Soft-Start Circuit Adjustable Gradient Internal Capacitors
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing power supply circuits with soft-start circuits either require external capacitors for adjustable gradients, leading to potential failures due to manufacturing defects, or lack adjustability without external capacitors, resulting in unmanageable current flows during startup.
Innovation Solution
A soft-start circuit that generates multiple slope voltages with different gradients, using a combination of slope voltage generator, voltage conversion, and selection circuits to output a soft-start voltage with a specified gradient, allowing for adjustable and mild gradients without relying solely on external capacitors.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If an external capacitor is used to adjust the soft-start voltage gradient, then the gradient can be adjusted, but the circuit requires external components and may fail due to manufacturing defects
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the gradient adjustment functionality from the external capacitor and implements it within the integrated circuit using multiple internal capacitors with different capacities. This removes the dependency on external capacitors while maintaining the ability to adjust the soft-start voltage gradient by selecting different internal capacitors.
Solution Approach 2:
The integrated circuit is designed to perform multiple functions: it can generate soft-start voltage with different gradients using different internal capacitors, and it can also select between these capacitors based on stored data. This multi-functionality replaces the need for external capacitors while maintaining gradient adjustability.
2Reliability
If an internal capacitor is used to reduce the soft-start voltage gradient, then external capacitors are not required, but the gradient cannot be adjusted
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the single capacitor function into multiple internal capacitors with different capacities (first capacitor, second capacitor, etc.). Each capacitor can provide a different gradient characteristic, and the segmentation allows the circuit to select the appropriate capacitor based on required gradient adjustment while maintaining internal integration.
Solution Approach 2:
The circuit dynamically selects between different internal capacitors based on stored data in the storage element. This dynamic selection capability enables gradient adjustment without requiring external capacitors, as the circuit can switch between different internal capacitor configurations based on operational requirements.
3Ease of operation
If the capacitor capacity is increased to reduce the soft-start voltage gradient, then the gradient becomes milder, but the capacitor requires large area when provided inside the integrated circuit
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of using one large internal capacitor that would occupy significant area, the patent segments the capacitance into multiple smaller internal capacitors with different capacities. This segmentation achieves the same gradient control function while using less total area, as smaller capacitors can be more efficiently arranged within the integrated circuit.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameter approach from using a single capacitor with variable capacity to using multiple capacitors with fixed different capacities. By selecting different capacitors based on required gradient, the system achieves parameter adjustment (gradient control) without requiring large capacitor area within the integrated circuit.
Data Source
AI summary
A soft-start circuit to generate and output a soft-start voltage having a specified gradient. The soft-start circuit includes a slope voltage generator circuit to generate and output multiple slope voltages having different specified gradients, including a steepest slope voltage whose gradient is steepest among the gradients of the multiple slope voltages and a mildest slope voltage whose gradient is mildest thereamong, at least one voltage conversion circuit to receive the slope voltages and output a voltage whose gradient is milder than the gradient of the steepest slope voltage, and a selection circuit to receive at least one specified reference voltage and the voltage generated by the voltage conversion circuit, compare the voltage by the voltage conversion circuit with the specified reference voltage, and output either the voltage or the specified reference voltage as the soft-start voltage in accordance with a comparison result generated by the selection circuit.