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A programmable soft-start control circuit having two memory registers for regulating the ramp-up time period of charging current in a charge pump of an integrated circuit. The two memory registers are programmed to provide two different soft-start settings for two distinct charge pump turn-on condit

A programmable soft-start control circuit having two memory registers for regulating the ramp-up time period of charging current in a charge pump of an integrated circuit. The two memory registers are programmed to provide two different soft-start settings for two distinct charge pump turn-on conditions, initial power-up and flash programming. Charge pump feedback logic is employed to detect the charge pump turn-on condition and activate the proper pre-programmed soft-start setting loaded in the memory registers.

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What is claimed is: 1. A programmable soft-start control for a charge pump comprising at least one programmable register for controlling charging duration of the charge pump, the charging duration being changeable by said at least one programmable register, the charge pump being charged in a series

What is claimed is: 1. A programmable soft-start control for a charge pump comprising at least one programmable register for controlling charging duration of the charge pump, the charging duration being changeable by said at least one programmable register, the charge pump being charged in a series of discrete ramp steps which provide increasing charge current during each discrete ramp step. 2. A programmable soft-start control as claimed in claim 1, wherein duration of said each discrete ramp step is set by writing a setting to said at least one programmable register. 3. A programmable soft-start control as claimed in claim 1, wherein duration of said each discrete ramp step is programmed by writing a setting to said at least one programmable register, and wherein duration of said each discrete ramp step is uniform. 4. A programmable soft-start control as claimed in claim 1, wherein duration of said each discrete ramp step is programmed by writing a setting to said at least one programmable register, and wherein said duration is in the range of about 0.03 μs to about 16 μs. 5. A programmable soft-start control as claimed in claim 1, wherein said at least one programmable register is a pair of programmable registers. 6. A programmable soft-start control as claimed in claim 1, wherein said at least one programmable register is a pair of programmable registers each assigned a distinct turn-on condition of the charge pump. 7. A programmable soft-start control as claimed in claim 1, wherein said at least one programmable register is a pair of programmable registers each assigned a distinct turn-on condition of the charge pump selected from initial power up and flash programming. 8. A programmable soft-start control as claimed in claim 1, further comprising feed back logic, wherein said at least one programmable register is a pair of programmable registers each assigned a distinct turn-on condition of the charge pump selected from initial power up and flash programming, each of said programmable registers being programmable with a setting controlling the charging duration of the charge pump, and wherein said feedback logic is adapted to detect the turn-on condition of the charge pump and select the assigned programmable register. 9. A programmable soft-start control as claimed in claim 1, wherein duration of said each discrete ramp step is programmed by writing a setting to said at least one programmable register, and wherein said at least one programmable register is a pair of programmable registers each providing a different setting for the duration of said each discrete ramp step. 10. A programmable soft-start control as claimed in claim 1, wherein duration of said each discrete ramp step is programmed by writing a setting to said at least one programmable register, wherein said at least one programmable register is a pair of programmable registers each providing a different setting for the duration of said each discrete ramp step, and wherein one of said pair of programmable registers has a setting providing a duration of said each discrete ramp step in the range of about 0.03 μs to about 4 μs, and the other has a setting providing a duration of said each discrete ramp step in the range of about 0.1 μs to 16 μs. 11. A programmable soft-start control as claimed in claim 1, wherein for an initial power up condition, said soft-start control is programmed to charge the charge pump from about 3.3V to about 7.0V within about 100 μs at about 2.2 μF load and no current load. 12. A programmable soft-start control as claimed in claim 1, wherein for a flash programming condition, said soft-start control is programmed with instructions to turn on a current load of about 45 mA for about 10 μs and turn off said current load for about 0.5 μs, and repeat said instructions at least six times. 13. A method of programmably controlling a charge pump comprising: providing at least one programmable register for controlling charging duration of the charge pump; setting a changeable charging duration by writing an n-bit word to said at least one programmable register; and using feedback logic to detect a turn-on condition of the charge pump. 14. The method as claimed in claim 13 further comprises producing a clock signal pulse of a specific frequency based on digital logic stored in said at least one programmable register. 15. The method as claimed in claim 13 further comprises producing a clock signal pulse of a specific frequency based on digital logic stored in said at least one programmable register, and driving a charging-series output with said clock signal pulse at said specific frequency. 16. A method of programmably controlling a charge pump comprising; providing at least one programmable register for controlling charging duration of the charge pump; setting a changeable charging duration by writing an n-bit word to said at least one programmable register; driving a charging-series output with a clock signal pulse at a specific frequency, and providing a charging-series output to the charge-strength selector inputs of the charge pump to vary a voltage ramp-up rate of an output voltage of the charge pump. 17. A method of programmably controlling a charge pump comprising: providing programmable registers for controlling charging duration of the charge pump; setting a changeable charging duration by writing an n-bit word to at least one of said programmable registers; detecting a specific soft-start condition of the charge pump; and providing a clock signal pulse produced according to digital logic of one of said programmable registers for the specific soft-start condition. 18. A method of programmably controlling a charge pump comprising: providing at least one programmable register for controlling charging duration of the charge pump; and setting a changeable charging duration by writing an n-bit word to said at least one programmable register; wherein the charge pump charges in a series of discrete ramp steps of increasing current, and wherein duration of said each discrete ramp step is controlled by said n-bit word written to said at least one programmable register. 19. A method of programmably controlling a charge pump comprising: providing a pair of programmable registers for controlling charging duration of the charge pump; setting a changeable charging duration by writing an n-bit word to at least one of said programmable registers; assigning a distinct turn-on condition of the charge pump to each of said programmable registers.