Low voltage DC-to-DC power converter integrated circuit and related methods
US5610503A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | May 10, 1995 |
| Grant date | Mar 11, 1997 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | May 10, 2015 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH02M3/156
- WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A dc-to-dc converter circuit for generating an output voltage from a source voltage includes a plurality of first metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistors (MOSFETs) connected in parallel and collectively defining a gate, a source and a drain. A driver circuit preferably includes a bipolar transistor connected to the gate for turning on the first MOSFETs. A second MOSFET is preferably connected to the gate for turning off the plurality of first MOSFETs. The dc-to-dc converter also preferably includes a clamp circuit connected to the plurality of first MOSFETs across the drain and source thereof. Protection, soft-start and status features are also preferably incorporated into the dc-to-dc converter. A voltage divider is connected to a reference voltage for dividing a first reference voltage to thereby generate a second reference voltage less than a desired output voltage. An error amplifier is connected to the voltage divider for generating an error signal based upon a difference between the second reference voltage and an actual output voltage. External control of the output voltage may be achieved by over-driving a node of the voltage divider, such as to facilitate enhanc…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.