NEGATIVE CHARGE PUMP REGULATION

摘要

A negative charge pump is responsive to a pump enable signal. A voltage controlled current source provides a current. A resistor is coupled between a node from the voltage controlled current source and a negative charge output from the negative charge pump. A capacitor is placed in parallel with the resistor. A comparator generates the pump enable signal to control the negative charge pump. The comparator is coupled to the resistor and the capacitor and measures an IR drop thereacross and compares this measurement against a reference threshold. A level of the pump enable signal can be variable by tuning an amount of resistance of the resistor or capacitor or adjusting the reference threshold. A memory can be driven by a method of the negative charge pump.

主权项

1. A negative charge pump having output level regulation, comprising:
a negative charge pump responsive to a pump enable signal for generating a negative voltage at an output; a voltage controlled current source for providing a current at a node; a resistor circuit operatively coupled between the node of the voltage controlled current source and the output of the negative charge pump; a capacitance circuit in parallel with the resistor circuit; and a comparator operatively coupled to the resistor circuit and the capacitor circuit to compare an IR drop across the resistor circuit and the capacitor circuit against a reference threshold and to generate the pump enable signal to control the negative charge pump.