I need to take unregulated li-ion voltage (3.3-4.2 V) and convert it to regulated DC around 6-12 V. The load is a 555 timer driving a component that needs 3V very-low-current AC.
The application is insanely space-constrained. At the most, there is room for a SOT-23 and two bypass capacitors, and that's it.
All of the boost regulators that I've seen require an inductor, three resistors, a capacitor, and a diode, not even including the bypass caps. There simply is not room for all of these external components.
Is there some circuit I can make, no matter how many corners need to be cut, that will let a boost regulator do its job "good enough" to drive a 555, without all these external components?
I'm guessing I don't really need the load-side bypass cap, so ditching that should make room for one other component.
Best Answer
As an extension to what Madmanguruman suggested, there is also an Small Package Step up IC TPS60150 that TI offers and outputs a 5V regulated output for any Vin between 2.7 & 5.5V.