An on-die voltage regulator (VR) is provided that can deliver much higher conversion efficiency than the traditional solution (e.g., FIVR, LDO) during the standby mode of a system-on-chip (SOC), and it can save the power consumption significantly, during the connected standby mode. The VR operates as a switched capacitor VR under the low load current condition that is common during the standby mode of the SOC, while it automatically switches to the digital linear VR operation to handle a sudden high load current condition at the exit from the standby condition. A digital proportional-integral-derivative (PID) controller or a digital proportional-derivative-averaging (PDA) controller is used to achieve a very low power operation with stability and robustness. As such, the hybrid VR achieves much higher conversion efficiency than the linear voltage regulator (LVR) for low load current condition (e.g., lower than 500 mA).

A system includes a charge pump system having a plurality of enable signal input terminals and an output terminal, the charge pump system configured to provide an output voltage at the output terminal; and a detection circuit connected to the enable terminals and the output terminal of the charge pump system, the detection circuit configured to compare the charge pump system output voltage to a plurality of predefined input detection voltage levels, and to selectively output a plurality of enable signals to the charge pump system enable signal input terminals in response to the comparison.

A switched capacitor voltage converter includes an inductor and a plurality of switch transistors between two branches of a conventional parallel switched capacitor voltage converter, by controlling a turning on and off of the plurality of switch transistors, electric charges on a parasitic capacitor of a first branch are completely transferred to a second branch via the inductor within a period of time when all primary switch transistors are turned off, so that a voltage difference between both terminals of each of the primary switch transistors becomes zero, then the each of the primary switch transistors is turned on, the voltage difference between both terminals of the each of the primary switch transistors becomes zero at an instant when the each of primary switch transistors is turned on respectively, therefore a switching loss of the plurality of switch transistors is reduced and a conversion efficiency is improved.

During its first and second residence times, corresponding first and second currents flow between a charge pump and a circuit that connects to one of the charge pump's terminals. Based on a feedback measurement from the charge pump, a controller adjusts these first and second currents.

A multi-phase signal control circuit includes: a comparator, configured to compare a triangular wave signal with a feedback control signal to output a first pulse width modulation signal, where the feedback control signal is a signal fed back by the power stage circuit; a phase switch circuit, configured to receive a phase switch signal and the first pulse width modulation signal to generate a first phase signal and a second phase signal, where the first phase signal and the second phase signal are used to control the power stage circuit to generate an output voltage signal.

An apparatus for electric power conversion includes a converter having a regulating circuit and switching network. The regulating circuit has magnetic storage elements, and switches connected to the magnetic storage elements and controllable to switch between switching configurations. The regulating circuit maintains an average DC current through a magnetic storage element. The switching network includes charge storage elements connected to switches that are controllable to switch between plural switch configurations. In one configuration, the switches forms an arrangement of charge storage elements in which at least one charge storage element is charged using the magnetic storage element through the network input or output port. In another, the switches form an arrangement of charge storage elements in which an element discharges using the magnetic storage element through one of the input port and output port of the switching network.

A hybrid charge pump is disclosed that employs novel arrangements of depletion-mode n-channel semiconductor devices and enhancement-mode p-channel semiconductor devices that eliminate or otherwise substantially reduce voltage drops that would otherwise occur across semiconductor device arrangements in existing charge pumps. As a result, the hybrid charge pump disclosed herein achieves the same output voltages as conventional charge pumps while requiring a reduced physical die area. Additionally, a hybrid charge pump arrangement disclosed herein employs a novel clocking scheme that reduces or eliminates reverse currents in the hybrid charge pump arrangement.

An ESD circuit is connected between an I/O pad and a first node. The ESD circuit includes a bi-directional buck circuit, a triggering circuit and a discharging circuit. The bi-directional buck circuit includes a forward path and a reverse path. The forward path and the reverse path are connected between the I/O pad and a second node. The triggering circuit is connected between the second node and the first node. The discharging circuit is connected between the second node and the first node, and connected with the triggering circuit. When the I/O pad receives negative ESD zap, the ESD current flows from the first node to the I/O pad through the discharging circuit and the reverse path. When the I/O pad receives positive ESD zap, the ESD current flows from the I/O pad to the first node through the forward path and the discharging circuit.

A system includes a charge pump system having a plurality of enable signal input terminals and an output terminal, the charge pump system configured to provide an output voltage at the output terminal; and a detection circuit connected to the enable terminals and the output terminal of the charge pump system, the detection circuit configured to compare the charge pump system output voltage to a plurality of predefined input detection voltage levels, and to selectively output a plurality of enable signals to the charge pump system enable signal input terminals in response to the comparison.

An apparatus for power conversion includes a transformation stage for transforming a first voltage into a second voltage. The transformation stage includes a switching network, a filter, and a controller. The filter is configured to connect the transformation stage to a regulator. The controller controls the switching network.