Shunt voltage regulator circuit
US4390829A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Jun 1, 1981 |
| Grant date | Jun 28, 1983 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jun 1, 2001 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG05F3/18
- WIPO fieldControl
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A series shunt regulator circuit suitable to be fabricated in monolithic circuit form for providing a regulated output voltage and having a low input to output voltage differential thereacross. The regulator is comprised of a passive PNP current mirror circuit including a pair of PNP emitter area ratio transistors whereby the collector current of the output transistor of the pair of PNP transistors which is coupled in series with the output of the regulator circuit is equal to the value of N times the collector current of the second one of said pair of PNP transistors where N is the ratio of the emitter areas. A constant current source sinks a small reference current from the second transistor such that the output current from the regulator circuit is equal to the value N times this reference current. A Zener diode is connected in shunt with the output of the regulator circuit for regulating the output voltage whenever the unregulated supply voltage is greater than the avalanche breakdown voltage characteristic of the diode.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.