Switch Compensation Circuit for Stable ON-Resistance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Electronic switches in circuits experience deviations in ON-resistance due to process variations and temperature changes, leading to signal distortion despite maintaining a nominal control voltage, which is not acceptable for certain applications.
Innovation Solution
A compensation circuit that modulates the control voltage of a switch using a temperature-insensitive resistor, current mirror, and temperature-sensitive resistor to maintain a stable ON-resistance across a range of temperatures and process variations, comprising a bootstrap circuit with regulating transistors to adjust the threshold voltage-based reference voltage and provide a stable control voltage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a nominal control voltage is applied to the switch, then the switch operates in the on state, but the ON-resistance deviates from the expected value due to process variations and temperature changes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the control voltage parameter dynamically based on temperature and process conditions. Instead of maintaining a fixed nominal control voltage, the circuit adjusts the control voltage to compensate for process variations and temperature changes, thereby maintaining stable ON-resistance. This is achieved through temperature sensing and feedback mechanisms that modify the control voltage accordingly.
2Reliability
If process variations and temperature changes are compensated for, then ON-resistance stability is improved, but circuit complexity increases due to additional compensation components
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback mechanisms where temperature sensors monitor the thermal conditions and process variation detectors track manufacturing deviations. These detected parameters are fed back to control circuits that adjust the control voltage to compensate for the variations, thereby maintaining stable ON-resistance without requiring complex external compensation components.
Solution Approach 2:
The switch circuit incorporates self-compensation capabilities through integrated temperature sensing and process variation detection. The circuit automatically adjusts its own control voltage based on detected conditions, eliminating the need for external compensation components and reducing overall circuit complexity while maintaining ON-resistance stability.
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 compensation circuit effectively stabilizes the ON-resistance of electronic switches across varying temperatures and process corners, ensuring predictable and consistent performance by adjusting the control voltage in response to temperature and process variations, thereby reducing signal distortion.
Implementation Method 1
a temperature-sensitive resistor configured to provide the control voltage using the mirror current
Data Source
AI summary
This document discusses, among other things, a compensation circuit configured to modulate a control voltage of a switch over a range of ambient temperatures during a conduction state of the switch to maintain a specified resistance between first and second nodes of the switch. The compensation circuit can include a temperature-insensitive resistor configured to provide a sense current, a current mirror configured to provide a mirror current using the sense current, and a temperature-sensitive resistor configured to provide the control voltage using the mirror current.