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Spinning a charge pump : CONTACT! — Parallax Forums

Spinning a charge pump : CONTACT!

BADHABITBADHABIT Posts: 138
edited 2009-06-21 15:27 in Propeller 1
I'm not sure how feasible it is because I haven't thought it out yet, but I'm thinking it would be possible to make a charge pump w/caps, diodes and the star Propeller.

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Post Edited (BADHABIT) : 6/20/2009 8:59:58 PM GMT

Comments

  • CounterRotatingPropsCounterRotatingProps Posts: 1,132
    edited 2009-06-20 01:00
    B.H. what specs ?

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  • AribaAriba Posts: 2,690
    edited 2009-06-20 02:04
    I was needing a little negative Voltage for a Video-Multiplexer with the Propeller, and tried a charge pump
    with diodes and Cs (circuit attached). I got -2.1 Volt, that is more than I expected.

    The PAx is a Propeller output-pin, and must toggle at a rate of ~25..500 kHz. I used a counter in NCO mode
    for that. Just start the counter at begin of the code and forget it.

    If you do that to the positive side you should get ~ +5.3 Volt (depends on the diode).

    Andy
    233 x 116 - 673B
  • BADHABITBADHABIT Posts: 138
    edited 2009-06-20 02:07
    CR P said...
    B.H. what specs ?
    Dunno, haven't thot aboot it yet. Too much mill programming to do rt now.

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  • heaterheater Posts: 3,370
    edited 2009-06-20 07:23
    This idea came up very recently and someone posted this great link:
    www.gyraf.dk/schematics/Voltage_multipliers_with_CMOS_gates.pdf

    Just what I need to generate a little negative voltage for a cranky old 2 * 20 LCD panel I have.

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  • TubularTubular Posts: 4,706
    edited 2009-06-20 09:58
    I haven't done the detailed design on this, but in principle it may be possible to run the prop off a single 1.5v alkaline AA cell. It would involve 3 stages with the first being a manual DPDT button press to use a reservoir cap to double to about 3 volts, enough to get the 32kB loaded.

    Stage - state - Activities
    0 - idle - 'trickle charge' reservoir cap in parallel with battery to 1.5 volts and hold there until dpdt button pressed
    1 - button pressed - swap cap over to series to generate a 3.1v rail for the prop and eeprom. 3.1v will start to decay
    2 - eeprom loading - (optionally) use the i2c scl clock (which is also driving the Eeprom) to drive a voltage doubler to keep 3v rail supported. Prop draws approx 2mA for approx 2 seconds during this stage. Alternatively just use a larger reservoir cap to bypass this stage.
    3 - prop running - closed loop control of voltage doubler(s) off SCL line to keep rail within tolerance as load now varies due to prop activity
    4 - power down - under prop control, just stop clocking the i2c clock line and let the voltage rail collapse

    The button would need to be held down for long enough for the clocked voltage doubler to take over. But a lot of smart appliances need you to do that exact thing these days.

    tubular
  • heaterheater Posts: 3,370
    edited 2009-06-20 11:14
    Is this even possible? Sounds like using a water wheel to pump water up the hill to run down the stream to turn the water wheel to ...

    Don't we need an external transistor/FET to do the switching at least?

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  • TubularTubular Posts: 4,706
    edited 2009-06-20 12:41
    Heater, I know what you mean. But, there's nothing all that magic about charge pumps - your MAX232's etc use them, EEPROMs use them to generate their internal rails.

    The key thing the voltage multipliers need is a clock, often a non overlapping clock, and the I2C Clock line used to clock the EEPROM (P29) looks like an ideal candidate since its often free after boot, and clocking at 300kHz during boot. Once booted the non overlapping clock is easy enough using tri state (high output - input/Hi Z - low output - input/Hi Z - etc)

    As I see it the theory is simple enough, but there are sure to be practical issues with application. For a full freq standard prop implementation (80mA at 80 Mhz?) I suspect at least 2 external fets would be required. However drop the frequency and current draw (or parallel the pins?) and there exists the tantalising possibility of using the prop's own drive pin FETs to do the work. ignore this crazed raving

    Here's an intro link
    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voltage_multiplier

    tubular

    Post Edited (Tubular) : 6/20/2009 9:12:59 PM GMT
  • BADHABITBADHABIT Posts: 138
    edited 2009-06-20 18:48
    Initially when I first thought this up I was thinking - 1 pin(maybe 2) to one stage with an unlimited voltage able to be driven by adding stages.
    Subsequently I have realized it may not be possible due to the MC's voltage threshold. It's been a while since I worked with making a pump so I can't remember exactly where the clock is injected and I'm trying hard not to look at·the schematics(it's hard not to engage in avoidance activities).
    If the clock does not need to increase in voltage, then it may be possible to create any voltage desired if I/O's are increased too.

    Attached is a doubler circuit that has worked well for me.

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    Post Edited (BADHABIT) : 6/20/2009 7:31:16 PM GMT
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  • PhilldapillPhilldapill Posts: 1,283
    edited 2009-06-20 19:19
    Tubular, I see what Heater is talking about. If you are using the eeprom clock pin to sink/source the current for the charge pump, and the charge pump to power the propeller, and the propeller to supply current to the clock pin for the charge pump......... Won't work.
  • BADHABITBADHABIT Posts: 138
    edited 2009-06-20 19:24
    can you use one of these for the startup clock?

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  • heaterheater Posts: 3,370
    edited 2009-06-20 20:19
    Tubular: The available current output from any voltage doubler will be less (less than half) of whatever current you are pumping into it. So Prop pushes big current into the doubler capacitors but the doubler supplues small current to the Prop. Looks like no go to me.

    Yes MAX232s and EEPROMs can use charge pumps but they are not actually powering themselves from the pumps.

    But the Prop could just provide the clock and some external devices actually do the voltage doubler switching. Then I think we are on to something.

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  • Toby SeckshundToby Seckshund Posts: 2,027
    edited 2009-06-20 20:34
    The anchient art of prerpetual motion, bless. Mind you I think that it would be wonderful to have a starting handle, "CONTACT ! , REGGIE"

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  • localrogerlocalroger Posts: 3,452
    edited 2009-06-20 20:58
    I just built a 555 based negative voltage generator onto a protoboard for an instrument amp that turned out not to like single supplies. I used the 555 because the amp needs -5V so the 555 is powered from Vin and actually regulated with a 79L05. This gives enough juice to power the amp, but not the 350 ohm wheatstone bridge it's monitoring.

    I think you could power a prop in RCSLOW from a pump, possibly from its own I/O pins(since the output transistors source and sink a lot more current than it takes to switch them) but powering an 80MHz multi-cog Prop from a pump probably wouldn't work well even with an external oscillator.
  • TubularTubular Posts: 4,706
    edited 2009-06-20 21:03
    LOL, I suspect you guys are absolutely right. Better edit some posts quickly, lest I become outcast as a perpertual motion crank.

    BH I'm confident enough about the startup capacitor getting the Prop up and running, just needs a big enough cap. Its just a single cycle flying capacitor booster. How big? I estimate about 70,000 uF (getting toward supercap terriotory for compactness) but am going to _try it_ before posting and further...

    tubular
  • Toby SeckshundToby Seckshund Posts: 2,027
    edited 2009-06-20 21:10
    The problem with charge pumps is with their losses. The switching element, the rectifiers ... These is never too much of problem when there is a good starting voltage, you can suffer the few volts missing out of hundreds, but 0.7V here and 0.3V there knocks a big hole in 1.5V. Everytime there is a reduction in running volts it always seems to miss those magical chemical voltages available.

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  • heaterheater Posts: 3,370
    edited 2009-06-20 21:45
    It ain't going to work. Not with out some external switching transistors/fets. Even then the voltage drops may be too low to start from 1.5 volts.

    However this will ! I have used it to drive a big fat white LED.

    Get the full gen here: www.cappels.org/dproj/ledpage/leddrv.htm

    Not very efficient. Be better to get a boost regulator.

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  • Toby SeckshundToby Seckshund Posts: 2,027
    edited 2009-06-20 22:17
    There was just a tad too much **** taking about lesser things, recently. A souce that has dabbled in the 8 bit arts, a rusty nail and and non semi conduction ........

    I once showed my father that a leaky white spot and a coil, with secondary, would obliterate the LW band Radio2, without bias. Two coils one Smile tranistor, one 3V battery (and some copper wire, for the pedantic)

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    Post Edited (Toby Seckshund) : 6/20/2009 10:32:05 PM GMT
  • TubularTubular Posts: 4,706
    edited 2009-06-21 01:21
    At the risk of further ridicule... is it possible to use the output pins on the Prop to pass the coulombs back the other direction?
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  • Toby SeckshundToby Seckshund Posts: 2,027
    edited 2009-06-21 09:57
    2N2222 are particulary good at oscillating on their own. They have a usefull negative resistance region.

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  • LawsonLawson Posts: 870
    edited 2009-06-21 15:27
    If you want more volts This Wikipedia blurb on charge pumps has a picture of a two stage circuit that can be extended to as many stages as required. It's well suited to being driven by logic IC's as the load is shared equally among the driven pins. Low voltage drop diodes are likely a good idea.

    Lawson

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