VOLTAGE REGULATOR WITH DYNAMICALLY BOOSTED BIAS CUTTENT

摘要

A voltage regulator with dynamically boosted bias current includes a pass device (14a) for providing current to a load (12a); an error circuit responsive to a difference between a predetermined reference voltage and a function of the voltage on the load (12a) to produce an error signal, a driver circuit (16a) responsive to the error signal for controlling the pass device (14a) to adjust the current to the load (12a) to reduce the error signal, the driver circuit (16a) including an amplifier (30a) responsive to the error signal for controlling the pass device (14a), a bias current source (156) for biasing the amplifier (30), a sensing circuit (160) for sensing a portion of the error signal, a reference current source (172) for providing a reference current, a second error circuit (170) responsive to a difference between the portion of the error signal and the reference current to produce a second error current; and a boost circuit (174) responsive to the second error signal to increase the bias current provided to the amplifier (30a) when the load demands more current.