Patent · US Expired

Programmable error amplifier for sensing voltage error in the feedback path of digitially programmable voltage sources

US7190291B2 · kind B2 · utility

5Cited by
24References
21Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJan 5, 2005
Grant dateMar 13, 2007
Priority date
Expiry dateJan 5, 2025

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY02B70/10
  • WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A programmable error amplifier (PEA) that may be used as part of a voltage regulation subsystem to control the output of a digitally programmable voltage source is disclosed. According to various embodiments, the PEA comprises an amplification circuit, an analog voltage sampling circuit and a digital reference voltage sampling circuit. The amplification circuit may employ a negative feedback configuration, and include an amplifier and a plurality of feedback capacitors. The analog voltage sampling circuit is responsive to an analog input voltage (such as the output of the programmable voltage source) and is coupled to the amplification circuit. During a first operational phase (the sampling phase), the analog voltage sampling circuit stores a charge dependent upon the analog input voltage, and during a second operational phase (the conversion phase), the analog voltage sampling circuit transfers the charge to the feedback capacitors of the amplification circuit. The digital reference voltage sampling circuit is responsive to a digital programming word and also is coupled to the amplification circuit. During the first (sampling) phase, the digital reference voltage sampling circuit …

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.