Voltage reference circuit with breakpoint compensation
US5327028A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jun 22, 1992 |
| Grant date | Jul 5, 1994 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jun 22, 2012 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH03K17/14
- WIPO fieldControl
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A voltage reference circuit includes a band-gap reference circuit for providing a reference voltage and having breakpoint compensation to adjust the temperature coefficient of the reference voltage as a function of temperature. A thermal limit transistor biased by a voltage having a positive temperature coefficient begins conducting when the operating temperature reaches a predetermined value to provide a compensation current. The compensation current is added to the collector current flowing into one of a pair of transistors within the band-gap reference circuit, and a current controlled current source responds to an increase in collector current in the other one of the pair of transistors by making the collector currents flowing into both transistors equal. This increases the voltage drop across a pair of resistors to increase a band-gap voltage across a portion of an output divider network, to in turn increase the reference voltage provided across the entire divider network.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.