Reducing output voltage ripple of power supplies
View Patent ↗Reducing output voltage ripple of power supplies. In some embodiments, an electronic circuit may include a first node configured to receive an input signal proportional to an output voltage produced by a power supply, a second node configured to receive a reference voltage configured to alternate between two voltage values during operation of the power supply, and a third node configured to output an enabling signal configured to control the operation of the power supply in response to a comparison between the input signal and the reference voltage. In other embodiments, a method may include turning on a power supply in response to a falling ripple being smaller than a first reference voltage value, and turning off the power supply in response to a rising ripple being greater than a second reference voltage value, where the second reference voltage value is smaller than the first reference voltage value.
1. An electronic circuit, comprising:
a first node configured to receive an input signal proportional to an output voltage produced by a power supply;
a second node configured to receive a reference voltage, the reference voltage configured to alternate between two voltage values during operation of the power supply; and
a third node configured to output an enabling signal configured to control the operation of the power supply in response to a comparison between the input signal and the reference voltage, wherein the enabling signal is configured to turn the power supply on in response to the input signal being smaller than the reference voltage, wherein the two voltage values include a low voltage value and a high voltage value, and wherein the reference voltage is equal to the low voltage value in the presence of a rising ripple in the input signal.
2. The electronic circuit of claim 1 , wherein the power supply is a charge pump.
3. The electronic circuit of claim 1 , wherein the enabling signal is configured to turn the power supply off in response to the input signal being greater than the reference voltage.
4. The electronic circuit of claim 3 , wherein the two voltage values include a low voltage value and a high voltage value, and wherein the reference voltage is equal to the high voltage value in the presence of a falling ripple in the input signal.
5. The electronic circuit of claim 1 , wherein the reference voltage being configured to alternate between two voltage values offsets a delay involved in the comparison.
6. A method, comprising:
detecting a falling ripple in an output voltage produced by a power supply;
turning on the power supply in response to the falling ripple being smaller than a first reference voltage value;
detecting a rising ripple in the output voltage produced by the power supply; and
turning off the power supply in response to the rising ripple being greater than a second reference voltage value, wherein the second reference voltage value is smaller than the first reference voltage value, wherein the first reference voltage value is selected to compensate at least in part for a delay that would otherwise have resulted from a comparison between the falling ripple and an average reference voltage value between the first and second reference voltage values.
7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the power supply is a charge pump.
8. The method of claim 6 , wherein the first reference voltage value causes the power supply to be turned on earlier than if the average reference voltage value had been used.
9. The method of claim 6 , wherein the second voltage value is selected to compensate at least in part for a delay that would otherwise have resulted from a comparison between the rising ripple and an average reference voltage value between the first and second reference voltage values.
10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the second reference voltage value causes the power supply to be turned off earlier than if the average reference voltage value had been used.
11. An electronic device, comprising:
charge pump circuitry configured to provide an output voltage;
reference circuitry configured to provide a reference voltage value, the reference voltage value alternating between a low voltage value and a high voltage value; and
feedback circuitry having: (a) a first input configured to receive an input signal proportional to the output voltage, (b) a second input configured to receive the reference voltage value, and (c) an output configured to provide an enabling signal to the charge pump circuitry, the value of the enabling signal depending upon a result of a comparison between the input signal and the reference voltage value, wherein the value of the enabling signal turns on the charge pump circuitry in response to the input signal being smaller than the selected reference voltage, and wherein the reference voltage value is equal to the low voltage value in the presence of a rising ripple in the input signal.
12. The electronic device of claim 11 , wherein the value of the enabling signal turns off the charge pump circuitry in response to the input signal being greater than the reference voltage value.
13. The electronic device of claim 12 , wherein the reference voltage value is equal to the high voltage value in the presence of a falling ripple in the input signal, the falling ripple following the rising ripple.
14. The electronic device of claim 11 , further comprising control circuitry configured to receive the input signal and to detect a magnitude of a ripple in the input signal.
15. The electronic device of claim 14 , the reference circuitry comprising a plurality of switches configured to select a magnitude of the low and high voltage values based upon the magnitude of the ripple.
16. An electronic circuit, comprising:
a first node configured to receive an input signal proportional to an output voltage produced by a power supply;
a second node configured to receive a reference voltage, the reference voltage configured to alternate between two voltage values during operation of the power supply; and
a third node configured to output an enabling signal configured to control the operation of the power supply in response to a comparison between the input signal and the reference voltage, wherein the enabling signal is configured to turn the power supply off in response to the input signal being greater than the reference voltage, wherein the two voltage values include a low voltage value and a high voltage value, and wherein the reference voltage is equal to the high voltage value in the presence of a falling ripple in the input signal.
17. A method, comprising:
detecting a falling ripple in an output voltage produced by a power supply;
turning on the power supply in response to the falling ripple being smaller than a first reference voltage value;
detecting a rising ripple in the output voltage produced by the power supply; and
turning off the power supply in response to the rising ripple being greater than a second reference voltage value, wherein the second reference voltage value is smaller than the first reference voltage value, wherein the second voltage value is selected to compensate at least in part for a delay that would otherwise have resulted from a comparison between the rising ripple and an average reference voltage value between the first and second reference voltage values.
18. An electronic device, comprising:
charge pump circuitry configured to provide an output voltage;
reference circuitry configured to provide a reference voltage value, the reference voltage value alternating between a low voltage value and a high voltage value;
feedback circuitry having: (a) a first input configured to receive an input signal proportional to the output voltage, (b) a second input configured to receive the reference voltage value, and (c) an output configured to provide an enabling signal to the charge pump circuitry, the value of the enabling signal depending upon a result of a comparison between the input signal and the reference voltage value; and
control circuitry configured to receive the input signal and to detect a magnitude of a ripple in the input signal, the reference circuitry comprising a plurality of switches configured to select a magnitude of the low and high voltage values based upon the magnitude of the ripple.