Charge Pump Protection via High Side Voltage Regulation
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Charge pump circuits face damage from overvoltages and overcurrents due to the lack of effective protection for internal components like transistors and driver circuits, leading to inefficiencies and increased area requirements when using robust components, and existing protection methods like linear voltage regulation incur power losses and additional die area.
Innovation Solution
A power converter design with a regulation circuit that independently regulates the high side voltage of the power rails, using a comparator and modulation device to manage voltage differences and protect components from overvoltages and overcurrents, allowing for the use of low voltage devices with smaller die size and higher efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If robust driver circuits and transistors are used to withstand high input voltages and currents, then reliability is improved, but device complexity and area increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary regulation circuit that includes a series switch and voltage regulation components. This intermediary circuit acts as a buffer between the high voltage input and the driver circuits, regulating the voltage supplied to the driver circuits to prevent overvoltage damage while allowing the use of standard low-voltage driver circuits and transistors.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the voltage regulation function into a separate regulation circuit that is distinct from the driver circuits. The regulation circuit processes the input voltage independently before supplying it to the driver circuits, allowing the driver circuits to be designed for standard voltage levels while the input handling is separated into a dedicated protection stage.
2Reliability
If robust driver circuits and transistors are used to withstand high input voltages and currents, then reliability is improved, but area increases
Solution Approach 1:
The regulation circuit serves as an intermediary that enables the use of compact low-voltage components. By regulating the voltage before it reaches the driver circuits, standard small-sized transistors and driver circuits can be used instead of large robust high-voltage components, reducing the overall area while maintaining protection against overvoltage conditions.
3Reliability
If a linear regulator is added at the input of the charge pump, then protection against overvoltage is improved, but power loss increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a dynamic regulation approach where a series switch (transistor) is controlled by a regulation circuit to adjust its resistance based on the input voltage conditions. This dynamic control allows the circuit to provide overvoltage protection only when needed, rather than continuously dissipating power through a linear regulator, thereby reducing overall power loss while maintaining protection capability.
4Reliability
If a linear regulator is added at the input of the charge pump, then protection against overvoltage is improved, but device complexity and area increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the overvoltage protection function with the existing driver circuitry by using the series switch that is already part of the charge pump structure. The regulation circuit controls this existing switch to provide protection, eliminating the need for a separate linear regulator component and reducing overall device complexity compared to adding a dedicated linear regulator stage.
Data Source
AI summary
A power converter and method using a flying capacitor, a first transistor, a second transistor, a third transistor, a fourth transistor, and a driver circuit are presented. The first transistor is coupled between an input terminal and a first terminal of the flying capacitor. The second transistor is coupled between the first terminal of the flying capacitor and an output terminal. The third transistor is coupled between the output terminal and a second terminal of the flying capacitor. The fourth transistor is coupled between the second terminal of the flying capacitor and a reference potential. The driver circuit is coupled between a high side power rail and a low side power rail. There is a regulation circuit to regulate a high side voltage of the high side power rail such that the regulated high side voltage is independent of an input voltage at the input terminal.