Switched-capacitor converters with low-voltage gate drivers

摘要

An apparatus for converting voltage includes terminals coupled to external circuits at corresponding voltages and a switching network having driving circuits and semiconductor switches that interconnect capacitors in successive states to one another and to the terminals. The switches interconnect some capacitors to one another through a series of switches when an activation pattern causes them to be activated. Each driving circuit has power connections, a control input, and a drive output coupled to and controlling at least one switch. A drive output of one of them couples to and drives each switch. Some of the driving circuits are powered via corresponding power connections from at least one of the capacitors such that a voltage across the corresponding power connections is less than a highest of the corresponding voltages. The terminals and the switching network are constituents of a switched capacitor converter.

主权项

1. A switched capacitor power converter comprising a first terminal for coupling to a first external circuit at substantially a high voltage, a second terminal for coupling to a second external circuit at substantially a low voltage that is less than said high voltage in magnitude, a first plurality of active semiconductor switch elements configured to transition between first and second states that result in corresponding first and second electrical interconnections between capacitors and at least one of said first and second terminals, wherein, in said first state, first and second switch elements from said plurality of switch elements, when closed, define a DC current path between said first and second switch elements and connect at least some of said capacitors to one another, a plurality of switch-driving circuits, each switch element coupled to and for control by a drive output of one of said switch-driving circuits each switch-driving circuit having a control input, power connections, and a drive output coupled to and for control of one or more of said switch elements, wherein at least some switch-driving circuits are configured to be powered via said power connections of said switch-driving circuits from one or more of said capacitors such that a voltage across said power connections of said switch-driving circuit is substantially less than said high voltage.