IP Library Granted Patent US 9,178,563
Granted Patent B2
US 9,178,563 · App. 14/508,586 · Granted Nov 3, 2015

Voltage regulator for a serializer/deserializer communication application

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,178,563
App. No.
14/508,586
Granted
Nov 3, 2015
Kind
B2
Abstract

The voltage regulator device has a wide band amplifier having an input reference voltage, Vref and an input feedback voltage, Vfbk. The device has a source follower coupled to the wide band amplifier, the source follower coupled to an output of the wide band amplifier. The device has a VDD source, a regulator output, and a current source coupled to the source follower and the VDD source. The device has a low frequency path comprising a first transistor. The first transistor has a first gate, a first source, and a first drain. The first source is coupled to the VDD source. The first gate is coupled to a slow node, and the first drain is coupled to the regulator output. The low frequency path comprises a RC network, which has a capacitor, a resistor, and the slow node configured between the resistor and the capacitor. The device has a high frequency path comprising a second transistor. The second transistor has a second gate, a second source, and a second drain. The second source is coupled to the VDD source. The second gate is coupled to a fast node, and the second drain is coupled to the regulator output.

Claims (53)

1. A system comprising:

a memory device;

a transmitter apparatus coupled to the memory device comprising:

an incoming receiver device configured to receive a plurality of data streams, each of the data streams having a first data rate and characterized in a first format, the incoming receiver device configured to transfer a second data stream having a second format;

a serializer device coupled the incoming receiver device, the serializer device processes the second data stream to output a third data stream in a third format;

a line driver comprising a power input, the line driver coupled to the serializer device to output a four data stream in a fourth format;

a voltage regulator device coupled to supply power to the power input of the line driver, the voltage regulator device comprising:

a wide band amplifier having an input reference voltage, Vref and an input feedback voltage, Vfbk;

a source follower coupled to the wide band amplifier, the source follower coupled to an output of the wide band amplifier;

a VDD source;

a regulator output;

a current source coupled to the source follower and the VDD source;

a low frequency path comprising a first transistor, the first transistor having a first gate, a first source, and a first drain, the first source coupled to the VDD source, the first gate coupled to a slow node, and the first drain coupled to the regulator output, the low frequency path comprising RC network, the RC network comprising a capacitor, a resistor, and the slow node configured between the resistor and the capacitor; and

a high frequency path comprising a second transistor, the second transistor having a second gate, a second source, and a second drain, the second source coupled to the VDD source, the second gate coupled to a fast node, and the second drain coupled to the regulator output.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the first format is a 100 Gigabit per second Ethernet format.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the supplied power is characterized by a current and a voltage, the current ranging from 20 milli-Amps to 50 milli-Amps, and the voltage characterized by 0.9 volt to 1.05 volt.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein the voltage is programmable by adjusting a magnitude of the reference voltage.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the line driver comprising a differential output comprising TXP and TXN.

6. The system of claim 1 further comprising a feedback circuit coupled to the regulator output.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the memory device is selected from one of a DDR4 memory device or a memory controller device.

8. The system of claim 1 further comprising a feedback circuit coupled to the regulator output, the feedback circuit comprising a first resistor coupled between the regulator output and a feedback node and a second resistor coupled between the feedback node and a ground potential.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the high frequency path is coupled to a ground potential.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the memory device is a DDR4 register device.

11. A system comprising:

a memory device;

a voltage regulator device configured for a line driver application, the voltage regulator device coupled to the memory device, the voltage regulator device comprising:

a wide band amplifier having an input reference voltage, Vref and an input feedback voltage, Vfbk;

a source follower coupled to the wide band amplifier, the source follower coupled to an output of the wide band amplifier;

a VDD source;

a regulator output;

a current source coupled to the source follower and the VDD source;

a low frequency path comprising a first transistor, the first transistor having a first gate, a first source, and a first drain, the first source coupled to the VDD source, the first gate coupled to a slow node, and the first drain coupled to the regulator output; and

a high frequency path comprising a second transistor, the second transistor having a second gate, a second source, and a second drain, the second source coupled to the VDD source, the second gate coupled to a fast node, and the second drain coupled to the regulator output.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the supplied power is characterized by a current and a voltage, the current ranging from 20 milli-Amps to 50 milli-Amps, and the voltage characterized by 0.9 volt to 1.05 volt.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein the voltage is programmable by adjusting a magnitude of the reference voltage.

14. The system of claim 11 further comprising a feedback circuit coupled to the regulator output.

15. The system of claim 11 further comprising a feedback circuit coupled to the regulator output, the feedback circuit comprising a first resistor coupled between the regulator output and a feedback node and a second resistor coupled between the feedback node and a ground potential.

16. The system of claim 11 wherein the high frequency path is characterized by a frequency range from about 500 Megahertz to 10 Gigahertz.

17. The system of claim 11 wherein the low frequency path is characterized by a frequency range from about DC to 500 Megahertz; the low frequency path comprising RC network, the RC network comprising a capacitor, a resistor, and the slow node configured between the resistor and the capacitor.

18. The system of claim 11 wherein the high frequency path is coupled to a ground potential; and the low frequency path is coupled to a ground potential.

19. The system of claim 11 wherein the source follower comprising a three terminal device characterized pMOS device.

20. A system comprising:

a memory device, the memory device comprises a DDR4 register device;

a voltage regulator device coupled to the memory device the voltage regulator device comprising:

a wide band amplifier having an input reference voltage, Vref and an input feedback voltage, Vfbk;

a source follower coupled to the wide band amplifier, the source follower coupled to an output of the wide band amplifier;

a VDD source;

a regulator output;

a current source coupled to the source follower and the VDD source;

a low frequency path comprising a first transistor, the first transistor having a first gate, a first source, and a first drain, the first source coupled to the VDD source, the first gate coupled to a slow node, and the first drain coupled to the regulator output, the low frequency path comprising RC network, the RC network comprising a capacitor, a resistor, and the slow node configured between the resistor and the capacitor; and

a high frequency path comprising a second transistor, the second transistor having a second gate, a second source, and a second drain, the second source coupled to the VDD source, the second gate coupled to a fast node, and the second drain coupled to the regulator output; and

whereupon the resistor is configured to isolate a first load capacitance of a first three terminal device;

whereupon the source follower is configured to isolate a second load capacitance of a second three terminal device.

Assignments (4)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 27, 2021
From: CAVIUM INTERNATIONAL
To: MARVELL ASIA PTE LTD.
Reel/Frame 057336/0873 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 25, 2021
From: MARVELL TECHNOLOGY CAYMAN I
To: CAVIUM INTERNATIONAL
Reel/Frame 057279/0519 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 23, 2021
From: INPHI CORPORATION
To: MARVELL TECHNOLOGY CAYMAN I
Reel/Frame 056649/0823 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 4, 2017
From: REN, GUOJUN; GOPALAKRISHNAN, KARTHIK S.
To: INPHI CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 041851/0117 →