Common cascode routing bus for high-efficiency DC-to-DC conversion

1. A method of generating a regulated voltage, comprising:

generating the regulated voltage through controlled closing and opening of a series switch element and shunt switch element, the series switch element being connected between a first voltage supply and a common node, and the shunt switch being connected between the common node and a second supply voltage, comprising:

closing the series switch element during a first period, the series switch element comprising a plurality of series switch element[s] segments, each series switch element segment comprising a series switching transistor connected at a series switch element node with a series protection transistor, wherein the series switch element node of one or more series switch element segment is connected to the series switch element node of at least one of the other series switch element[s] segments, the closing of the series switch element comprising:

applying a switching gate voltage to gates of series switching transistors of a subset of the plurality of series switch element[s] segments of the series switch element, wherein only the series switching transistors of the subset of the plurality of series switch element[s] segments of the series switch element turn on, while series protection transistors of more than the subset of the plurality of series switch element[s] segments of the series switch element turn on; and

closing the shunt switch element during a second period.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the shunt switch element comprises a plurality of shunt switch element[s] segments, each shunt switch element segment comprising a shunt switching transistor connected at a shunt switch element node with a shunt protection transistor, wherein the shunt switch element node of one or more shunt switch element segment is connected to the shunt switch element node of at least one of the other shunt switch element[s] segments; and wherein

closing the shunt switch element during the second period comprises applying a switching gate voltage to gates of shunt switching transistors of a subset of the plurality of shunt switch element[s] segments of the shunt switch element, wherein only the shunt switching transistors of the subset of the plurality of shunt switch element[s] segments of the shunt switch element turn on, while shunt protection transistor of more than the subset of the plurality of shunt switch element[s] segments of the shunt switch element turn on.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein shunt switching transistors that are not included within the subset of the plurality of shunt switch element[s] segments of the shunt switch element remain inactive during the first period and the second period.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein series switching transistors that are not included within the subset of the plurality of series switch element[s] segments of the series switch element remain inactive during the first period and the second period.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein a number of series switch element segments of the subset of the plurality of series switch element segments of the series switch element that are turned on, is switched as needed to produce a requested duty cycle of the first period and the second period.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein all of the series protection transistors of the subset of the plurality of series switch element segments of the series switch element are active, plus one or more additional series protection transistors is active.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein a series resistance of the plurality of series switch element[s] segments is less than the series resistance would be if only series protection transistors of the subset of the plurality of series switch element[s] segments of the series switch element were active.

8. A method of generating a regulated voltage, comprising:

generating the regulated voltage through controlled closing and opening of a series switch element and shunt switch element, the series switch element being connected between a first voltage supply and a common node, and the shunt switch being connected between the common node and a second supply voltage, comprising:

closing the series switch element during a first period;

closing the shunt switch element during a second period, wherein the shunt switch element comprises a plurality of shunt switch element[s] segments, each shunt switch element segment comprising a shunt switching transistor connected at a shunt switch element node with a shunt protection transistor, wherein the shunt switch element node of one or more shunt switch element segment is connected to the shunt switch element node of at least one of the other series switch element[s] segments; and wherein

closing the shunt switch element during the second period comprises applying a switching gate voltage to gates of shunt switching transistors of a subset of the plurality of shunt switch element[s] segments of the shunt switch element, wherein only the shunt switching transistors of the subset of the plurality of shunt switch element[s] segments of the shunt switch element turn on, while shunt protection transistor of more than the subset of the plurality of shunt switch element[s] segments of the shunt switch element turn on.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the series switch element comprises a plurality of series switch element[s] segments, each series switch element segment comprising a series switching transistor connected at a series switch element node with a series protection transistor, wherein the series switch element node of one or more series switch element segment is connected to the series switch element node of at least one of the other series switch element[s] segments, and wherein

the closing of the series switch element during the first period comprises applying a switching gate voltage to gates of series switching transistors of a subset of the plurality of series switch element[s] segments of the series switch element, wherein only the series switching transistors of the subset of the plurality of series switch element[s] segments of the series switch element turn on, while series protection transistor of more than the subset of the plurality of series switch element[s] segments of the series switch element turn on.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein series switching transistors that are not included within the subset of the plurality of series switch element[s] segments of the series switch element remain inactive during the first period and the second period.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein shunt switching transistors that are not included within the subset of the plurality of shunt switch element[s] segments of the shunt switch element remain inactive during the first period and the second period.

12. The method of claim 8 , wherein a number of shunt switch element[s] segments of the subset of the plurality of shunt switch element[s] segments of the shunt switch element that are turned on, is selected as needed to produce a requested duty cycle of the first period and the second period.

13. The method of claim 8 , wherein all the shunt protection transistors of the subset of the plurality of shunt switch element[s] segments of the shunt switch element are active, plus one or more additional shunt protection transistors is active.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein a series resistance of the plurality of shunt switch element[s] segments is less than it would be if only shunt protection transistors of the subset of the plurality of shunt switch element[s] segments of the shunt switch element were active.

15. A voltage regulator, comprising:

a series switch element connected between a first voltage supply and a common node, the series switch element comprising a plurality of series switch element[s] segments, each series switch element segment comprising a series switching transistor connected at a series switch element node with a series protection transistor, wherein the series switch element node of one or more series switch element segment is connected to the series switch element node of at least one of the other series switch element[s] segments;

a shunt switch element connected between the common node and a second voltage supply, the shunt switch element comprising a plurality of shunt switch element[s] segments, each shunt switch element segment comprising a shunt switching transistor connected at a shunt switch element node with a shunt protection transistor, wherein the shunt switch element node of one or more shunt switch element segment is connected to the shunt switch element node of at least one of the other series switch element[s] segments; and

means for closing the series switch element during a first period comprising:

applying a switching gate voltage to gates of series switching transistors of a subset of the plurality of series switch element[s] segments of the series switch element, wherein only the series switching transistors of the subset of the plurality of series switch element[s] segments of the series switch element turn on, while series protection transistors of more than the subset of the plurality of series switch element[s] segments of the series switch element turn on; and

means for closing the shunt switch element during a second period.

16. The voltage regulator of claim 15 , wherein the means for closing the shunt switch element during the second period comprises applying a switching gate voltage to gates of shunt switching transistors of a subset of the plurality of shunt switch element[s] segments of the shunt switch element, wherein only the shunt switching transistors of the subset of the plurality of shunt switch element[s] segments of the shunt switch element turn on, while shunt protection transistors of more than the subset of the plurality of shunt switch element[s] segments of the shunt switch element turn on.

17. The voltage regulator of claim 16 , wherein shunt switching transistors that are not included within the subset of the plurality of shunt switch element[s] segments of the shunt switch element remain inactive during the first period and the second period.

18. The voltage regulator of claim 15 , wherein series switching transistors that are not included within the subset of the plurality of series switch element[s] segments of the series switch element remain inactive during the first period and the second period.

19. The voltage regulator of claim 15 , wherein a number of series switch element[s] segments of the subset of the plurality of series switch element[s] segments of the series switch element that are active, is selected as needed to produce a requested duty cycle of the first period and the second period.

20. The voltage regulator of claim 15 , wherein all the series protection transistors of the subset of the plurality of series switch element[s] segments of the series switch element are active, plus one or more additional series protection transistors is active.