A MCU power management circuit, MCU and portable device

Abstract

This invention discloses an MCU power management circuit, an MCU, and a portable device. The MCU power management circuit includes a power isolation switch, a voltage detection and control module, and a charge pump boost module. Compared to the traditional method of directly powering the MCU, this invention integrates the power isolation switch, charge pump boost module, and voltage detection and control module within the MCU. When a transient undercurrent interference occurs in the external power supply, the power isolation switch can be disconnected in time to isolate the external power supply and ensure that the MCU is not affected and can operate normally. In low power supply voltage applications, the charge pump boost module is activated to provide power, expanding the low-voltage application range of the MCU. In short, this invention enhances the MCU's ability to resist power supply voltage undercurrent interference and expands the low-voltage application range of the MCU.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of integrated circuit design, and more particularly to an MCU power management circuit, an MCU, and a portable device. Background Technology

[0002] With the rapid development of semiconductor technology, various (small) electronic devices have appeared in all aspects of people's lives. MCUs typically serve as the core control unit of these devices, making their stable operation paramount. However, besides the MCU, multiple other loads (such as motor driver chips, LED driver chips, etc.) may be connected in parallel to the power supply. Limited by the driving capability of the power supply (especially the battery), the start-up or tripping of other loads can cause a transient voltage drop in the power supply (such as the moment a motor starts). Although the duration is short, this voltage may fall below the normal operating voltage of the MCU, leading to control system malfunctions. This transient voltage drop may be even more pronounced in low-voltage applications. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide an easy-to-implement MCU power management circuit, MCU, and portable device, in order to ensure that the MCU has a certain ability to resist power transient undershoot interference and to expand the low-voltage application range of the MCU, without excessively increasing the complexity of the entire control system, in order to address the above-mentioned deficiencies of the prior art.

[0004] The technical solution adopted by this invention to solve its technical problem is: to construct an MCU power management circuit, integrated inside the MCU, wherein the MCU power management circuit includes a power isolation switch, a voltage detection and control module, and a charge pump boost module, wherein:

[0005] The power isolation switch, when it is turned on, allows the MCU to be powered by an external power source through the power isolation switch; when it is turned off, the MCU is powered by an external voltage regulator capacitor.

[0006] A voltage detection and control module is used to detect the voltage of the external power supply and the voltage of the voltage regulator capacitor, disconnect the power isolation switch when the voltage of the external power supply is lower than the voltage of the voltage regulator capacitor, and enable the charge pump boost module when the voltage of the voltage regulator capacitor is lower than the internal reference voltage of the MCU.

[0007] The charge pump boost module is used to boost the voltage of the external power supply to obtain the operating voltage required by the MCU when it is enabled.

[0008] Preferably, the voltage detection and control module includes a first comparison circuit and a second comparison circuit;

[0009] The first comparison circuit is used to acquire and compare the voltage of the external power supply and the voltage of the voltage regulator capacitor. When the voltage of the external power supply is lower than the voltage of the voltage regulator capacitor, the power isolation switch is controlled to open; otherwise, the power isolation switch is controlled to open.

[0010] The second comparison circuit is used to obtain the voltage of the voltage regulator capacitor and compare the voltage of the voltage regulator capacitor with the internal reference voltage. When the voltage of the voltage regulator capacitor is lower than the internal reference voltage, the charge pump boost module is enabled; otherwise, the charge pump boost module is disabled.

[0011] Preferably, the first comparison circuit includes a first comparator, the non-inverting input of the first comparator is used to obtain the voltage of the external power supply, the inverting input of the first comparator is used to obtain the voltage of the voltage regulator capacitor, and the output of the first comparator is connected to the control terminal of the power isolation switch.

[0012] Preferably, the non-inverting input of the first comparator is connected to the external power supply pin of the MCU to obtain the voltage of the external power supply; the inverting input of the first comparator is connected to the pin of the external voltage regulator of the MCU to obtain the voltage of the voltage regulator.

[0013] Preferably, the second comparison circuit includes a second comparator, the inverting input of the second comparator is used to obtain the voltage of the voltage regulator capacitor, the non-inverting input of the second comparator is used to obtain the internal reference voltage, and the output of the second comparator is connected to the charge pump boost module.

[0014] Preferably, the inverting input of the second comparator is connected to the pin of the external voltage regulator capacitor of the MCU to obtain the voltage of the voltage regulator capacitor; the non-inverting input of the second comparator is connected to the circuit module of the MCU that generates the internal reference voltage to obtain the internal reference voltage.

[0015] Preferably, the power isolation switch is connected between the external power supply pin of the MCU and the pin of the external voltage regulator capacitor.

[0016] The present invention also constructs an MCU, including the MCU power management circuit described above, wherein the MCU includes an external power supply pin connected to the external power supply, a ground pin, and a pin connected to the voltage regulator capacitor.

[0017] The present invention also constructs a portable device, including a battery, a load, a voltage regulator capacitor and the MCU, wherein the positive terminal of the battery is connected to the external power supply pin of the MCU, the negative terminal of the battery is connected to the ground pin of the MCU, and the voltage regulator capacitor is connected between the pin of the external voltage regulator capacitor of the MCU and the ground pin.

[0018] The MCU power management circuit, MCU, and portable device of the present invention have the following beneficial effects: Compared with the traditional method of directly powering the MCU, the present invention integrates a power isolation switch, a charge pump boost module, and a voltage detection and control module inside the MCU. When a transient undercurrent interference occurs in the external power supply, the power isolation switch can be disconnected in time to isolate the external battery power supply and ensure that the MCU is not affected and can operate normally. In low power supply voltage applications, the charge pump boost module is activated to provide power, expanding the low-voltage application range of the MCU. In short, the present invention enhances the MCU's ability to resist power supply voltage undercurrent interference and expands the low-voltage application range of the MCU. Attached Figure Description

[0019] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on the provided drawings without creative effort:

[0020] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the MCU power management circuit of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0021] To facilitate understanding of the present invention, a more complete description will be given below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Typical embodiments of the invention are shown in the drawings. However, the invention can be implemented in many different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete.

[0022] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention pertains. The terminology used herein in the specification of this invention is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the invention. It should be noted that the terms "connected" or "linked" as used herein include not only directly connecting two entities but also indirectly connecting them through other entities that have beneficial improvements.

[0023] The terms "first," "second," and other ordinal numbers used in this specification are used to describe various constituent elements, but these constituent elements are not limited by these terms. The purpose of using these terms is solely to distinguish one constituent element from others. For example, without departing from the scope of the invention, a first constituent element may be named a second constituent element, and similarly, a second constituent element may be named a first constituent element.

[0024] The general idea of ​​this invention is to integrate a power isolation switch, a voltage detection and control module, and a charge pump boost module within the MCU. On one hand, the voltage detection and control module detects the voltage of the external power supply and the voltage of the voltage regulator capacitor. When the external power supply voltage is not lower than the voltage of the voltage regulator capacitor, the power isolation switch is activated, allowing the MCU to continuously supply power from the external power supply. When the external power supply voltage is lower than the voltage of the voltage regulator capacitor, the power isolation switch is deactivated, and the MCU switches to temporary power supply using the voltage regulator capacitor, ensuring that the MCU is not affected and can operate normally. On the other hand, when the voltage of the voltage regulator capacitor is lower than the MCU's internal reference voltage, the charge pump boost module is activated, expanding the MCU's low-voltage application range.

[0025] To better understand the above technical solutions, the following will describe the above technical solutions in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. It should be understood that the embodiments of the present invention and the specific features in the embodiments are detailed descriptions of the technical solutions of this application, rather than limitations on the technical solutions of this application. In the absence of conflict, the embodiments of the present invention and the technical features in the embodiments can be combined with each other.

[0026] Example 1

[0027] refer to Figure 1 The MCU power management circuit of the present invention is integrated inside the MCU. This MCU power management circuit includes a power isolation switch, a voltage detection and control module, and a charge pump boost module.

[0028] Power isolation switch, such as Figure 1 The "S" in the diagram represents a power isolation switch. When the switch is on, the MCU connects to an external power source to power itself through the power isolation switch. When the switch is off, the MCU powers itself using the voltage Vcc from the voltage regulator capacitor. The power isolation switch can be, but is not limited to, various controllable electronic switches, such as MOSFETs and transistors. The power isolation switch is connected between the external power supply pin of the MCU and the pin of the external voltage regulator capacitor.

[0029] It is understood that the external power source can be a single battery, a battery pack connected in series and / or parallel, or other power supply modules or systems. This embodiment uses a series-connected battery pack as an example, where BP represents the battery pack and Vbp is the voltage of the battery pack.

[0030] The voltage detection and control module is used to detect the voltage Vbp of the external power supply and the voltage Vcc of the voltage regulator capacitor. When the voltage Vbp of the external power supply is lower than the voltage Vcc of the voltage regulator capacitor, the power isolation switch is disconnected, and when the voltage Vcc of the voltage regulator capacitor is lower than the internal reference voltage Vref of the MCU, the charge pump is activated to boost the power supply.

[0031] The charge pump boost module is connected to the external power supply pin of the MCU to obtain external power, and is used to boost the voltage Vbp of the external power supply to obtain the operating voltage required by the MCU when enabled. The charge pump boost module can be, but is not limited to, various boost modules.

[0032] In this embodiment, the voltage detection and control module includes a first comparison circuit and a second comparison circuit.

[0033] The first comparison circuit is used to acquire the voltage Vbp of the external power supply and compare the acquired voltage Vbp of the external power supply with the voltage Vcc of the voltage regulator capacitor. When the voltage Vbp of the external power supply is lower than the voltage Vcc of the voltage regulator capacitor, the power isolation switch is controlled to open; otherwise, the power isolation switch is controlled to open.

[0034] Specifically, the first comparison circuit includes a first comparator COMP1. The non-inverting input of the first comparator COMP1 is used to obtain the voltage Vbp of the external power supply. For example, the non-inverting input of the first comparator COMP1 can be directly connected to the external power supply pin of the MCU to obtain the voltage Vbp of the external power supply. The inverting input of the first comparator COMP1 is used to obtain the voltage Vcc of the voltage regulator capacitor. For example, the inverting input of the first comparator COMP1 can be directly connected to the pin of the external voltage regulator capacitor C of the MCU to obtain the voltage Vcc of the voltage regulator capacitor. The output of the first comparator COMP1 is connected to the control terminal of the power isolation switch.

[0035] The second comparison circuit is used to obtain the voltage Vcc of the voltage regulator capacitor, compare the voltage Vcc of the voltage regulator capacitor with the internal reference voltage Vref, enable the charge pump boost power supply when the voltage Vcc of the voltage regulator capacitor is lower than the internal reference voltage Vref of the MCU, otherwise disable the charge pump boost module.

[0036] Specifically, the second comparison circuit includes a second comparator COMP2. The inverting input of the second comparator COMP2 is used to obtain the voltage Vcc of the voltage regulator capacitor. For example, the inverting input of the second comparator COMP2 can be directly connected to the pin of the external voltage regulator capacitor C of the MCU to obtain the voltage Vcc of the voltage regulator capacitor. The non-inverting input of the second comparator COMP2 is used to obtain the internal reference voltage Vref. For example, the non-inverting input of the second comparator COMP2 can be directly connected to the circuit module of the MCU that generates the internal reference voltage Vref to obtain the internal reference voltage Vref. The output of the second comparator COMP2 is connected to the charge pump boost module.

[0037] Example 2

[0038] Based on the same inventive concept, this embodiment discloses an MCU, including the MCU power management circuit as in Embodiment 1, referencing... Figure 1 The MCU includes an external power supply pin for connecting to the external power source, a ground pin, and a pin for connecting to the voltage regulator capacitor. The external power supply pin and the ground pin are used to connect to the positive and negative terminals of the battery, respectively, and the pin of the external voltage regulator capacitor C and the ground pin are used to connect the voltage regulator capacitor C.

[0039] Example 3

[0040] Based on the same inventive concept, this embodiment discloses a portable device, including an external power source (such as a battery), other loads (such as a motor driver chip, an LED driver chip, etc.), a voltage regulator capacitor C, and an MCU as described in Embodiment 2. The positive terminal of the battery is connected to the external power supply pin of the MCU, the negative terminal of the battery is connected to the ground pin of the MCU, and the voltage regulator capacitor C is connected between the pin of the external voltage regulator capacitor C of the MCU and the ground pin.

[0041] In summary, the MCU power management circuit, MCU, and portable device of the present invention have the following beneficial effects: Compared with the traditional method of directly powering the MCU, the present invention integrates a power isolation switch, a charge pump boost module, and a voltage detection and control module inside the MCU. When transient undercurrent interference occurs in the external power supply, the power isolation switch can be disconnected in time to isolate the external battery power supply, ensuring that the MCU is not affected and can operate normally. In low power supply voltage applications, the charge pump boost module is activated to provide power, expanding the low-voltage application range of the MCU. In short, the present invention enhances the MCU's ability to resist power supply voltage undercurrent interference and expands the low-voltage application range of the MCU.

[0042] The embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments described above. The specific embodiments described above are merely illustrative and not restrictive. Those skilled in the art can make many other forms under the guidance of the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the claims. All of these forms are within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. An MCU power management circuit integrated inside the MCU, characterized in that, The MCU power management circuit includes a power isolation switch, a voltage detection and control module, and a charge pump boost module, wherein: The power isolation switch, when it is turned on, allows the MCU to be powered by an external power source through the power isolation switch; when it is turned off, the MCU is powered by an external voltage regulator capacitor. A voltage detection and control module is used to detect the voltage of the external power supply and the voltage of the voltage regulator capacitor, disconnect the power isolation switch when the voltage of the external power supply is lower than the voltage of the voltage regulator capacitor, and enable the charge pump boost module when the voltage of the voltage regulator capacitor is lower than the internal reference voltage of the MCU. The charge pump boost module is used to boost the voltage of the external power supply to obtain the operating voltage required by the MCU when it is enabled.

2. The MCU power management circuit of claim 1, wherein, The voltage detection and control module includes a first comparison circuit and a second comparison circuit; The first comparison circuit is used to acquire and compare the voltage of the external power supply and the voltage of the voltage regulator capacitor. When the voltage of the external power supply is lower than the voltage of the voltage regulator capacitor, the power isolation switch is controlled to open; otherwise, the power isolation switch is controlled to open. The second comparison circuit is used to obtain the voltage of the voltage regulator capacitor and compare the voltage of the voltage regulator capacitor with the internal reference voltage. When the voltage of the voltage regulator capacitor is lower than the internal reference voltage, the charge pump boost module is enabled; otherwise, the charge pump boost module is disabled.

3. The MCU power management circuit of claim 2, wherein, The first comparison circuit includes a first comparator. The non-inverting input of the first comparator is used to obtain the voltage of the external power supply, the inverting input of the first comparator is used to obtain the voltage of the voltage regulator capacitor, and the output of the first comparator is connected to the control terminal of the power isolation switch.

4. The MCU power management circuit of claim 3, wherein, The non-inverting input of the first comparator is connected to the external power supply pin of the MCU to obtain the voltage of the external power supply; the inverting input of the first comparator is connected to the pin of the external voltage regulator capacitor of the MCU to obtain the voltage of the voltage regulator capacitor.

5. The MCU power management circuit according to claim 2, characterized in that, The second comparison circuit includes a second comparator. The inverting input of the second comparator is used to obtain the voltage of the voltage regulator capacitor, the non-inverting input of the second comparator is used to obtain the internal reference voltage, and the output of the second comparator is connected to the charge pump boost module.

6. The MCU power management circuit according to claim 5, characterized in that, The inverting input of the second comparator is connected to the pin of the external voltage regulator capacitor of the MCU to obtain the voltage of the voltage regulator capacitor; the non-inverting input of the second comparator is connected to the circuit module of the MCU that generates the internal reference voltage to obtain the internal reference voltage.

7. The MCU power management circuit of claim 1, wherein, The power isolation switch is connected between the external power supply pin of the MCU and the pin of the external voltage regulator capacitor.

8. An MCU, characterized in that, The MCU power management circuit includes any one of claims 1-7, wherein the MCU includes an external power supply pin connected to the external power supply, a ground pin, and a pin connected to the voltage regulator capacitor.

9. A portable device, characterized in that, The device includes a battery, a load, a voltage regulator capacitor, and an MCU as described in claim 8, wherein the positive terminal of the battery is connected to the external power supply pin of the MCU, the negative terminal of the battery is connected to the ground pin of the MCU, and the voltage regulator capacitor is connected between the pin of the external voltage regulator capacitor of the MCU and the ground pin.

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