuit continuously monitors the output voltage and provides feedback control by switching capacitor connections to maintain the voltage within the specified range, ensuring reliability under varying environmental conditions
3Measurement precision
If adjustable capacitance is implemented to compensate for aging and temperature changes, then voltage regulation accuracy is improved, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The circuit uses discrete switchable capacitor elements that can be individually connected or disconnected, allowing for stepwise capacitance adjustment that achieves sufficient voltage regulation accuracy without requiring extremely precise continuous adjustment mechanisms
Solution Approach 2:
The total capacitance is divided into multiple discrete capacitor elements that can be independently switched, allowing the circuit to achieve precise voltage regulation through combinatorial switching of standardized capacitor values rather than requiring high-precision single-element adjustment
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The circuit effectively maintains a stable voltage by continuously adjusting capacitance, ensuring accurate voltage regulation despite component aging, temperature changes, and manufacturing deviations, eliminating the need for manual trimming.
Implementation Method 1
an adjustable capacitor having an adjustable capacitance and comprising a first capacitor terminal coupled to the voltage supply node and to the charge source, and having a second capacitor terminal connected to the alternating voltage source
Data Source
AI summary
A voltage supply circuit that generates a voltage on a voltage supply node. The voltage supply circuit includes an adjustable capacitor, an alternating voltage source, a charge source, and an adjusting circuit. When the alternating voltage on the second capacitor terminal transitions low, the voltage on the first capacitor terminal also becomes low, and the charge source provides charge to the first capacitor terminal of the adjustable capacitor. When the alternating voltage on the second capacitor terminal transitions high, the voltage on the first capacitor terminal also becomes high, and charge is thereby pumped from the first capacitor terminal to the voltage supply node. The adjusting circuit periodically samples the voltage on the voltage supply node, and adjusts the capacitance of the adjustable capacitor to increase or decrease that voltage.