IP Library Granted Patent US 9,588,533
Granted Patent B2
US 9,588,533 · App. 13/956,272 · Granted Mar 7, 2017

High unity gain bandwidth voltage regulation for integrated circuits

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,588,533
App. No.
13/956,272
Granted
Mar 7, 2017
Kind
B2
Abstract

An integrated circuit voltage regulator uses a simple CMOS structure to implement a High Unity Gain BandWidth voltage regulator providing for low voltage ripple at the output of the regulator up to high frequencies in the hundreds of MHz range. A transconductor first stage is followed by an impedance cancellation second stage allowing DC gain to be set completely independently of the bandwidth.

Claims (28)

1. A voltage regulator for wide bandwidth high frequency circuits comprising:

a transconductor first stage; and

a negative impedance cancellation stage,

wherein: Direct Current gain is independent of the bandwidth and wherein a noise immune low voltage ripple is provided at the output of the voltage regulator;

said negative impedance cancellation stage comprises cross-coupled transistors at outputs of said transconductance first stage; and

appropriately sized resistors introduce zeros in a transfer function, which compensates for parasitic poles and allows for bandwidth extension.

2. The voltage regulator of claim 1 , wherein said appropriately sized resistors compensate for parasitic capacitance inherent in transistors.

3. The voltage regulator of claim 1 , comprising load transistors coupled to outputs of said transconductance first stage.

4. The voltage regulator of claim 1 wherein the voltage regulator is implemented in a simple Complementary Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor structure.

5. The voltage regulator of claim 1 wherein the voltage regulator provides immunity to power supply noise.

6. A method for implementing a High Unity Gain BandWidth voltage regulator comprising:

alleviating loss of Direct Current gain of an amplifier in said voltage regulator due to increased bandwidth by adding negative compensation for the output impedance of the amplifier;

adding appropriately sized resistors to compensate for physical parasitic capacitance inherent in the transistors in the amplifier; and

setting a Direct Current gain independently of the bandwidth, wherein the bandwidth is in the hundreds of Mega Hertz range; wherein: said amplifier comprises a differential input stage; and wherein said negative compensation comprises cross-coupled transistors at outputs of said differential input stage; and wherein resistors introduce zeros in a transfer function, which compensate for parasitic poles and allows for bandwidth extension.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the voltage regulator is implemented in a simple Complementary Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor structure.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein the voltage regulator provides immunity to power supply noise.

9. A voltage regulator comprising:

a pass transistor having an input and an output;

an error amplifier having first and second inputs, the first input for receiving a reference voltage to be regulated, and an output coupled to the input of the pass transistor;

a voltage divider providing a feedback voltage from the output of the pass transistor to the second input of the error amplifier, wherein the error amplifier comprises:

differential input transistors at the first and second inputs;

transistors cross-coupled to outputs of the differential input transistors; and

load transistors at the outputs of the differential input transistors, said load transistors having resistors coupled in series to inputs of the load transistors, wherein the resistors introduce zeros in a transfer function of the error amplifier and compensate for parasitic poles and allows for bandwidth extension.

10. The voltage regulator of claim 9 , wherein the pass transistor, differential input transistors, cross-coupled transistors, and load transistors comprise metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) transistors.

11. The voltage regulator of claim 9 , wherein drain terminals of the load transistors are coupled to gate terminals of the load transistors via the resistors.

12. The voltage regulator of claim 11 , wherein the resistors couple the gate terminals of the load transistors to gate terminals of current mirror transistors that mirror current flowing through the load transistors.

13. The voltage regulator of claim 9 , wherein an output terminal of a first of the current mirror transistors comprises the output of the error amplifier.

14. The voltage regulator of claim 9 , wherein an output terminal of a second of the current mirror transistors is coupled to a transistor with a resistor coupled to its gate terminal.

Assignments (7)
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Jul 9, 2021
From: MAXLINEAR, INC.; MAXLINEAR COMMUNICATIONS, LLC; EXAR CORPORATION
To: WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
Reel/Frame 056816/0089 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jun 23, 2021
From: MUFG UNION BANK, N.A.
To: MAXLINEAR, INC.; EXAR CORPORATION; MAXLINEAR COMMUNICATIONS LLC
Reel/Frame 056656/0204 →
SUCCESSION OF AGENCY (REEL 042453 / FRAME 0001) Recorded Jul 1, 2020
From: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.
To: MUFG UNION BANK, N.A.
Reel/Frame 053115/0842 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded May 12, 2017
From: MAXLINEAR, INC.; ENTROPIC COMMUNICATIONS, LLC (F/K/A ENTROPIC COMMUNICATIONS, INC.); EXAR CORPORATION
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 042453/0001 →
MERGER AND CHANGE OF NAME Recorded May 18, 2015
From: ENTROPIC COMMUNICATIONS, INC.; EXCALIBUR SUBSIDIARY, LLC; ENTROPIC COMMUNICATIONS, LLC
To: ENTROPIC COMMUNICATIONS, LLC
Reel/Frame 035706/0188 →
MERGER AND CHANGE OF NAME Recorded May 15, 2015
From: EXCALIBUR ACQUISITION CORPORATION; ENTROPIC COMMUNICATIONS, INC.; ENTROPIC COMMUNICATIONS, INC.
To: ENTROPIC COMMUNICATIONS, INC.
Reel/Frame 035704/0504 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 31, 2013
From: MOUGHABGHAB, RAED
To: ENTROPIC COMMUNICATIONS, INC.
Reel/Frame 030918/0352 →