Inventors:
Wei Dong - Plano TX, US
Hiep Tran - Dallas TX, US
Hugh T. Mair - Fairview TX, US
Uming Ko - Plano TX, US
Assignee:
Texas Instruments Incorporated - Dallas TX
International Classification:
H03K 17/687
Abstract:
System and method for providing power to circuitry while avoiding a large transient current. A preferred embodiment comprises a distributed switch (such as switch arrangement ) with a plurality of switches (such as switch ) coupling a power supply to the circuitry. Each switch is individually controlled by a control signal and is turned on sequentially. Also coupled to each switch is a pre-driver circuit (such as pre-driver circuit ). The pre-driver circuit comprises a potential adjust circuit (such as potential adjust circuit ) that rapidly adjusts a voltage potential at the switch and a rate adjust circuit (such as the rate adjust circuit ) that accelerates the power ramp-up across the switch once transient currents are no longer a concern. Adjusting the voltage potential so that the switch operates in a saturation mode increases an effective capacitance across the switch and thereby retarding the power ramp-up across the switch.