Supply Voltage Detector With Startup Current Boosting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Designing a supply voltage detector for integrated circuits that is both power efficient and high-performance, especially during startup or transition from standby mode, is challenging due to the need for rapid detection of supply voltage levels without excessive power consumption.
Innovation Solution
A supply voltage detector with a comparator and startup current boosters that generate supplemental currents during supply voltage ramp-up, allowing rapid operation and ceasing power boost when the supply voltage reaches steady-state, along with a bias voltage generator providing multiple bias voltages for accurate detection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If the comparator operates rapidly during supply voltage ramp-up to enable fast detection, then the detection speed is improved, but the power consumption increases excessively
Solution Approach 1:
The comparator's operating mode is dynamically adjusted based on the supply voltage state. During ramp-up, the comparator operates in a high-speed mode with enhanced current. Once the supply voltage reaches steady-state, the comparator automatically transitions to a low-power mode, thereby achieving fast detection when needed while minimizing power consumption during normal operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The comparator alternates between high-power rapid detection mode and low-power standby mode based on the detection phase. The startup current booster provides supplemental current only during the initial ramp-up period, creating a periodic action pattern where high current is applied temporarily during startup and then discontinued during steady-state operation.
2Speed
If the startup current booster generates supplemental current continuously, then the comparator operates rapidly at all times, but the overall power consumption increases excessively
Solution Approach 1:
The startup current booster is activated only during the preliminary ramp-up phase when the supply voltage is increasing. Once the supply voltage reaches its target level and enters steady-state operation, the startup current booster automatically disables itself, thereby providing the necessary speed enhancement only when needed without causing excessive continuous power consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The supplemental current generation function is extracted from the continuous operation and confined specifically to the startup ramp-up period. The startup current booster is designed to be temporarily active only during voltage ramp-up and is automatically removed or disabled once the supply voltage stabilizes, preventing excess power consumption during normal operation.
3Device complexity
If a simple comparator design is used, then the device complexity is reduced, but the detection precision and performance deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The comparator is divided into multiple functional stages including a first comparator stage, a second comparator stage, and a startup current booster stage. Each stage performs a specific function in the detection process, allowing the system to achieve high detection precision through coordinated multi-stage operation while keeping each individual stage relatively simple in structure.
Data Source
AI summary
A supply voltage detector of an integrated circuit is able to detect the state of a supply voltage upon startup with both high-speed and low overall power consumption. The supply voltage detector includes a comparator that generates an output voltage based on the current state of the supply voltage. The comparator includes a startup current booster that generates a supplemental current for the comparator while the supply voltage is ramping up. The start of current booster stops generating the supplemental current when the supply voltage reaches the expected steady-state value or a selected fraction or portion of the expected steady-state value.