Voltage Regulator Transient Response via Pre-Charge Path
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional high-speed and low-power voltage regulators for memory applications face inefficiencies due to increased currents I1 and I2 caused by decreased voltage pbias, leading to complex design and poor current efficiency in the pump voltage source.
Innovation Solution
A voltage regulator with a differential circuit and a pump high-voltage circuit that includes a pre-charge path, a bias path, an output transistor, and an output level detector to manage the output terminal's charging and discharging, allowing the output level detector to control the pre-charge and bias paths based on predetermined levels to optimize current usage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the bias path is continuously closed to maintain output voltage, then the output terminal can be maintained at the required voltage level, but the current consumption increases and power efficiency deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The bias path transistor is dynamically controlled to be turned on only when the output terminal voltage is below the threshold voltage, and turned off when the output voltage reaches the required level. This dynamic switching mechanism maintains output voltage stability only when necessary, significantly reducing power consumption during normal operation while ensuring reliability when needed.
2Speed
If the pump high-voltage circuit is designed with high current capability to handle transient responses, then the transient response speed is improved, but the circuit complexity and layout size increase
Solution Approach 1:
A precharge path is provided to preliminarily charge the output terminal before the main pump high-voltage circuit operates. This preliminary action reduces the charging burden on the pump circuit, enabling faster transient response without requiring the pump circuit to be oversized, thus maintaining simplicity while improving speed.
3Speed
If the pump high-voltage circuit is designed with high current capability to handle transient responses, then the transient response speed is improved, but the layout size increases
Solution Approach 1:
The precharge path charges the output terminal in advance during steady-state operation, so when a transient load occurs, the pump high-voltage circuit only needs to handle the difference current rather than the full charging current. This allows the pump circuit to be smaller in size while still achieving fast transient response.
Solution Approach 2:
The charging function is segmented into two parts: the precharge path handles the main charging current during steady-state, and the pump high-voltage circuit handles only the transient compensation current. This segmentation allows the pump circuit to be minimized in size while maintaining fast transient response capability.
Data Source
AI summary
A controlling method of a voltage regulator is provided. The voltage regulator at least includes a differential circuit and a pump high-voltage circuit which has a bias path, an output transistor and an output terminal. The controlling method includes steps of: providing at least a pre-charge path to the pump high-voltage circuit, closing the bias path and charging the output terminal with the pre-charge path when the output terminal is transient, detecting an output level of the output terminal, and closing the pre-charge path and open the bias path to bias the output transistor when the output level reaches a predetermined value.