System, apparatus, and method for a ping-pong charge pump

摘要

Systems, apparatuses, and methods provided for ping-pong charge pumps. Flying capacitors present in ping-pong charge pumps are operated out of phase to increase equalization periods. Out-of-phase operation also decreases voltage differences between flying capacitors during equalization periods thus decreasing ping-pong charge pump output voltage ripple and snapback. The voltages of the flying capacitors may be equalized without the use of an equalization switch. Differential control currents that are based on the voltage difference between the flying capacitors are used to enable or disable the flying capacitors from driving an output load of the ping-pong charge pump during certain phases of operation. A capacitor with a lower voltage may be disabled, thus providing for voltage equalization as the enabled capacitor sources current to the output load. The flying capacitors are also equalized during overlapping time periods in which the flying capacitors are charging.

主权项

1. A method, comprising:
operating a ping-pong charge pump using a plurality of operational phases; charging a first capacitor of the ping-pong charge pump and a second capacitor of the ping-pong charge pump during a first phase of the plurality of operational phases; regulating an output voltage of the ping-pong charge pump using the first capacitor and the second capacitor during a second phase of the plurality of operational phases; equalizing a charge of the first capacitor and a charge of the second capacitor during the first phase and the second phase; and charging only one of the first capacitor or the second capacitor during an additional phase of the plurality of operational phases.