Regulator Clamp Circuit for Fast Transient Response
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional voltage regulators without a clamp circuit experience slower response times to power transition events, leading to voltage disturbances and spikes, especially in small output capacitor regulators, due to the lack of charge reduction capabilities.
Innovation Solution
A regulator clamp circuit with a comparison circuit and actuator circuit, including a sample and hold device, that compares the regulated voltage with a sampled voltage and activates a current clamp path during power transitions to maintain voltage stability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If a clamp circuit is added to the voltage regulator, then the transient response speed improves, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The voltage regulator is segmented into distinct operational phases: a sampling phase where the output voltage is captured and stored in a hold capacitor, and a clamp phase where the stored voltage is compared with the current output voltage to activate the clamp circuit only when needed. This segmentation allows the clamp circuit to operate selectively rather than continuously, improving transient response while maintaining simplicity during steady-state operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The regulator dynamically switches between different operational modes based on the transient condition. A phase detector detects voltage transitions and triggers the sampling and clamping sequences only during power transition events. This dynamic operation allows the system to achieve fast transient response when needed while remaining simple during steady-state operation.
2Stability of the object's composition
If a clamp circuit is continuously active, then the voltage regulation stability improves, but the power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The clamp circuit operates periodically rather than continuously. The phase detector monitors for power transition events, and only during these events does the system enter the sampling and clamping sequence. During steady-state operation, the clamp circuit remains inactive, minimizing power consumption while maintaining voltage stability when needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses its own output voltage to generate the sampling signal through the phase detector, which detects transitions in the output voltage waveform. This self-service mechanism eliminates the need for external triggering or continuous monitoring circuits, reducing power consumption while maintaining stable operation.
Data Source
AI summary
A regulator clamp circuit includes a comparison circuit having a sample and hold circuit. The comparison circuit compares a regulated voltage with a sampled voltage of the regulated voltage from a previous time. In some embodiments, the sampled voltage can be determined during a sampling phase that occurs prior to a clamp regulation phase. During the clamp regulation phase, the comparison circuit compares the regulated voltage with the sampled voltage and outputs a signal to activate an actuator circuit to clamp the regulated voltage when the regulated voltage terminal has a higher amount of charge than desired.