Patent ID: 7248026

Claim:
A voltage regulator comprising: a first external pin; a soft-start control circuit for generating a current signal on the first external pin; a first voltage divider coupled to the first external pin such that, when a first voltage is generated on the first external pin, the first voltage divider generates a fractional voltage that is equal to the first voltage multiplied by a first divider ratio; an output circuit for generating a regulated output voltage that is equal to or less than the first voltage, the output circuit including: a second voltage divider for generating a feedback voltage that is equal to the regulated output voltage multiplied by a second divider ratio, and an error amplifier having a first input terminal coupled to the first voltage divider, and a second input terminal connected to receive the feedback signal, wherein the first voltage divider comprises a first resistor coupled in series between the first external pin and the first input terminal of the error amplifier.