Patent ID: 8222881

Claim:
A DC to DC conversion circuit for converting a first DC voltage to a second DC voltage, comprising: (a) an error amplifier having a first input coupled to receive a first reference voltage; (b) an output stage for producing the second DC voltage on an output conductor, the output stage having a first input coupled to an output of the error amplifier and a second input coupled receive the first DC voltage; (c) a first capacitor having a first terminal coupled to the output conductor and a second terminal coupled by a feedback conductor to a second input of the error amplifier; (d) a voltage divider having a first terminal coupled to a second reference voltage; and (e) a sampling circuit including a first sampling switch having a first terminal coupled to a second terminal of the voltage divider and a second terminal coupled to the output conductor, a second sampling switch having a first terminal coupled to the feedback conductor and a second terminal coupled to an output of the voltage divider, and a timing circuit having a first output coupled to a control terminal of the first sampling switch to periodically energize the voltage divider and a second output coupled to a control terminal of the second sampling switch to periodically refresh the first capacitor while the voltage divider is energized, to reduce power consumption in the voltage divider.