Voltage Translator Driver Circuit with Feedback Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional voltage translators experience performance degradation due to parasitic capacitances, resistances, and inductances when output signals propagate through longer trace lengths on printed circuit boards, leading to undershoot and ringing effects that can damage components, and require external circuits to mitigate these issues, increasing PCB size and manufacturing cost.
Innovation Solution
A driver circuit for voltage translators is introduced, comprising a bias voltage generator, drive voltage generator, output voltage generator, and filter circuit, which controls the amplitude and slew rate of output voltages to reduce undershoot and ringing effects, eliminating the need for external circuits by using feedback mechanisms within the circuit.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the output signal propagates through larger trace lengths on the PCB, then the voltage translator can interface components across different voltage domains, but parasitic capacitances, resistances, and inductances cause degradation in performance leading to undershoot and ringing effects
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the output voltage is fed back to the bias voltage generator through a filter circuit. The bias voltage generator adjusts the bias voltage based on the filtered output voltage to control the amplitude of the drive signal, thereby reducing undershoot and ringing effects in the output signal and improving signal integrity over longer trace lengths.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent dynamically adjusts the bias voltage parameter based on the output voltage level to control the drive strength. By changing the bias voltage parameter in response to output conditions, the circuit optimizes signal quality and reduces parasitic effects without requiring external components.
2Reliability
If an external circuit is used to reduce undershoot and ringing effects, then the output signal quality improves, but the size and manufacturing cost of the PCB increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the function of reducing undershoot and ringing effects into the internal driver circuit by integrating a bias voltage generator that receives feedback from the output. This eliminates the need for separate external circuits, thereby maintaining signal quality while reducing PCB size and component count.
Solution Approach 2:
The voltage translator performs self-correction by using its own output voltage as feedback to adjust its bias voltage. This self-service mechanism allows the circuit to compensate for parasitic effects without requiring external assistance, reducing both PCB complexity and manufacturing cost.
Data Source
AI summary
A driver circuit of a voltage translator includes a bias voltage generator, a drive voltage generator, an output voltage generator, and a filter circuit. The bias voltage generator is configured to receive a supply voltage, a first input voltage, and a feedback voltage, and generate a bias voltage. The feedback voltage controls an amplitude of the bias voltage. The drive voltage generator is configured to receive the supply voltage, the first input voltage, and the bias voltage, and generate a drive voltage. The output voltage generator is configured to receive the supply voltage, a second input voltage, and the drive voltage, and generate an output voltage. The drive voltage controls a slew rate of the output voltage. The filter circuit is configured to receive the output voltage, and generates and provides the feedback voltage to the bias voltage generator.