Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

A fast-transient high-PSR output-capacitor-free low-dropout regulator for low-power embedded systems

  • Published:
Analog Integrated Circuits and Signal Processing Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

A low-power fast-transient output-capacitor-free low-dropout regulator (LDO) with high power-supply rejection (PSR) is presented in this paper. The proposed LDO utilizes a non-symmetrical class-AB amplifier as the input stage to improve the transient performances. Meanwhile, PSR enhancement circuit, which only consumes 0.2-µA quiescent current at light load, is utilized to form a feedforward cancellation path for improving PSR over wide frequency range. The LDO has been designed and simulated in a mixed signal 0.13-µm CMOS process. From the post simulation results, the LDO is capable of delivering 100-mA output current at 0.2-V dropout voltage, with 3.8-µA quiescent current at light load. The undershoot, the overshoot and the 1 % settling time of the proposed LDO with load current switching from 50 µA to 100 mA in 300 ns are about 100 mV, 100 mV and 1 µs, respectively. With the help of proposed PSR enhancement technique, the LDO achieves a PSR of −69 dB at 100 kHz frequency for a 100-mA load current.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
Fig. 10
Fig. 11

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Qu, X., Zhou, Z. K., & Zhang, B. (2014). A fully on-chip 1-µW capacitor-free low-dropout regulator with adaptive output stage. Analog Integrated Circuits and Signal Processing, 78(2), 353–360.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Qu, X., Zhou, Z. K., & Zhang, B. (2013). An ultralow-power fasttransient capacitor-free low-dropout regulator with assistant push–pull output stage. IEEE Transactions on Circuits and Systems II, 60(2), 96–100.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Lai, S.-M., & Li, P. (2012). A fully on-chip area-efficient CMOS low-dropout regulator with fast load regulation. Analog Integrated Circuits and Signal Processing, 72, 433–450.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Crepaldi, P. C., Pimenta, T. C., Moreno, R. L., & Edgard, C. R. (2010). A linear voltage regulator for an implantable device monitoring System. Analog Integrated Circuits and Signal Processing, 65, 131–140.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Lai, X.-Q., Guo, J.-P., Sun, Z.-Z., & Xie, J.-Z. (2006). A 3-A CMOS low-dropout regulator with adaptive Miller compensation. Analog Integrated Circuits and Signal Processing, 49, 5–10.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Chen, C.-M., & Hung, C.-C. (2013). Enhanced active feedback technique with dynamic compensation for low-dropout voltage regulator. Analog Integrated Circuits and Signal Processing, 75, 97–108.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Blakiewicz, G. (2011). Output-capacitorless low-dropout regulator using a cascoded flipped voltage follower. IET Circuits, Devices Systems, 5(5), 418–423.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Lin, C.-H., Chen, K.-H., & Huang, H.-W. (2009). Low-dropout regulators with adaptive reference control and dynamic push–pull techniques for enhancing transient performance. IEEE Transactions on Power Electronics, 24(4), 1016–1022.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Buss, D. D. (2002). Technology in the Internet age (pp. 18–21). San Francisco: ISSCC.

    Google Scholar 

  10. Or, P. Y., & Leung, K. N. (2010). An output-capacitor less low dropout regulator with direct voltage-spike detection. IEEE Journal of Solid-State Circuits, 45(2), 458–466.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Ho, M., & Leung, K. N. (2011). Dynamic bias-current boosting technique for ultralow-power low-dropout regulator in biomedical applications. IEEE Transactions on Circuits and System II, 58(3), 174–178.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Zhan, Ch., & Ki, W.-H. (2010). Output-capacitor-free adaptively biased low-dropout regulator for system-on-chips. IEEE Transactions on Circuits and Systems I, 57(5), 1017–1028.

    Article  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  13. Guo, J.-P., & Leung, K. N. (2010). A 6-µW chip-area-efficient output-capacitorless LDO in 90-nm CMOS technology. IEEE Journal of Solid-State Circuits, 45(9), 755–759.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Chong, S. S., & Chan, P. K. (2013). A 0.9-μA quiescent current output-capacitorless LDO regulator with adaptive power transistors in 65-nm CMOS. IEEE Transactions on Circuits and Systems I, 60(4), 1072–1081.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. El-Nozahi, M., Amer, A., Torres, J., Entesari, K., & Sanchez-Sinencio, E. (2010). High PSR low drop-out regulator with feed-forward ripple cancellationtechnique. IEEE Journal of Solid-State Circuits, 45(3), 565–577.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Loikkanen, M., & Rostamovaara, J. (2006). PSRR improvement technique for amplifiers with Miller capacitor (pp. 1394–1397). Island of Kos: IEEE.

    Google Scholar 

  17. Ho, E. N. Y., & Mok, P. K. T. (2012). Wide-Loading-Range Fully Integrated LDR With a Power-Supply Ripple Injection Filter. IEEE Transactions on Circuits and Systems II, 59(6), 356–360.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Carvajal, R. G., Ramírez-Angulo, J., López-Martín, A. J., Torralba, A., Galán, J. A. G., Carlosena, A., et al. (2005). The flipped voltage follower: A useful cell for low-voltage low-power circuit design. IEEE Transactions on Circuits and Systems I, 52(7), 1276–1291.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Man, T. Y., Mok, P. K. T., & Chan, M. (2007). A high slew-rate push-pull output amplifier for low-quiescent current low-dropout regulators with transient-response improvement. IEEE Transactions on Circuits and Systems II, 54(9), 755–759.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the National Science Foundation of China under Grant No. 61306035, and the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities under Grant No. ZYGX2013J031.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory of Electronic Thin Films and Integrated Devices, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China

    Xi Qu, Ze-kun Zhou & Bo Zhang

Authors
  1. Xi Qu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Ze-kun Zhou
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Bo Zhang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Xi Qu.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Qu, X., Zhou, Zk. & Zhang, B. A fast-transient high-PSR output-capacitor-free low-dropout regulator for low-power embedded systems. Analog Integr Circ Sig Process 81, 443–451 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10470-014-0405-y

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10470-014-0405-y

Keywords

Search

Navigation