High efficiency negative regulated charge-pump
View Patent ↗A charge-pump circuit includes at least one flying capacitor stage having a capacitor with a first terminal selectively coupled between a negative voltage input through a first electronic switch and a negative voltage output through a second electronic switch. A second terminal of the capacitor is selectively coupled between a fixed voltage node through a third electronic switch and an error signal input through a fourth electronic switch. A positive voltage source is coupled to the negative voltage output through a feedback network. A feedback amplifier having an error signal output, a reference voltage input, and a feedback input is coupled to the feedback network. A switch controller having a first clock output drives the first electronic switch and the third electronic switch, while a second clock output drives the second electronic switch and the fourth electronic switch.
1. A charge-pump circuit comprising:
at least one flying capacitor stage with a capacitor having a first terminal that is selectively coupled between one of a negative voltage input through a first electronic switch and a negative voltage output through a second electronic switch, the capacitor having a second terminal that is selectively coupled between one of a fixed voltage node through a third electronic switch and an error signal input through a fourth electronic switch;
a positive voltage source communicably coupled to the negative voltage output through a feedback network having a feedback output;
a feedback amplifier having an error signal output coupled to the error signal input, a reference voltage input, and a feedback input coupled to the feedback output of the feedback network; and
a switch controller having a first clock output for driving the first electronic switch and the third electronic switch, and a second clock output for driving the second electronic switch and the fourth electronic switch.
2. The charge-pump circuit of claim 1 , wherein a first clock signal that is output from the first clock output is substantially inverse in phase to a second clock signal that is output from the second clock output.
3. The charge-pump circuit of claim 2 , wherein the first clock signal and the second clock signal are substantially non-overlapping.
4. The charge-pump circuit of claim 1 , wherein the fixed voltage node is ground.
5. The charge-pump circuit of claim 1 , wherein the feedback amplifier is powered by the positive voltage source.
6. The charge-pump circuit of claim 1 , wherein the feedback network is a first resistor and a second resistor coupled in a voltage divider configuration.
7. The charge-pump circuit of claim 6 , wherein the feedback output is coupled to and between the first resistor and the second resistor.
8. The charge-pump circuit of claim 1 , wherein the reference voltage input is adapted to receive a positive band gap voltage reference.
9. The charge-pump circuit of claim 1 , wherein the charge-pump circuit is implemented via a Silicon-on-insulator (SOI) process.
10. The charge-pump circuit of claim 1 , wherein the charge-pump circuit is implemented via a Deep negative-well (N-Well) complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) process.
11. A mobile terminal comprising:
an antenna;
a radio frequency (RF) switch coupled to the antenna;
a charge-pump circuit for activating the RF switch, the charge pump circuit comprising:
at least one flying capacitor stage with a capacitor having a first terminal that is selectively coupled between one of a negative voltage input through a first electronic switch and a negative voltage output through a second electronic switch, the capacitor having a second terminal that is selectively coupled between one of a fixed voltage node through a third electronic switch and an error signal input through a fourth electronic switch;
a positive voltage source communicably coupled to the negative voltage output through a feedback network having a feedback output;
a feedback amplifier having an error signal output coupled to the error signal input, a reference voltage input, and a feedback input coupled to the feedback output of the feedback network; and
a switch controller having a first clock output for driving the first electronic switch and the third electronic switch, and a second clock output for driving the second electronic switch and the fourth electronic switch; and
a control system for enabling and disabling the charge-pump circuit.
12. The mobile terminal of claim 11 , wherein a first clock signal that is output from the first clock output is substantially inverse in phase to a second clock signal that is output from the second clock output.
13. The mobile terminal of claim 12 , wherein the first clock signal and the second clock signal are substantially non-overlapping.
14. The mobile terminal of claim 11 , wherein the fixed voltage node is ground.
15. The mobile terminal of claim 11 , wherein the feedback amplifier is powered by the positive voltage source.
16. The mobile terminal of claim 11 , wherein the feedback network is a first resistor and a second resistor coupled in a voltage divider configuration.
17. The mobile terminal of claim 16 , wherein the feedback output is coupled to and between the first resistor and the second resistor.
18. The mobile terminal of claim 11 , wherein the reference voltage input is adapted to receive a positive band gap voltage reference.
19. The mobile terminal of claim 11 , wherein the charge-pump circuit is implemented via a Silicon-on-insulator (SOI) process.
20. The mobile terminal of claim 11 , wherein the charge-pump circuit is implemented via a Deep negative-well (N-Well) complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) process.