IP Library › Granted Patent US 7,589,985
Granted Patent B2
US 7,589,985 · App. 11/630,877 · Granted Sep 15, 2009

Switching Regulator

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,589,985
App. No.
11/630,877
Granted
Sep 15, 2009
Kind
B2
Abstract

A switching regulator is configured as a fixed-voltage regulator and contains a voltage divider. The voltage divider is supplied with a voltage signal available from a regulator output via a first connection. The voltage divider feds an output signal to the driver circuit functioning as a regulating variable that is compared to a reference voltage. The switching regulator further contains a monitoring device which impinges the driver circuit with a voltage signal exceeding the reference voltage as a new regulating variable depending on the voltage signal applied to the first connection.

Claims (16)

1. A switching regulator configuration ( 1 ) functioning as a fixed voltage regulator, comprising:

a regulator output ( 2 ) outputting a voltage signal;

a terminal (V) connected to said regulator output ( 2 ) and receiving the voltage signal;

a voltage divider ( 40 ) coupled to said terminal (V) and receiving the voltage signal, said voltage divider ( 40 ) outputting an output signal functioning as a first regulation variable (v 1 );

a driver circuit ( 35 , 31 ) coupled to said voltage divider and receiving the first regulation variable, the driver circuit evaluating the first regulation variable with a reference voltage(vref); and

a monitoring circuit ( 50 ) coupled to said driver circuit ( 35 , 31 ), said monitoring circuit ( 50 ) applying to said driver circuit ( 35 , 31 ), in dependence on the voltage signal present at said terminal (V), a further voltage signal exceeding the reference voltage (vref) and functioning as a second regulation variable (v 2 ).

2. The switching regulator according to claim 1 , wherein the voltage signal present at said regulator output is fed directly as the second regulation variable to said driver circuit.

3. The switching regulator according to claim 1 , further comprising:

a further terminal; and

a controllable switchover device connected to said driver circuit and set up to be able to feed to said driver circuit either the output signal of said voltage divider or a signal present at said further terminal.

4. The switching regulator according to claim 3 , wherein the voltage signal present at said regulator output is present at said further terminal.

5. The switching regulator according to claim 4 , wherein said monitoring circuit has a comparison device to which the voltages present at said terminal and said further terminal are fed as input variables to said comparison device.

6. The switching regulator according to claim 5 , wherein said comparison device generates an output signal received by and used as a control signal in said controllable switchover device.

7. The switching regulator according to claim 4 , wherein said controllable switchover device can be controlled by the voltage signal present at said regulator output, and that a signal present at said further terminal is fed to said driver circuit.

8. The switching regulator according to claim 6 , wherein said monitoring circuit has a logical gate which logically combines the output signal output by said comparison device and a further control signal.

9. The switching regulator according to claim 1 , wherein said driver circuit has an operational amplifier circuit and an output driver to control a step-down converter, said operational amplifier circuit connected to said output driver via a node point, said monitoring circuit connected between said node point and said terminal.