Patent ID: 6031363
Filing Date: 2000-02-29
Classification: G05F

Abstract:
An apparatus comprising a voltage regulator circuit having:a first circuit powered by a battery voltage and having an output and a means for enabling the first circuit, wherein the first circuit is capable of handling a load dump condition of the battery voltage;a second circuit powered by a low voltage self-generated power supply voltage provided by the apparatus and having an output connected to the output of the first circuit and forming the output of the voltage regulator circuit and having a means for enabling the second circuit, wherein the low voltage self-generated power supply voltage protects the second circuit from a load dump condition of the battery voltage; anda comparator having an input connected to the self-generated power supply voltage and having an output coupled to the means for enabling the first circuit and having an inverted output coupled to the means for enabling the second circuit such that the first circuit is enabled and powered by the battery voltage and the second circuit is disabled when the apparatus is enabled until the self-generated power supply voltage reaches a predetermined voltage, and the first circuit is disabled and the second circuit is enabled and powered by the self-generated power supply voltage when the self-generated power supply voltage exceeds the predetermined voltage;wherein the voltage regulator circuit is fabricated using a low voltage integration process technology.