Switched-Capacitor Charge Pump With Non-Overlapping Clock Phases
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing charge pumps for radio frequency (RF) electronics face challenges in minimizing noise and ensuring non-overlap between charging and discharging operations, which affects the efficiency and performance of RF communication systems.
Innovation Solution
A charge pump design that includes a switched capacitor and a plurality of switches configured to operate with non-overlap between charging and discharging operations, using a power high supply voltage and a ground voltage to generate a charge pump voltage less than the ground voltage, and employing an inverter and combinatorial logic to control the clock signal phases for switch control.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If charge pumps use overlapping charging and discharging operations, then device complexity is reduced, but noise increases and shoot-through currents occur
Solution Approach 1:
The charge pump is divided into multiple independent stages, each with dedicated switching networks. The switching operations are segmented into distinct non-overlapping phases, where charging and discharging occur in separate time intervals. This segmentation prevents simultaneous charging and discharging currents from interacting, thereby eliminating shoot-through currents and reducing noise while maintaining manageable device complexity through modular architecture.
2Object-generated harmful factors
If charge pumps implement non-overlapping charging and discharging operations, then noise is reduced, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The charge pump employs periodic switching actions with distinct phases. Each switching network operates in periodic cycles where charging occurs during one phase and discharging occurs during a separate phase, with clear non-overlapping transitions. This periodic action ensures noise reduction through non-overlapping operations while using systematic clock signals to manage the switching sequences, thereby controlling the increase in device complexity through regular, predictable control patterns.
3Object-generated harmful factors
If charge pumps operate with non-overlapping switching phases, then shoot-through currents are prevented, but transition time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The switching networks are designed to complete charging operations fully before initiating discharging operations, and vice versa. This preliminary completion of one phase before starting the next ensures that no shoot-through currents occur during transitions. The multi-stage architecture allows each stage to finish its current operation and prepare for the next phase in advance, minimizing transition time losses while maintaining the non-overlapping requirement that prevents shoot-through currents.
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 solution effectively reduces noise and prevents shoot-through currents, enhancing the efficiency and performance of RF communication systems by ensuring non-overlapping transitions between charging and discharging operations.
Implementation Method 1
a charge pump configured to generate the charge pump voltage at a charge pump output terminal. The charge pump includes a switched capacitor and a plurality of switches configured to charge the switched capacitor during a charging operation of the charge pump
Data Source
AI summary
Low noise charge pumps are disclosed. In certain embodiments, a charge pump includes a charge pump output terminal configured to provide a charge pump voltage, a switched capacitor, an inverter having an output electrically connected to a first end of the switched capacitor, a pair of charging switches connected between a second end of the switched capacitor and a reference voltage, and a pair of discharging switches connected between the second end of the switched capacitor and the charge pump output terminal. The pair of charging switches is closed during a charging operation and open during a discharging operation, while the pair of discharging switches closed during the discharging operation and open during the charging operation.