CHARGE PUMP GENERATOR WITH DIRECT VOLTAGE SENSOR

• Main Authors: PLASS DONALD W, SPERLING MICHAEL A, MUENCH PAUL D
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 26.02.2015
• Subjects: APPARATUS FOR CONVERSION BETWEEN AC AND AC, BETWEEN AC AND DC,OR BETWEEN DC AND DC, AND FOR USE WITH MAINS OR SIMILAR POWERSUPPLY SYSTEMS; CALCULATING; COMPUTING; CONTROL OR REGULATION THEREOF; CONTROLLING; CONVERSION OF DC OR AC INPUT POWER INTO SURGE OUTPUTPOWER; CONVERSION OR DISTRIBUTION OF ELECTRIC POWER; COUNTING; ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING; ELECTRICITY; GENERATION; MEASURING; MEASURING ELECTRIC VARIABLES; MEASURING MAGNETIC VARIABLES; PHYSICS; REGULATING; SYSTEMS FOR REGULATING ELECTRIC OR MAGNETIC VARIABLES; TESTING

Embodiments relate to a direct voltage sensor and a charge pump system for a computer system. A charge pump that supplies switching current for a plurality of transistors includes a capacitor generating a pumped voltage. A comparator generates a pump control signal for turning on and off charging of the pump capacitor based on a difference between a comparison voltage and a reference voltage. A direct voltage sensor receives a feedback signal reflecting the pumped voltage and generates the comparison voltage in response to the feedback signal. The sensor includes a sensor resistor, a current source configured to drive a sensor current through the sensor resistor, and a differential op-amp that drives the sensor current to cause the voltage drop across the sensor resistor to remain constant as the pumped voltage experiences the voltage drop. The charge pump may include two similar direct voltage sensor controlling positive and negative pumped voltages.