Current sensor circuit

Abstract

Various implementations described herein relate to a device having a load circuit that consumes current. The device can include a power distribution network having an impedance energized by the load circuit. The device can include a sensing circuit that collects a voltage during operation of the load circuit and reconstructs a starting current of the load circuit based on the impedance of the power distribution network and the voltage collected during operation of the load circuit.

Description

Background Art

[0001] This section is intended to provide information relevant to understanding the various techniques described herein. As the title of this section implies, this is a discussion of related art and should in no way be construed as prior art. Generally speaking, related art may or may not be considered prior art. Therefore, it should be understood that any statements in this section are to be read in this light and are not intended to be an admission that they are prior art.

[0002] In conventional systems, a current sensor refers to a device that detects current in a conductive path (e.g., a wire) and then generates a signal proportional to the current. The signal generated can be used to display the measured current in an electric meter, or the signal generated can be used to control other circuit functions. In some electronic devices, a series-coupled shunt is often used to provide a resistive path in line with the conductive path or wire for measuring current, which allows the current to flow along the wire and through the conductive flow of the series-coupled shunt. When using conventional techniques to measure current in a chip or power domain, the resistive shunt typically faces some bandwidth limitations, and using a series-coupled shunt to measure the current along the wire typically reduces the power distribution in the local power supply network (e.g., adding a series resistor from the shunt). Therefore, there is a need to improve the physical design implementation of some current sensing circuits in order to provide more efficient current sensing operations, thereby reducing the power degradation caused by the in-line series resistor. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0003] The present invention describes various technical implementations with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, it should be understood that the accompanying drawings only illustrate various implementations described herein and are not intended to limit the implementation of the various technologies described herein.

[0004] Figure 1 A system-level circuit with a current sensor according to various implementations described herein is shown.

[0005] Figure 2 A process diagram is shown of a method for providing current sensing techniques according to implementations described herein.

[0006] Figure 3 A process diagram is shown of another method for providing current sensing techniques according to implementations described herein.

[0007] Figure 4 A block diagram of a computer system for providing current sensing techniques according to various implementations described herein is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0008] Various embodiments described herein relate to non-intrusive current sensing schemes and techniques associated with power distribution networks in the physical layout design of computing architectures. For example, the various schemes and techniques described herein provide a system or device having an embedded real-time and non-intrusive current sensor at the power domain level in a full chip or sub-section supplied by a power regulator (e.g., a voltage and / or current regulator). In some embodiments, the current sensing circuits described herein can be arranged and configured to preserve a local power distribution network (PDN) without requiring additional components coupled in series. Furthermore, the current sensing circuits described herein can be configured to sense current in real time, for example, in the nanosecond range. In some cases, the current sensing circuits described herein can be configured to measure the real-time current consumed by a load circuit, such as a processor, CPU, etc. Furthermore, the current sensing schemes and techniques described herein can overcome the problems and difficulties associated with conventional approaches by using a local power supply PDN network without modification (e.g., without requiring additional series coupling resistors to measure current), and thus, the current sensing schemes and techniques described herein can be configured to allow high bandwidth and true real-time load current sensing.

[0009] This article will refer to Figures 1 to 4 Various implementations of current sensing schemes, techniques, and circuits are described in detail.

[0010] Figure 1 Diagram 100 shows a system-level circuit 102 having a power distribution network (PDN) 104 coupled to a current sensing circuit 108 according to various implementations described herein.

[0011] In various implementations, the system-level circuit 102 can be implemented as a system or device having various integrated circuit (IC) components that are arranged and coupled together as an assembly or combination of parts that provide a physical circuit design and related structure. In some cases, methods of designing, providing, and constructing the system-level circuit 102 as an integrated system or device can involve using the various IC circuit components described herein to thereby implement the current sensing schemes and techniques associated therewith. The system-level circuit 102 can be integrated with computing circuits and related components on a single chip, and the system-level circuit 102 can be implemented in various embedded systems for various electronic, mobile, and Internet of Things (IoT) applications.

[0012] like Figure 1As shown, the system-level circuit 102 is associated with a power distribution network (PDN) 104 and a current-sense circuit 108. The power distribution network (PDN) 110 can have an impedance (Zpdn) 110 that is excited by a load circuit 112 that consumes current. The current-sense circuit 108 can be configured to characterize the impedance (Zpdn) 110 of the power distribution network (PDN) 104, collect voltages during operation of the load circuit 112, and also reconstruct a starting current of the load circuit 112 based on the impedance (Zpdn) 110 characterized for the PDN 104 and the voltages collected during operation of the load circuit 112.

[0013] In some implementations, the current-sense circuit 108 can include a first circuit 120 coupled to the power distribution network (PDN) 104 and the load circuit 112, and the first circuit 120 can be configured to characterize the impedance (Zpdn) 110 of the PDN 104. Also, the current-sense circuit 108 can include a second circuit 122 coupled to the first circuit 120, and the second circuit 122 can be configured to collect voltages during operation of the load circuit 112. Additionally, the current-sense circuit 108 can include a third circuit 128 coupled to the second circuit 122, and the third circuit 128 can also be configured to reconstruct a starting current of the load circuit 112 based on the impedance (Zpdn) 110 characterized for the PDN 104 and the voltages collected during operation of the load circuit 112. In some cases, the first circuit 120, the second circuit 122, and the third circuit 128 are coupled in parallel with the load circuit 112 in the power distribution network (PDN) 104.

[0014] In some cases, the first circuit 120 can be configured as a current generator that characterizes the impedance (Zpdn) 110 of the PDN 104 by generating a current stimulus and sensing a transient voltage response of the PDN 104. Also, in some cases, the current generator can be configured to characterize the impedance (Zpdn) 110 of the PDN 104 by generating a current stimulus during sequential time steps and sensing a transient voltage response of the PDN 104 during the sequential time steps.

[0015] In some cases, the current-sense circuit 108 can include a storage device 124, such as a storage circuit or similar component, coupled to at least one of the second circuit 122 and the third circuit 128. The storage circuit 124 can be integrated as part of the third circuit 128. Further, sensing a transient voltage response of the PDN 104 can include measuring the transient voltage response of the PDN 104 and / or storing the transient voltage response in the storage circuit 124.

[0016] In some cases, second circuit 122 can be configured as an analog and / or digital voltage measurement circuit that collects a voltage as a sensed voltage during the activity of load circuit 112 by obtaining analog and / or digital voltage measurements of a transient voltage response of PDN 104 induced by the current stimulus. The voltage measurement circuit can be configured to collect the sensed voltage by obtaining analog and / or digital voltage measurements of the transient voltage response during sequential time steps. Furthermore, collecting the sensed voltage during the activity of load circuit 112 can include measuring the sensed voltage during the activity of load circuit 112 and / or storing the sensed voltage in storage circuit 124.

[0017] In some implementations, the third circuit 128 can be configured as a current calculator that obtains the current consumed by the load circuit 112 by generating a weighted sum of the current stimuli and using similar weighting factors to determine the current consumed by the load circuit 112 that caused the sense voltage. In some cases, the current calculator can be configured to obtain (e.g., by collecting) the current consumed by the load circuit 112 at sequential time steps by generating a weighted sum of the current stimuli during the sequential time steps.

[0018] refer to Figure 1 , the current sensing circuit 108 can be arranged and configured to measure the current consumed by the load circuit 112 or a similar circuit (e.g., a processor or CPU) using one or more components (e.g., 120, 122, 124, 128) in the power supply network (e.g., PDN 104). For example, in some implementations, the impedance of the PDN 104 can be characterized using a current generator 120 that generates and provides a stimulus (e.g., a current step) to the PDN 104, and then the transient voltage response of the PDN 104 can be measured by the voltage measurement circuit 122 and / or stored in the storage circuit 124. In addition, the supply voltage (Vdd) can be collected during the activity of the load circuit 112 (e.g., a processor or CPU) based on the voltage measurement value provided by the voltage measurement circuit 122. In various cases, the voltage measurement value can refer to an analog unit or a digital unit of voltage measurement. At each time step (or current step), the magnitude of the characteristic PDN voltage response can be evaluated based on the observed voltage, which is represented by its magnitude, which can take the form of a coefficient. The observed voltage can be identified as a weighted sum of the underlying characteristic voltage responses per step. Furthermore, the current that caused the observed voltage can be determined using the same weight applied to the characteristic current stimulus at each time step. Using the weighted sum of the current stimuli, the current consumed by load circuit 112 can be obtained in real time at each time step.

[0019] Figure 2A process diagram of a method 200 for providing current sensing techniques according to implementations described herein is shown.

[0020] It should be understood that even though method 200 may indicate a particular order in which operations are to be performed, in some cases, portions of the operations may be performed in a different order and on a different system. Additional operations and / or steps may be added to method 200 and / or omitted from the method. In addition, method 200 may be implemented in hardware and / or software. For example, if implemented in hardware, method 200 may be implemented as described above with reference to FIG. Figure 1 In other cases, if implemented in software, method 200 may be implemented using a program and / or software instruction process configured for various current sensing schemes and techniques, as described herein. Additionally, if implemented in software, instructions related to implementing features and aspects of method 200 may be stored in a memory and / or database. In other cases, a computer or various other types of computing devices having at least one processor and memory may be configured to perform method 200.

[0021] In some implementations, the method 200 and the related current sensing circuit can be used for embedded real-time and non-intrusive current sensing circuits. For example, the various current routing schemes and techniques described herein can be implemented at the power domain level (e.g., in a full chip or a sub-portion supplied by a regulator), and the various current routing schemes and techniques described herein can be configured to preserve the local power distribution network (PDN), where no additional components in series are required, and current can also be sensed in real time with nanosecond accuracy.

[0022] refer to Figure 2 At block 210, method 200 may characterize the impedance of a power distribution network (PDN) coupled to a load circuit consuming current. In some cases, characterizing the impedance of the power distribution network (PDN) may include generating a current stimulus and sensing a transient voltage response of the power distribution network (PDN). Additionally, sensing the transient voltage response of the power distribution network (PDN) may include measuring the transient voltage response of the power distribution network (PDN) and / or storing the transient voltage response in a memory circuit, device, or the like. The current stimulus may be generated during sequential time steps, and the transient voltage response of the power distribution network (PDN) may also be sensed during the sequential time steps.

[0023] At block 220, method 200 may collect a voltage during operation of the load circuit. In some cases, the voltage may be collected as a sensed voltage during activity of the load circuit, and collecting the voltage may include obtaining analog and / or digital voltage measurements of a transient voltage response of a power distribution network (PDN) induced by a current stimulus during sequential time steps.

[0024] At block 230, method 200 may reconstruct a starting current of the load circuit based on the impedance of the power distribution network (PDN) and the voltage collected during operation of the load circuit. In some cases, method 200 may be adapted and configured to reconstruct the starting current of the load circuit in real time based on the impedance and voltage of the PDN collected during operation of the load circuit. In some cases, reconstructing the starting current may include obtaining the current consumed by the load circuit by generating a weighted sum of current stimuli and also using a similar weighting factor to determine the current consumed by the load circuit that caused the sensed voltage. Additionally, the current consumed by the load circuit may be obtained during sequential time steps (which may also be referred to as current steps) by generating a weighted sum of current stimuli during the sequential time steps.

[0025] In some implementations, real-time current calculations can be implemented using one or more of the following equations. For example, ic(t) can refer to the current stimulus used to collect the PDN characteristic voltage response vc(t). Additionally, v(t) can refer to the voltage observed using (n) samples during load activity when retrieving the current ICPU(t). Additionally, v(t) can be constructed as the sum of aj*vc and iCPU(t) as the sum of aj*ic using the coefficients to be calculated, where:

[0026] a0=v(t1) / vc(t1);

[0027] a1 = [v(t2) – a0 * vc(t2)] / vc(t1); and

[0028] …aj=[v(tj+1)−sum(k=0 to j−1;ak*vc(tj+1−k)] / vc(t1);j in[1;n−1].

[0029] Furthermore, iCPU(tj)=sum(k=0 to j; aj*ic(tj-k)); j in [0; n-1].

[0030] Figure 3 A process diagram is shown of another method 300 for providing current sensing techniques according to implementations described herein.

[0031] It should be understood that even though method 300 may indicate a particular order in which operations are to be performed, in some cases, portions of the operations may be performed in a different order and on a different system. Additional operations and / or steps may be added to method 300 and / or omitted from the method. In addition, method 300 may be implemented in hardware and / or software. For example, if implemented in hardware, method 300 may be implemented as described above with reference to FIG. Figures 1 to 2In other cases, if implemented in software, method 300 may be implemented with a program and / or software instruction process configured for current sensing schemes and techniques, as described herein. Additionally, if implemented in software, instructions related to implementing features and aspects of method 300 may be stored in a memory and / or database. In other cases, a computer or various other types of computing devices having at least one processor and memory (e.g., as described below with reference to Figure 4 The current sensing schemes and techniques described and shown) may be configured to perform method 300 .

[0032] In some implementations, method 300 and related current sensing circuits can be used to measure current consumed in a power supply network or power distribution network (PDN). For example, the various current sensing schemes and techniques described herein use the local power supply network without any modifications (e.g., without using a series-coupled resistor). Furthermore, the various current sensing schemes and techniques described herein allow for high bandwidth and real-time functionality.

[0033] refer to Figure 3 At block 310, the method 300 may characterize the impedance of a power distribution network (PDN) coupled to a load circuit consuming current by generating a current stimulus to the PDN. In some cases, the method 300 may characterize the impedance of the PDN by generating the current stimulus during sequential time steps and sensing a transient voltage response of the PDN during the sequential time steps (sensing may include measuring and storing). In some cases, the method 300 may characterize the impedance of the power distribution network (PDN) by generating the current stimulus during sequential time steps and sensing a transient voltage response of the PDN based on the current stimulus during the sequential time steps.

[0034] At block 320, the method 300 may sense a transient voltage response of a power distribution network (PDN) based on the current stimulus. In some cases, the method 300 may collect a sensed voltage during the activity of the load circuit by obtaining analog and / or digital voltage measurements (units) of the transient voltage response of the PDN induced by the current stimulus during sequential time steps. In some cases, collecting may include measuring and / or storing, and the sensed voltage may refer to a sensed voltage value and / or level. Additionally, in some cases, sensing the transient voltage response of the power distribution network (PDN) may include measuring the transient voltage response of the PDN and / or storing the transient voltage response in a storage circuit, device, or similar component. Additionally, the method 300 may obtain (by collecting) analog and / or digital voltage measurements of the transient voltage response of the power distribution network (PDN) induced by the current stimulus during sequential time steps.

[0035] At block 330, the method 300 may collect a sensed voltage during the activity of the load circuit based on the transient voltage response of the power distribution network (PDN) induced by the current stimulus. In some cases, the method 300 may use voltage measurements (units) of the sensed voltage collected during the activity of the load circuit when induced by the current stimulus to quantify the magnitude of the transient voltage response of the PDN at sequential time steps. In some cases, during the sequential time steps, the sensed voltage may be collected and identified as a weighted sum of the transient voltage response, and the sensed voltage may have a quantized magnitude of the characteristic PDN voltage response. Additionally, in some cases, the method 300 may use voltage measurements of the sensed voltage collected during the activity of the load circuit when induced by the current stimulus to quantify the magnitude of the transient voltage response of the power distribution network (PDN) at sequential time steps.

[0036] At block 340, method 300 may quantify the magnitude of a transient voltage response of a power distribution network (PDN) using sensed voltages collected during activity of the load circuit when induced by the current stimulus. In some cases, method 300 may obtain the current consumed by the load circuit at the sequential time steps by generating a weighted sum of the current stimulus during the sequential time steps and using a similar weighting factor to determine the current consumed by the load circuit that caused the sensed voltage. During the sequential time steps, the sensed voltage may be collected and identified as a weighted sum of the transient voltage response. Additionally, the sensed voltage may have a quantized magnitude of a characteristic voltage response associated with the power distribution network (PDN).

[0037] refer to Figures 1 to 3 In various specific implementations described in , the current sensing schemes and techniques described herein may provide several advantages over conventional approaches. The current sensing schemes and techniques described herein may be associated with a power distribution network (PDN) in the physical layout design of a computing architecture. In some cases, the current sensing circuits described herein may be embedded on a chip and provide high bandwidth applications, and various new methods for sensing current consumed by a load (e.g., a CPU or other circuits) may be built inside a system on a chip (SoC) to avoid bandwidth limitations associated with parasitic effects across the package and circuit board. Additionally, in some cases, the current sensing circuits described herein may refer to practical and low-cost techniques, where aspects of the present disclosure are based on using available and observable voltages from a local power supply network (e.g., a PDN) that remains intact, which may refer to practical means for making the current sensing circuits described herein substantially low-cost and highly implementable without compromising power distribution.

[0038] Additional advantages can relate to real-time and low-power time-domain analysis. For example, in some implementations, the current-sensing circuitry described herein can be configured to determine current by remaining in the time domain (i.e., using time-domain responses to process data). Thus, the current-sensing circuitry described herein provides real-time current analysis using low power. In other cases, however, the current-sensing circuitry described herein can be adapted and configured for frequency-domain analysis with backward transformation to the time domain. Generally, time-domain analysis is efficient due to the use of fewer computations, e.g., approximately 20 times fewer computations, and the time-domain analysis can determine current at each step (which generally cannot be achieved using frequency-domain transformations). Thus, the current-sensing schemes and techniques described herein can be used to perform time-domain analysis that can substantially reduce the number of computations in the form of step-by-step real-time current determination.

[0039] Figure 4 A block diagram of a computer system 400 is shown with current-sensing module 420 and a simulator 422 for providing current-sensing techniques, in accordance with various implementations described herein.

[0040] Referring to Figure 4 , the system 400 can be associated with at least one computing device 404 implemented as a special-purpose machine configured for implementing current-sensing techniques in physical layout designs. In some cases, the computing device 404 can include various standard elements and / or components, including a processor 410, a memory 412 (e.g., a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium), one or more databases 440, a power supply, peripheral devices, and various other computing elements and components that can not be specifically shown in Figure 4 . The computing device 404 can include instructions that are recordable or stored on the non-transitory computer-readable medium 412 that are executable by the processor 410. The computing device 404 can be associated with a display device 450 (e.g., a monitor or other display) that can be used to provide a user interface (UI) 452, such as, for example, a graphical user interface (GUI) for a user. In some implementations, the UI or GUI 452 can be configured to receive parameters and / or preferences from a user for managing, operating, and / or controlling the computing device 404. Thus, the computing device 404 can include a display device 450 for providing output to a user, and the display device 450 can also include a UI 452 (or GUI) for receiving input from a user.

[0041] Referring to Figure 4 , the computing device 404 can have a current-sensing module 420 that can be configured to cause the processor 410 to implement the schemes and techniques described herein with reference to Figures 1 to 3 , including with reference to Figure 1The current sensing module 420 can be configured to cause the processor 410 to perform various operations as provided by the current sensing schemes and techniques described herein with reference to FIGS. 1-3. In this case, the memory 412 has stored therein instructions that, when executed by the processor 410, cause the processor 410 to perform one or more of the following operations.

[0042] The current sensing module 420 can be configured to cause the processor 410 to perform various operations as provided by the current sensing schemes and techniques described herein with reference to FIGS. 1-3. In this case, the memory 412 has stored therein instructions that, when executed by the processor 410, cause the processor 410 to perform one or more of the following operations. Figures 1 to 3 The current sensing module 420 can be configured to cause the processor 410 to perform various operations as provided by the current sensing schemes and techniques described herein with reference to FIGS. 1-3. In this case, the memory 412 has stored therein instructions that, when executed by the processor 410, cause the processor 410 to perform one or more of the following operations.

[0043] For example, the current sensing module 420 can be configured to cause the processor 410 to characterize an impedance of a power distribution network (PDN) coupled to a load circuit that consumes current. In some cases, the current sensing module 420 can be configured to cause the processor 410 to collect a voltage during operation of the load circuit. Moreover, in some cases, the current sensing module 420 can be configured to cause the processor 410 to reconstruct a starting current of the load circuit based on the impedance of the power distribution network (PDN) and the voltage collected during operation of the load circuit.

[0044] In some implementations, characterizing the impedance of the power distribution network (PDN) can include generating a current stimulus and sensing a transient voltage response of the power distribution network (PDN), where sensing the transient voltage response of the power distribution network includes measuring the transient voltage response of the power distribution network (PDN) and / or storing the transient voltage response in a storage device. In some cases, the current stimulus can be generated during sequential time steps, and the transient voltage response of the power distribution network (PDN) can also be sensed during the sequential time steps. Also, in some cases, the voltage can be collected as a sensed voltage during activity of the load circuit, and collecting the voltage can include obtaining voltage measurements of the transient voltage response of the PDN induced by the current stimulus during the sequential time steps. Additionally, reconstructing the starting current can include obtaining the current consumed by the load circuit by a weighted sum of the current stimulus and also by using similar weighting factors to determine the current consumed by the load circuit that gives rise to the sensed voltage. Moreover, the current consumed by the load circuit during the sequential time steps can be obtained by a weighted sum of the current stimulus generated during the sequential time steps.

[0045] According to various implementations described herein with reference to Figures 1 to 3 Any one or more or all of these operations performed by the current sensing module 420 can be altered, modified, changed, and / or updated to provide, for example,Figures 1 to 3 Furthermore, in some cases, Figure 1 Each of the system-level components in the system-level components may be in the form of a physical structure having various logical characteristics, behaviors and properties, and the physical structure may also be configured to provide the reference herein. Figures 1 to 3 Various current sensing schemes and techniques associated with integrated circuits are described.

[0046] In addition, reference Figure 4 The computing device 404 may include at least one simulator 422 configured to cause the processor 410 to generate Figure 1 One or more simulations of the system-level circuit 102 shown. Simulator 422 may refer to a simulation component or module that may be implemented in hardware and / or software. If implemented in software, simulator 422 may be recorded or stored in memory 412 or database 440. If implemented in hardware, simulator 420 may be a separate logic circuit or processing component configured to interface with processor 410. In some cases, simulator 422 may refer to a component configured to generate Figure 1 A SPICE simulator (or similar simulator) for SPICE simulation of the system-level circuit 102 shown. SPICE refers to the acronym for Simulation Program with Integrated Circuit Emphasis, which refers to a computer-aided tool used as an open source analog electronic circuit simulator. Additionally, SPICE may refer to a general-purpose software program used by the semiconductor industry to check and verify the integrity of physical structural designs and to predict the behavior of physical structural designs. Thus, the current sensing module 420 may be configured to interface with the simulator 422 to generate various timing data based on one or more simulations (including, for example, SPICE simulations) of the physical circuit layout and related components, the one or more simulations being used to analyze the performance characteristics of the integrated circuit, including timing data of the physical circuit layout and various related components. In some cases, the current sensing module 420 may also be configured to use Figure 1 Figure 1 One or more simulations (including, for example, SPICE simulations) of the illustrated system-level circuit 102 are performed to evaluate its operating behavior and conditions.

[0047] In some implementations, computing device 404 may include one or more databases 440 configured to store and / or record various data and information related to implementing current sensing techniques in a physical design. Database 440 may be configured to store data and information related to system-level integrated circuits, operating conditions, operating behavior, and / or timing data of circuit layout designs and related components. In some cases, database 440 may be configured to store data and information related to circuit layouts and related components and timing data with reference to simulation data (including, for example, SPICE simulation data).

[0048] In various implementations, the impedance of a power distribution network (PDN) can be characterized (or determined or described) using various extraction tools configured to analyze a design database associated with a chip, package, or board to obtain a net list of various circuit elements (e.g., active or passive components, including resistors, capacitors, inductors, etc.). The current sensing techniques described herein can be implemented without substantial stimulation of the PDN through some means (e.g., various simulations including simulating a current source that stimulates the PDN and collecting transient voltages such as an S-matrix of the impedance). Therefore, in some cases, the current sensing module 420 can be equipped with an extraction tool (e.g., a computer-aided drawing (CAD) tool) that is configured to characterize the impedance of the PDN and store the relevant data in a memory (e.g., 412, 440) to perform various calculations and / or current reconstruction. Additionally, in some cases, the current sensing module 420 can be configured to perform the calculations in real time.

[0049] It is intended that the subject matter of the claims is not limited to the specific implementations and illustrations provided herein, but rather includes modifications of those implementations according to the claims, including portions of implementations and combinations of elements of different implementations. It should be understood that in the development of any such implementation, as in any engineering or design project, many implementation-specific decisions should be made to achieve the developer's specific goals, such as compliance with system-related and business-related constraints, which may vary from one implementation to another. Furthermore, it should be understood that such development work may be complex and time-consuming, but nevertheless remains a routine task of design, fabrication, and production for those of ordinary skill having the benefit of this disclosure.

[0050] Various implementations of a device are described herein. The device may include a load circuit that consumes current. The device may include a power distribution network having an impedance excited by the load circuit. The device may include a sensing circuit that collects a voltage during operation of the load circuit and reconstructs a starting current of the load circuit based on the impedance of the power distribution network and the collected voltage during operation of the load circuit.

[0051] Various implementations of a method are described herein. The method may include characterizing an impedance of a power distribution network coupled to a load circuit that consumes current. The method may include collecting a voltage during operation of the load circuit. The method may include reconstructing a starting current of the load circuit based on the impedance of the power distribution network and the voltage collected during operation of the load circuit.

[0052] Various implementations of a method are described herein. The method may include generating a current stimulus for a power distribution network coupled to a load circuit consuming current. The method may include sensing a transient voltage response of the power distribution network based on the current stimulus. The method may include collecting a sensed voltage during activity of the load circuit based on the transient voltage response of the power distribution network induced by the current stimulus. The method may include quantifying a magnitude of the transient voltage response of the power distribution network using the sensed voltage collected during activity of the load circuit when induced by the current stimulus.

[0053] Various implementations of a system are described herein. The system may include a processor and a memory storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to characterize the impedance of a power distribution network coupled to a load circuit that consumes current. The instructions cause the processor to collect a voltage during operation of the load circuit. The instructions cause the processor to reconstruct a starting current of the load circuit based on the impedance of the power distribution network and the collected voltage during operation of the load circuit.

[0054] Reference has been made in detail to various specific implementations, examples of which are shown in the accompanying drawings and diagrams. In the following detailed description, many specific details are set forth to provide a thorough understanding of the disclosure provided herein. However, the disclosure provided herein can be practiced without these specific details. In some other cases, well-known methods, procedures, components, circuits, and networks are not described in detail so as not to unnecessarily obscure the details of the embodiments.

[0055] It should also be understood that although the terms "first," "second," etc. may be used herein to describe various elements, these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element from another. For example, a first element may be referred to as a second element, and similarly, a second element may be referred to as a first element. The first element and the second element are each elements, but they are not considered to be the same element.

[0056] The terms used in the description of the present disclosure provided herein are for the purpose of describing specific specific implementations and are not intended to limit the disclosure provided herein. As used in the description of the disclosure provided herein and the appended claims, the singular forms "a", "an" and "the" are intended to also include plural forms, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. As used herein, the term "and / or" refers to and encompasses any and all possible combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. When used in this specification, the terms "comprises", "comprising" and / or "containing" specify the presence of the features, integers, steps, operations, elements and / or parts, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, parts and / or their groups.

[0057] As used herein, the term "if" may be interpreted to mean "when" or "at" or "in response to determining" or "in response to detecting," depending on the context. Similarly, the phrase "if it is determined that" or "if [the condition or event] is detected" may be interpreted to mean "upon determining" or "in response to determining" or "upon detecting [the condition or event]" or "in response to detecting [the condition or event]," depending on the context. The terms "up" and "down"; "upper" and "lower"; "upward" and "downward"; "below" and "above"; and other similar terms indicating relative positions above or below a given point or element may be used in connection with some implementations of the various techniques described herein.

[0058] While the foregoing is directed to specific implementations of the various techniques described herein, other and further implementations are contemplated based on the disclosure herein, which can be determined by the appended claims.

[0059] Although the subject matter has been described in language specific to structural features and / or methodological acts, it is to be understood that the subject matter defined in the appended claims is not necessarily limited to the specific features or acts described above. Rather, the specific features and acts described above are disclosed as example forms of implementing the claims.

Claims

1. A current sensing device, comprising: a load circuit, wherein the load circuit consumes current; a power distribution network having an impedance excited by the load circuit; as well as a sensing circuit that collects a voltage during operation of the load circuit and reconstructs a starting current of the load circuit based on the impedance of the power distribution network and the voltage collected during operation of the load circuit, The sensing circuit includes a first circuit configured as a current generator for characterizing the impedance of the power distribution network by generating a current stimulus and sensing a transient voltage response of the power distribution network.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the sensing circuit comprises: a second circuit coupled to the first circuit, wherein the second circuit is configured to collect the voltage during operation of the load circuit; as well as a third circuit coupled to the second circuit, wherein the third circuit is configured to reconstruct the starting current of the load circuit based on the impedance characterized for the power distribution network and based on the voltage collected during operation of the load circuit, The first circuit, the second circuit and the third circuit are coupled in parallel with the load circuit in the power distribution network.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the current generator is configured to characterize the impedance of the power distribution network by generating the current stimulus during sequential time steps and sensing the transient voltage response of the power distribution network during the sequential time steps.

4. The device of claim 2, wherein the sensing circuit further comprises: a storage circuit coupled to at least one of the second circuit and the third circuit, Wherein sensing the transient voltage response of the power distribution network comprises measuring the transient voltage response of the power distribution network and / or storing the transient voltage response of the power distribution network in the storage circuit.

5. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the second circuit is configured as a voltage measurement circuit that collects the voltage as a sensed voltage during operation of the load circuit by obtaining a voltage measurement value of the transient voltage response of the power distribution network induced by the current stimulus. 6 . The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the voltage measurement circuit is configured to collect the sensed voltage by obtaining the voltage measurements of the transient voltage response during sequential time steps.

7. The device of claim 5, wherein the sensing circuit further comprises: a storage circuit coupled to at least one of the second circuit and the third circuit, Wherein collecting the sense voltage during operation of the load circuit includes measuring the sense voltage during operation of the load circuit and / or storing the sense voltage in the storage circuit.

8. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the third circuit is configured as a current calculator that obtains the current consumed by the load circuit by generating a weighted sum of the current stimuli and determining the current consumed by the load circuit that causes the sense voltage using a similar weighting factor. 9 . The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the current calculator is configured to obtain the current consumed by the load circuit at sequential time steps by generating the weighted sum of the current stimuli during the sequential time steps.

10. A method for sensing current, the method comprising: Characterizing the impedance of a power distribution network coupled to a load circuit consuming current; collecting a voltage during operation of the load circuit; as well as reconstructing a starting current of the load circuit based on the impedance of the power distribution network and the voltage collected during operation of the load circuit, Wherein characterizing the impedance of the power distribution network includes generating a current stimulus and sensing a transient voltage response of the power distribution network. 11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein sensing the transient voltage response of the power distribution network comprises measuring the transient voltage response of the power distribution network and / or storing the transient voltage response of the power distribution network in a storage device.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the current stimulus is generated during sequential time steps, and wherein the transient voltage response of the power distribution network is sensed during the sequential time steps.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the voltage is collected as a sensed voltage during operation of the load circuit, and wherein collecting the voltage comprises obtaining voltage measurements of the transient voltage response of the power distribution network induced by the current stimulus during sequential time steps.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein reconstructing the starting current comprises obtaining the current consumed by the load circuit by generating a weighted sum of the current stimuli and determining the current consumed by the load circuit that caused the sensed voltage using similar weighting factors.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the current consumed by the load circuit at sequential time steps is obtained by generating the weighted sum of the current stimuli during the sequential time steps.

16. A method for sensing current, the method comprising: generating a current stimulus for a power distribution network coupled to a load circuit consuming current; sensing a transient voltage response of the power distribution network based on the current stimulus; collecting a sensed voltage during activity of the load circuit based on the transient voltage response of the power distribution network induced by the current stimulus; as well as The magnitude of the transient voltage response of the power distribution network is quantified using the sensed voltage collected during activity of the load circuit when induced by the current stimulus. 17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein sensing the transient voltage response of the power distribution network comprises measuring the transient voltage response of the power distribution network and / or storing the transient voltage response of the power distribution network in a storage device.

18. The method according to claim 16, further comprising: obtaining the current consumed by the load circuit by generating a weighted sum of the current stimuli and determining the current consumed by the load circuit that causes the sense voltage using similar weighting factors; wherein during sequential time steps, the sensed voltage is collected and identified as a weighted sum of the transient voltage responses, and The sensed voltage has a quantized magnitude of a characteristic voltage response associated with the power distribution network.

19. The method according to claim 16, further comprising: characterizing an impedance of the power distribution network by generating the current stimulus during sequential time steps and sensing the transient voltage response of the power distribution network based on the current stimulus during the sequential time steps; obtaining voltage measurements of the transient voltage response of the power distribution network induced by the current stimulus during the sequential time steps; as well as The magnitude of the transient voltage response of the power distribution network at the sequential time steps is quantified using the voltage measurements of the sense voltage collected during activity of the load circuit when induced by the current stimulus.

20. A system for sensing current, the system comprising: processor; as well as a memory having stored thereon instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to: Characterizing the impedance of a power distribution network coupled to a load circuit consuming current; collecting a voltage during operation of the load circuit; and reconstructing a starting current of the load circuit based on the impedance of the power distribution network and the voltage collected during operation of the load circuit, Wherein characterizing the impedance of the power distribution network includes generating a current stimulus and sensing a transient voltage response of the power distribution network.

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