Self refresh oscillator and oscillation signal generation method of the same
View Patent ↗A self refresh period signal generator includes: a voltage detection unit for detecting a voltage level of a power supply voltage in order to generate a plurality of period control signals according to the detected voltage level; and an oscillation unit for generating a ring oscillation signal having a constant period determined by a resistance of a period control resistor when a self refresh signal is activated, wherein the resistance of the period control resistor is controlled according to logic levels of the plurality of period control signals.
1. A self refresh oscillation apparatus, comprising:
a voltage detection unit for detecting a voltage level of a power supply voltage and generating first and second period control signals according to the detected voltage level; and
an oscillation unit for receiving the first and second period control signals, and for generating an oscillation signal having a predetermined constant period in response to a self refresh command,
wherein a logic level of the first period control signal indicates that the power supply voltage is greater than a first reference voltage, a logic level of the second period control signal indicates that the power supply voltage is greater than a second reference voltage, and the voltage level of the first reference voltage is greater than that of the second reference voltage; and
wherein the period of the oscillation signal has the predetermined constant period regardless of the variation of the voltage level of the power supply voltage by adjusting a resistance of the oscillation unit according to the logic levels of the first and second period control signals as the voltage level of the power supply voltage changes.
2. The apparatus as recited in claim 1 , wherein the oscillation unit comprises period control resistors, and
the resistance of the period control resistors is controlled according to logic levels of the first and second period control signals and the voltage level of the power supply voltage, when the self refresh command is activated.
3. The apparatus as recited in claim 1 , further comprising a divider for dividing a period of the oscillation signal by a multiple of a predetermined number.
4. The apparatus as recited in claim 1 , wherein the voltage detection unit comprises:
a first comparing unit for detecting the voltage level of the power supply voltage by comparing the power supply voltage with the first reference voltage, and generating the first period control signal according to the detected voltage level; and
a second comparing unit for detecting the voltage level of the power supply voltage by comparing the power supply voltage with the second reference voltage, and generating the second period control signal according to the detected voltage level.
5. The apparatus as recited in claim 4 , wherein the first voltage comparing unit includes:
a first power supply voltage detector for comparing the power supply voltage with the first reference voltage and for outputting the result of comparing the power supply voltage with the first reference voltage;
a first switching unit for selectively transferring an output of the first power supply voltage detector according to a mode control signal;
a first initializing unit for initializing the first period control signal according to a power up signal;
a first latch unit for latching an output of the first switching unit; and
a first inverter for inverting an output of the first latch unit to generate the first period control signal.
6. The apparatus as recited in claim 4 , wherein the second voltage comparing unit includes:
a second power supply voltage detector for comparing the power supply voltage with the second reference voltage and for outputting the result of comparing the power supply voltage with the second reference voltage;
a second switching unit for selectively transferring an output of the second power supply voltage detector according to a mode control signal;
a second initializing unit for initializing the second period control signal according to a power up signal;
a second latch unit for latching an output of the second switching unit; and
a second inverter for inverting an output of the second latch unit to generate the second period control signal.
7. The apparatus as recited in claim 5 , wherein the first power supply voltage detector includes:
a voltage divider for dividing the power supply voltage to thereby generate a divided voltage;
a comparing unit for comparing the divided voltage with the first reference voltage using a differential amplifier and for generating a comparison signal according to a result of comparing the divided voltage with the first reference voltage; and
a buffering unit for buffering an output of the comparing unit and output the buffered signal.
8. The apparatus as recited in claim 6 , wherein the second power supply voltage detector includes:
a voltage divider for dividing the power supply voltage to generate a divided voltage;
a comparing unit for comparing the divided voltage with the second reference voltage using a differential amplifier and for generating a comparison signal according to a result of comparing the divided voltage with the second reference voltage; and
a buffering unit for buffering an output of the comparing unit and outputting the buffered signal.
9. The apparatus as recited in claim 1 , wherein the oscillation unit includes:
a period control unit for adjusting a resistance of respective period control resistors according to respective period control signals;
a ring oscillator having inverters connected in series for generating the ring oscillation signal when the self refresh signal is activated;
a ring oscillator enabling unit, enabled when the self refresh signal is activated, to enable the ring oscillator when the self refresh signal is activated;
a ring oscillator pull-up driver for supplying the power supply voltage to the ring oscillator, the power supply voltage being variable according to the resistance of the respective period control resistor;
a ring oscillator pull-down driver for supplying a ground voltage to the ring oscillator;
a ring oscillator initializing unit for initializing an output of the ring oscillator according to the self refresh signal; and
a buffering unit for buffering an output of the ring oscillator and to output the buffered signal.