Two-Stage Voltage Level Shifter for Low-Current Boosting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing voltage level shifters require additional power supplies to achieve a boosted voltage level, which increases hardware size and current requirements, affecting performance and power consumption.
Innovation Solution
A voltage level shifter that utilizes a two-stage approach, where the transition from a first voltage level to a second level is powered by a significant existing voltage supply, and only switches to a boosted third voltage level when the second level is reached, reducing the current requirements for the additional supply.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If a boosted voltage supply is used to power the entire transition from first voltage level to boosted second voltage level, then the transition speed is improved, but the current requirements and hardware size of the boosted supply increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The voltage transition is divided into two distinct stages: first from the first voltage level to the second voltage level (powered by the significant existing supply), then from the second voltage level to the boosted second voltage level (powered by the boosted supply). This segmentation allows each supply to be sized appropriately for its specific task, reducing the current requirements of the boosted supply while maintaining transition speed.
2Loss of energy
If a boosted voltage supply is used to achieve super cutoff state, then leakage current is reduced, but additional hardware and power supply requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention merges the significant existing voltage supply (second supply) with the boosted voltage supply (third supply) in a two-stage configuration. The second supply provides the foundation voltage level, and the third supply provides the additional boost, allowing the system to achieve super cutoff state with reduced leakage current while utilizing existing infrastructure to minimize additional hardware requirements.
3Area of stationary object
If the current rating of power supply devices is restricted to reduce size, then hardware size is reduced, but transition performance slows down
Solution Approach 1:
The transition process is segmented into two phases with different current requirements. The first phase (first to second voltage level) uses the significant existing supply that can provide high current for fast transition. The second phase (second to boosted voltage level) uses the smaller boosted supply that only needs to provide current for the final voltage increment, not the entire transition, thus reducing its size while maintaining overall transition speed.
Data Source
AI summary
A voltage level shifter for shifting an output signal from a first voltage level to a second voltage level and then to a further boosted second voltage level is disclosed. The voltage level shifter comprises: an input for receiving an input signal; an output for outputting an output signal; a first power supply input for connecting to a first voltage source supplying said first voltage level; a second power supply input for connecting to a second voltage source supplying said second voltage level; and a third power supply input for connecting to a third voltage source supplying said boosted second voltage level; said voltage level shifter being responsive to a predetermined change in said input signal to isolate said first power supply input from said output and to connect said second power supply input to said output and being responsive to said output signal attaining a predetermined value to connect said third power supply input to said output and to isolate said second power supply input from said output.