Produce high-voltages from low input sources as low as 2.5V, Maxim’s app note discusses three topologies and their limitations as well as their advantages on achieving these large voltages.
The biasing of avalanche photodiodes (APDs), piezoelectric transducers (PZTs), vacuum fluorescent displays (VFDs), and microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) require high-voltage power supplies. This app note presents three topologies (Figures 1a, 1b, and 1c) for generating a high output voltage from a low input voltage. The advantages and disadvantages of each are discussed with focus given to power density and circuit size. The end of the app note presents experimental data to contrast transformer-based and inductor-based solutions.