Voltage regulating module, electronic device and voltage adjusting method
By introducing a voltage adjustment module between the SoC chip and the PMIC module, the problem of the inability to modify the power supply voltage within the SoC is solved, enabling flexible voltage adjustment and power consumption optimization, thereby improving system stability and user experience.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Patents(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- VIVO MOBILE COMM CO LTD
- Filing Date
- 2024-10-31
- Publication Date
- 2026-07-14
AI Technical Summary
In existing technologies, the power supply voltage within the SoC cannot be modified, making it difficult to meet practical application requirements, especially in verifying platform stability and power consumption optimization.
A voltage regulation module is introduced between the SoC chip and the PMIC module. The voltage of the PMIC module is controlled through the SPMI interface, which allows modification of the power supply voltage within the SoC. This includes using custom IC chips and configuration modules such as LUT units and microcontroller units to dynamically adjust the voltage to adapt to different scenarios.
It enables flexible voltage adjustment within the SoC, improves system stability and power consumption optimization, optimizes the efficiency of the PMIC module, and enhances the user experience.
Smart Images
Figure CN119336120B_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This application belongs to the field of electronic technology, specifically relating to a voltage regulation module, electronic equipment, and voltage regulation method. Background Technology
[0002] Currently, in order to save power consumption, it is very important to use AVS (Adaptive Voltage Scaling) technology to regulate the output voltage of PMIC (Power Management Integrated Circuit) modules in electronic devices such as mobile phones and tablets.
[0003] In related technologies, the power supply voltage within a SoC (System on Chip) is set by the platform vendor and cannot be modified by the user. This makes it difficult to meet practical application requirements in many situations (such as verifying platform stability). Summary of the Invention
[0004] This application provides a voltage regulation module, electronic device, and voltage adjustment method to solve the problem that the power supply voltage within a System-on-a-Chip (SoC) cannot be modified in related technologies.
[0005] In a first aspect, embodiments of this application provide a voltage regulation module, including: a SoC chip, a PMIC module, and a voltage adjustment module;
[0006] The first control terminal of the SoC chip is connected to the control terminal of the PMIC module through the voltage adjustment module, and the voltage output terminal of the PMIC module is connected to the voltage input terminal of the SoC chip.
[0007] The input terminal of the voltage adjustment module is connected to the first control terminal of the SoC chip, and the output terminal of the voltage adjustment module is connected to the control terminal of the PMIC module.
[0008] Secondly, embodiments of this application provide an electronic device including the voltage regulating module as described in the first aspect.
[0009] Thirdly, embodiments of this application provide a voltage adjustment method applied to the voltage regulating module as described in the first aspect, the method comprising:
[0010] The voltage regulation module obtains the target voltage regulation command;
[0011] The voltage regulation module outputs the target voltage regulation command to the PMIC module;
[0012] The target voltage regulation command is used to adjust the output voltage provided by the PMIC module to the voltage input terminal of the SoC chip.
[0013] In the embodiments of this application, the voltage regulation module includes a SoC chip, a PMIC module, and a voltage adjustment module. The first control terminal of the SoC chip is connected to the control terminal of the PMIC module through the voltage adjustment module, and the voltage output terminal of the PMIC module is connected to the voltage input terminal of the SoC chip. The input terminal of the voltage adjustment module is connected to the first control terminal of the SoC chip, and the output terminal of the voltage adjustment module is connected to the control terminal of the PMIC module. Since the control terminal of the PMIC module is connected to the first control terminal of the SoC chip via the voltage adjustment module, after the SoC chip outputs a voltage adjustment command to set the output voltage of the PMIC module, the voltage adjustment module can further set the voltage adjustment command output by the SoC chip. Thus, the voltage within the SoC chip can be adjusted through the voltage adjustment module, thereby solving the problem in related technologies where the power supply voltage within the SoC cannot be modified. Attached Figure Description
[0014] The above and / or additional aspects and advantages of this application will become apparent and readily understood from the description of the embodiments taken in conjunction with the following drawings, in which:
[0015] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a voltage regulating module provided in related technologies;
[0016] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of a voltage regulating module provided in an embodiment of this application;
[0017] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of another voltage regulating module provided in an embodiment of this application;
[0018] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of another voltage regulating module provided in an embodiment of this application;
[0019] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of another voltage regulating module provided in an embodiment of this application;
[0020] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of another voltage regulating module provided in an embodiment of this application;
[0021] Figure 7 A schematic diagram of an electronic device provided in an embodiment of this application;
[0022] Figure 8 A schematic flowchart illustrating a voltage adjustment method provided in an embodiment of this application;
[0023] Figure 9 A schematic flowchart illustrating another voltage adjustment method provided in an embodiment of this application;
[0024] Figure 10-1A schematic flowchart illustrating another voltage adjustment method provided in an embodiment of this application;
[0025] Figure 10-2 A schematic flowchart illustrating another voltage adjustment method provided in an embodiment of this application;
[0026] Figure 10-3 A schematic flowchart illustrating another voltage adjustment method provided in an embodiment of this application;
[0027] Figure 10-4 This is a schematic flowchart illustrating another voltage adjustment method provided in an embodiment of this application.
[0028] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures:
[0029] 10 - Voltage regulating module; 100 - SoC chip; 110 - Memory; 120 - Central processing unit; 130 - Arbitrator; 140 - AVS sensor; 150 - AVS controller; 200 - PMIC module; 300 - Voltage adjustment module; 310 - First controller; 320 - Configuration module; 321 - LUT unit; 322 - Switching unit; 323 - MCU; 324 - SPMI correction unit; 330 - Second controller; 340 - Flash memory unit; A1 - First control terminal of SoC chip; A2 - Second control terminal of SoC chip; B - Control terminal of PMIC module; C - Voltage output terminal of PMIC module; D - Voltage input terminal of SoC chip; E - Input terminal of voltage adjustment module; F - Output terminal of voltage adjustment module; VDD - Power supply voltage; 700 - Electronic equipment. Detailed Implementation
[0030] The embodiments of this application will now be described in detail. Examples of these embodiments are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions throughout. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and are only used to explain this application, and should not be construed as limiting this application. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of this application without inventive effort are within the scope of protection of this application.
[0031] The terms "first" and "second" in the specification and claims of this application may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the features. In the description of this application, unless otherwise stated, "multiple" means two or more. Furthermore, "and / or" in the specification and claims indicates at least one of the connected objects, and the character " / " generally indicates that the preceding and following objects are in an "or" relationship.
[0032] In the description of this application, it should be understood that the terms "inner" and "outer", etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of this application.
[0033] In the description of this application, it should be noted that, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "connected" and "linked" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal connection of two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this application based on the specific circumstances.
[0034] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of an AVS voltage regulation system provided in related technologies. (Reference) Figure 1 In related technologies, the AVS voltage regulation system in electronic devices may include a SoC chip and a PMIC module. The SoC chip includes a central processing unit, memory, arbitrator, AVS sensor, and AVS controller.
[0035] The related AVS-based voltage regulation scheme includes: the central processing unit (CPU) reads the pre-stored initial voltage value from memory and sends it to the arbitrator; the arbitrator sends a voltage regulation command to the PMIC module via the SPMI (Serial Peripheral Management Interface) bus, the voltage regulation command including a power-on instruction and the initial voltage value; the PMIC module outputs the power supply voltage VDD to the SoC chip according to the voltage regulation command; the AVS sensor on the SoC chip detects the current power supply voltage VDD, as well as sensor data such as load and temperature within the SoC chip, and outputs it to the AVS controller; the AVS controller, based on the current power supply voltage VDD value and the sensor data such as load and temperature within the SoC chip, determines a more suitable voltage value and outputs it to the arbitrator to update the voltage value; the arbitrator sends another voltage regulation command to the PMIC module via the SPMI bus, the voltage regulation command including the updated voltage value information; the PMIC module adjusts the current output power supply voltage VDD according to the updated voltage value information, and can adjust the voltage multiple times until the output power supply voltage VDD of the PMIC module reaches the expected voltage value.
[0036] The SoC chip in the embodiments of this application may include Figure 1The various components within the SoC chip include, for example, a central processing unit, memory, an arbitrator, an AVS sensor, and an AVS controller. The workflow of each component within the SoC chip in this embodiment can be referred to the above description. Figure 1 The described workflow.
[0037] The voltage regulation module, electronic device, and voltage adjustment method provided in this application embodiment can freely modify the subsystem voltage within the SoC without the platform provider providing a voltage modification node, verify the system stability of the new platform, and further achieve voltage reduction and power saving in some scenarios.
[0038] In this embodiment, a voltage adjustment module (which can be a custom chip) is connected (e.g., connected in series) between the SoC chip and the PMIC module as the master device. The interface between the SoC chip, PMIC module, and voltage adjustment module can be various control interfaces, such as SPMI. When the interface between the SoC chip, PMIC module, and voltage adjustment module is SPMI, since SPMI supports multiple master devices, the control relationship between the SoC chip, PMIC module, and voltage adjustment module can be: the SoC chip and voltage adjustment module act as Master1 and Master2, respectively, and the PMIC module acts as the slave device. The voltage adjustment module can then refresh SPMI commands to freely modify or override the platform vendor's voltage settings. It should be understood that the SPMI information mentioned in this embodiment is only one specific interface supporting the master-slave relationship mode, and is not a limitation; other interfaces supporting the master-slave relationship mode are also possible. The SPMI information mentioned in this embodiment can be SPMI configuration information, which can be SPMI voltage configuration information.
[0039] The voltage adjustment module provided in this application embodiment can be in the form of a custom IC (or configuration IC) chip, and this custom IC chip can be a multiplexed RF custom IC chip, which may internally include flash memory, a controller, and a LUT (Look Up Table) unit. The flash memory is the internal flash memory of the custom IC chip, and firmware is downloaded to the IC chip through interfaces such as JTAG (Joint Test Action Group). The controller can be an SPMI controller. The number of controllers included in the custom IC chip can vary depending on the actual scenario. In a specific scenario, the controller may include a first controller and a second controller. When the custom IC includes a first controller and a second controller, the first controller can be connected to the SoC chip via a first control line, in which case the first controller can be the slave device and the SoC chip can be the master device. At the same time, the second controller can be connected to the PMIC module via a second control line, in which case the second controller can be the master device and the PMIC module can be the slave device. The second controller in the voltage adjustment module can be used to send voltage adjustment commands to the PMIC module. The first controller in the voltage adjustment module can receive voltage adjustment commands from the SoC chip and send them to the PMIC module through the second controller.
[0040] The voltage adjustment module may contain a LUT unit that includes a truth table. The LUT unit can determine the scenario and modify the voltage accordingly, then send the modified voltage to the PMIC module via a voltage adjustment command (e.g., an SPMI voltage adjustment command). Alternatively, in addition to the LUT unit, the voltage adjustment module may contain a microcontroller unit (MCU) and a correction unit. The MCU within the voltage adjustment module can determine the scenario and set a target voltage. The correction unit then modifies the voltage value in the voltage adjustment command from the SoC chip based on the target voltage and sends it to the PMIC module via a voltage adjustment command (e.g., an SPMI voltage adjustment command).
[0041] The voltage regulating module provided in the embodiments of this application is further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.
[0042] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of a voltage regulating module provided in an embodiment of this application.
[0043] Reference Figure 2 This application provides a voltage regulating module 10, which may include:
[0044] SoC chip 100, PMIC module 200 and voltage regulation module 300;
[0045] The first control terminal A1 of the SoC chip 100 is connected to the control terminal B of the PMIC module 200 through the voltage adjustment module 300, and the voltage output terminal C of the PMIC module 200 is connected to the voltage input terminal D of the SoC chip 100.
[0046] The input terminal E of the voltage adjustment module 300 is connected to the first control terminal A1 of the SoC chip 100, and the output terminal F of the voltage adjustment module 300 is connected to the control terminal B of the PMIC module 200.
[0047] The voltage output terminal C of the PMIC module 200 and the voltage input terminal D of the SoC chip 100 can be connected via a power line. Furthermore, the PMIC module 200 can provide power supply voltage VDD to the various subsystems within the SoC chip 100 through its voltage output terminal C.
[0048] In the voltage regulation module provided in this application embodiment, the voltage regulation module includes a SoC chip, a PMIC module, and a voltage adjustment module. The first control terminal of the SoC chip is connected to the control terminal of the PMIC module through the voltage adjustment module, and the voltage output terminal of the PMIC module is connected to the voltage input terminal of the SoC chip. The input terminal of the voltage adjustment module is connected to the first control terminal of the SoC chip, and the output terminal of the voltage adjustment module is connected to the control terminal of the PMIC module. Since the control terminal of the PMIC module is connected to the first control terminal of the SoC chip via the voltage adjustment module, after the SoC chip outputs a voltage adjustment command to set the output voltage of the PMIC module, the voltage adjustment module can further set the voltage adjustment command output by the SoC chip. Thus, the voltage within the SoC chip can be adjusted through the voltage adjustment module, thereby solving the problem in related technologies where the power supply voltage within the SoC cannot be modified.
[0049] In one possible implementation, both the SoC chip and the voltage regulation module can act as master devices. Specifically, during the interaction between the SoC chip and the PMIC module, the SoC chip can act as the master device, and the PMIC module as the slave device; similarly, during the interaction between the voltage regulation module and the PMIC module, the voltage regulation module can act as the master device, and the PMIC module as the slave device. The SoC chip, acting as the master device, can control the PMIC module for power configuration via SPMI information. Likewise, the voltage regulation module can also act as the master device, controlling the PMIC module for power configuration via SPMI information.
[0050] For example, the SoC chip 100 can output a first voltage regulation command to set the output voltage of the PMIC module, and the voltage adjustment module can further modify the first voltage regulation command output by the SoC chip to obtain a target voltage regulation command, and use the target voltage regulation command to adjust the power supply voltage VDD provided by the PMIC module 200 to the SoC chip 100 through the voltage output terminal C.
[0051] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of another voltage regulating module provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 3 As shown, in the voltage regulation module provided in this application embodiment, the voltage adjustment module 300 may include: a first controller 310, a configuration module 320, and a second controller 330; the configuration module 320 is connected to the first controller 310 and the second controller 330 respectively.
[0052] The first controller 310 is connected to the first control terminal A1 of the SoC chip 100 via the input terminal E of the voltage adjustment module 300; the second controller 330 is connected to the control terminal B of the PMIC module 200 via the output terminal F of the voltage adjustment module 300.
[0053] In this embodiment, both the first controller 310 and the second controller 330 can be SPMI controllers. The first controller 310 can be used for SPMI interaction between the SoC chip 100 and the voltage regulation module 300, and the second controller 320 can be used for SPMI interaction between the voltage regulation module 300 and the PMIC module 200.
[0054] In this embodiment, the configuration module 320 within the voltage adjustment module 300 can determine a target voltage suitable for the current usage scenario of the SoC chip 100, and then generate a target voltage adjustment command based on the target voltage, which is sent to the PMIC module 200. The PMIC module 200 can adjust the output voltage provided to the voltage input terminal of the SoC chip based on the target voltage adjustment command.
[0055] In one specific embodiment, in order to flexibly set voltage regulation commands according to the current usage scenario of the SoC chip, such as Figure 3 As shown, in the voltage regulation module provided in this application embodiment, the SoC chip 100 also has a second control terminal A2. The second control terminal A2 of the SoC chip 100 is coupled to the configuration module 320 in the voltage adjustment module 300. The first control terminal A1 is different from the second control terminal A2.
[0056] The second control terminal A2 of the SoC chip 100 can be an IIC (Inter-Integrated Circuit) interface, SPI (Serial Peripheral Interface), etc., and can be used to transmit information monitored by sensors in electronic devices (such as mobile phones, tablets, etc.), such as the current power supply voltage value of each module in the SoC chip, the temperature and load status in the SoC chip, etc.
[0057] Thus, the configuration unit 320 in the voltage adjustment module 300 obtains monitored information from the SoC chip 100 via the second control terminal A2, enabling the voltage adjustment module 300 to determine a target voltage suitable for the current usage scenario of the SoC chip 100. Based on the target voltage, it then generates a target voltage regulation command and sends it to the PMIC module 200. The PMIC module 200 can adjust the output voltage provided to the voltage input terminal of the SoC chip based on the target voltage regulation command. When the platform manufacturer reserves a large voltage margin for the SoC, the target voltage regulation command output by the voltage adjustment module in this embodiment can achieve a voltage reduction effect, thereby saving power consumption.
[0058] In practical applications, the configuration module 320 can be implemented using various structures, as illustrated below.
[0059] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of another voltage regulating module provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 4 As shown, in a specific example, in the voltage regulating module provided in the embodiment of this application, the configuration module 320 may include a lookup table (LUT) unit 321 and a switching unit 322;
[0060] The switching unit 322 has a first input terminal, a second input terminal and an output terminal. The first input terminal of the switching unit 322 is connected to the LUT unit 321, the second input terminal of the switching unit 322 is connected to the first controller 310, and the output terminal of the switching unit 322 is connected to the second controller 330.
[0061] The LUT unit 321 can store the mapping relationship between target information and preset voltage. The target information is information related to voltage regulation. Specifically, the target information may be the current power supply voltage value of each module in the SoC chip, the temperature information in the SoC chip, the load information in the SoC chip, etc. In this embodiment, since the second control terminal A2 of the SoC chip 100 is coupled to the configuration module 320 in the voltage adjustment module 300, the LUT unit 321 in the configuration module 320 can obtain the target information monitored by the sensors in the electronic device through the second control terminal A2 of the SoC chip, and then determine the second voltage regulation command based on the target information and the mapping relationship stored in the LUT unit. The second voltage regulation command includes a second voltage, which can be a target voltage suitable for the current usage scenario of the SoC chip 100.
[0062] The first input terminal of the switching unit 322 can input a first voltage regulation command from the SoC chip, the second input terminal of the switching unit 322 can input a second voltage regulation command determined by the LUT unit 321, and the output terminal of the switching unit 322 can output the first voltage regulation command or the second voltage regulation command as the target voltage regulation command.
[0063] For example, the switching unit 322 has a first operating state and a second operating state;
[0064] In the first operating state, the LUT unit 321 is connected to the second controller 330 via the switching unit 322. At this time, the LUT unit 321 and the switching unit 322 are connected, and the switching unit 322 can output the second voltage regulation command determined by the LUT unit 321 as the target voltage regulation command.
[0065] In the second operating state, the first controller 310 is connected to the second controller 330 via the switching unit 322. At this time, the first controller 310 is connected to the switching unit 322, and the switching unit 322 can output the first voltage regulation command from the SoC chip 100 as the target voltage regulation command.
[0066] Thus, the voltage regulation module provided in this application embodiment can be flexibly configured with voltage regulation commands according to the usage scenario. The switching of voltage regulation commands can be achieved by switching the switching unit. The voltage regulation commands can be controlled by the PMIC module 200 by comprehensively selecting the first voltage regulation command from the SoC chip 100 or the second voltage regulation command determined by the LUT unit 321, thereby realizing the dynamic adjustment of voltage regulation commands, optimizing power consumption and performance, and improving the efficiency of the PMIC module 200.
[0067] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of another voltage regulating module provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 5As shown, in another specific example, in the voltage regulation module provided in this application embodiment, the configuration module 320 may include: a microcontroller unit MCU 323 and a correction unit 324.
[0068] The correction unit 324 has a first input terminal, a second input terminal, and an output terminal. The first input terminal of the correction unit 324 is connected to the MCU 323, the second input terminal of the correction unit 324 is connected to the first controller 310, and the output terminal of the correction unit 324 is connected to the second controller 330.
[0069] The MCU323 can store the mapping relationship between target information and preset voltage. The target information is information related to voltage regulation. Specifically, the target information may be the current power supply voltage value of each module within the SoC chip, the temperature information within the SoC chip, the load information within the SoC chip, etc. In this embodiment, since the second control terminal A2 of the SoC chip 100 is coupled to the configuration module 320 within the voltage adjustment module 300, the MCU323 within the configuration module 320 can obtain the target information monitored by the sensors within the electronic device via the second control terminal A2 of the SoC chip, and then determine the target voltage suitable for the current usage scenario of the SoC chip 100 based on the target information and the mapping relationship stored in the MCU323.
[0070] Among them, the correction unit 324 can be an SPMI correction unit. The first input terminal of the correction unit 324 can be the target voltage determined by the MCU 323, and the second input terminal of the correction unit 324 can be the first voltage regulation command from the SoC chip. The correction unit 324 can correct the first voltage contained in the first voltage regulation command from the SoC chip based on the target voltage to obtain the second voltage regulation command, and then output the second voltage regulation command as the target voltage regulation command.
[0071] The configuration module provided in this embodiment omits the switching unit and instead uses an SPMI correction module. Without the need for a switching unit, it can be used to correct the first voltage regulation command and rewrite the PMIC voltage configuration in the first voltage regulation command. When the SoC chip configures the PMIC output voltage via the SPMI bus, if the configuration needs to be modified, the custom IC (i.e., the voltage adjustment module) can directly output the modified voltage value, overriding the original voltage value set by the SoC chip. For example, if the voltage regulation command is 0x01, the corresponding voltage value is 1.1V; if the voltage regulation command is 0x02, the corresponding voltage value is 1.15V. The SoC chip configures PMIC reg1 via the SPMI bus to make the PMIC module output 1.1V. If the custom IC needs to force the PMIC module to output 1.15V, it can do so after the SoC chip sends 0x01 via the SPMI bus, by having the custom IC output 0x02 via the MCU to configure PMIC reg1, overriding the SoC chip's configuration effect and making the PMIC module output 1.15V. See the table below for details:
[0072]
[0073] As shown in the table above, the SPMI configuration information output by the voltage adjustment module is largely the same as that output by the SoC chip. The difference lies in the voltage corresponding to the specific data in the SPMI configuration information. Therefore, the SPMI configuration information output by the voltage adjustment module can be used to override the SPMI configuration information output by the SoC, thereby achieving voltage adjustment of the PMIC module.
[0074] Thus, in the voltage regulation module provided in this application embodiment, the voltage adjustment module 300 (e.g., a custom IC) can eliminate the need for a switching switch, reducing the design difficulty and cost of the custom IC and simplifying the control logic; and by using the SPMI correction module, the SPMI voltage data can be dynamically adjusted directly according to the scenario under the control of the MCU inside the custom IC, resulting in a faster adjustment speed and a faster voltage adjustment response speed.
[0075] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of another voltage regulating module provided in an embodiment of this application.
[0076] In practical applications, such as Figure 6 As shown, in the voltage regulation module provided in this embodiment, the SoC chip 100 may include a memory 110, a central processing unit 120, an arbitrator 130, an AVS sensor 140, and an AVS controller 150. The workflow of each component within the SoC chip 100 in this embodiment can be referred to the above description. Figure 1 The workflow described in the SoC chip shown.
[0077] Among them, such as Figure 6As shown, the voltage adjustment module 300 may also include a flash memory unit 340. The voltage adjustment module 300 can be a custom IC chip, and the flash memory unit 340 can be the internal flash memory of the custom IC chip. Firmware can be downloaded to the IC chip through interfaces such as JTAG.
[0078] Among them, such as Figure 6 As shown, the second control terminal A2 of the SoC chip 100 is coupled to the configuration module 320 through the flash memory unit 340. Therefore, the flash memory unit 340 can receive and store the target information monitored by the sensors in the electronic device through the second control terminal A2 of the SoC chip. The configuration module 320 can read the target information in the flash memory unit 340 and then determine the target voltage suitable for the current use scenario of the SoC chip 100 based on the mapping relationship between the target information and the MCU 323.
[0079] Therefore, after the SoC chip outputs a first voltage regulation command to set the output voltage of the PMIC module, the configuration module 320 in the voltage adjustment module can further modify the first voltage regulation command output by the SoC chip to obtain a second voltage regulation command, and output the second voltage regulation command as the target voltage regulation command. In this way, the voltage within the SoC chip 100 can be adjusted through the voltage adjustment module 300, thereby solving the problem that the power supply voltage within the SoC cannot be modified in related technologies.
[0080] As described above, the voltage regulation module provided in this application embodiment can realize the voltage regulation of the subsystem within the SoC, improve system stability, and optimize system power consumption; at the same time, it can optimize the output voltage of the PMIC module according to the scenario, improve system performance, and optimize user experience.
[0081] like Figure 7 As shown in the figure, this application embodiment also provides an electronic device 700, including a voltage regulating module 10.
[0082] It should be noted that the electronic device 10 provided in this application embodiment includes the voltage regulating module provided in any of the above embodiments. The specific structure of the voltage regulating module can be referred to the above description. To avoid repetition, it will not be described again here.
[0083] In the embodiments of this application, the electronic device can be a terminal or other devices besides a terminal. For example, the electronic device can be a smartwatch, mobile phone, tablet computer, laptop computer, PDA, in-vehicle electronic device, mobile internet device (MID), augmented reality (AR) / virtual reality (VR) device, robot, wearable device, ultra-mobile personal computer (UMPC), netbook, or personal digital assistant (PDA), etc. It can also be a server, network attached storage (NAS), personal computer (PC), etc. The embodiments of this application do not specifically limit the scope.
[0084] Based on a concept similar to the voltage regulating module provided in any of the above embodiments, this application also provides a voltage adjustment method, which is applied to the voltage regulating module provided in any of the above embodiments.
[0085] Figure 8 This is a flowchart illustrating a voltage adjustment method provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 8 As shown, the voltage adjustment method provided in this application embodiment is applied to the voltage regulating module provided in any of the above embodiments. The voltage adjustment method may include:
[0086] Step 810: The voltage adjustment module obtains the target voltage adjustment command;
[0087] Step 820: The voltage adjustment module outputs a target voltage adjustment command to the PMIC module; the target voltage adjustment command is used to adjust the output voltage provided by the PMIC module to the voltage input terminal of the SoC chip.
[0088] In this embodiment of the application, the target voltage adjustment command in step 810 may include a target voltage. The target voltage may be the voltage directly obtained by the voltage adjustment module, or it may be the voltage obtained by the voltage adjustment module modifying the voltage configured by the SoC chip for the PMIC module.
[0089] Step 810 can be executed when the SoC chip is idle, when the SoC chip has already output a voltage adjustment command to the PMIC module, or when the voltage adjustment module receives a voltage adjustment command sent by the SoC chip to the PMIC module.
[0090] In step 820, the voltage adjustment module outputs a target voltage regulation command to the PMIC module. After that, the PMIC module can adjust the output voltage provided by the PMIC module to the voltage input terminal of the SoC chip based on the target voltage regulation command.
[0091] In this embodiment, since the control terminal of the PMIC module is connected to the first control terminal of the SoC chip via the voltage adjustment module, after the SoC chip outputs a first voltage adjustment command to set the output voltage of the PMIC module, the voltage adjustment module can further modify the first voltage adjustment command output by the SoC chip to obtain the target adjustment command. In this way, the voltage within the SoC chip can be adjusted through the voltage adjustment module, thereby solving the problem that the power supply voltage within the SoC cannot be modified in the related art.
[0092] In a specific embodiment, to improve system stability, step 810 above, where the voltage adjustment module obtains the target voltage regulation command, may include:
[0093] The voltage adjustment module receives the first voltage adjustment command from the SoC chip;
[0094] If the first voltage regulation command includes a power-on command or a power-off command, the first voltage regulation command shall be used as the target voltage regulation command.
[0095] During the initialization process, in the power-on phase, the first voltage regulation command includes not only the initial voltage value but also a power-on instruction, such as a power-on command; in the power-off phase, the first voltage regulation command includes a power-off instruction, such as a power-off command. When the first voltage regulation command includes either a power-on or power-off instruction, the first voltage regulation command determined by the SoC chip is used as the target voltage regulation command to control the adjustment of the voltage within the SoC chip.
[0096] In other words, during the power-on and power-off phases, the SoC chip can take over the SPMI to complete the power-on and power-off configuration of the system PMIC. After power-on and before power-off, the voltage regulation module (e.g., a custom IC) takes over the SPMI, and the custom IC configures the SPMI according to the usage scenario.
[0097] In this way, the SoC chip takes over SPMI during the power-on and power-off phases, while the custom IC takes over SPMI after power-on and before power-off. This prevents the custom IC from malfunctioning and affecting the system power-on, reduces interference with the system power-on / power-off process, improves system stability, and also helps to reduce the difficulty of the algorithm.
[0098] Of course, in other embodiments, during initialization and use, the PMIC module can be jointly managed and dynamically adjusted by the SoC chip and the custom IC. This application does not limit the specific source of the target voltage regulation command.
[0099] Figure 9 A flowchart of another voltage adjustment method provided in an embodiment of this application.
[0100] like Figure 9 As shown, the voltage adjustment method provided in this application embodiment is applied to the voltage regulating module provided in any of the above embodiments. The voltage adjustment method may include:
[0101] Step 910: The voltage adjustment module obtains target information from the SoC chip; wherein, the target information is information related to voltage regulation;
[0102] Step 920: The voltage adjustment module obtains the second voltage adjustment command based on the target information;
[0103] Step 930: The voltage adjustment module determines the second voltage adjustment command as the target voltage adjustment command;
[0104] Step 940: The voltage adjustment module outputs a target voltage adjustment command to the PMIC module; the target voltage adjustment command is used to adjust the output voltage provided by the PMIC module to the voltage input terminal of the SoC chip.
[0105] Steps 910 to 930 can be sub-steps of step 810.
[0106] Step 940 can refer to the specific content of step 820.
[0107] In step 910, the target information may be the current power supply voltage of each module within the SoC chip, the temperature information within the SoC chip, the load information within the SoC chip, etc. In this embodiment, since the second control terminal A2 of the SoC chip 100 is coupled to the configuration module 320 within the voltage adjustment module 300, the configuration module 320 can acquire the target information monitored by the sensors within the electronic device.
[0108] In step 920, the voltage adjustment module can determine a target voltage suitable for the current use scenario of the SoC chip 100 based on the target information and the mapping relationship between the pre-stored target information and the preset voltage, and determine a second voltage adjustment command based on the target voltage.
[0109] The target voltage is different from the first voltage contained in the first voltage regulation command from the SoC chip.
[0110] In step 930, the voltage adjustment module can determine the second voltage adjustment command as the target voltage adjustment command output.
[0111] Thus, in this embodiment, by determining a target voltage suitable for the current usage scenario of the SoC chip 100, and determining a second voltage regulation command based on the target voltage, the second voltage regulation command is output as the target voltage regulation command. This optimizes the output voltage of the PMIC module according to the scenario, improving system performance and enhancing user experience. Specifically, when platform providers reserve a large voltage margin for the SoC, this embodiment can achieve a voltage reduction effect through the target voltage regulation command output by the voltage adjustment module, thereby saving power consumption.
[0112] In a specific example, to improve the voltage regulation speed, in step 920 above, the voltage adjustment module obtains a second voltage regulation command based on the target information, which may specifically include:
[0113] The voltage adjustment module determines the target voltage based on the target information;
[0114] The voltage adjustment module corrects the first voltage contained in the first voltage adjustment command from the SoC chip based on the target voltage to obtain the second voltage adjustment command.
[0115] It should be noted that the SPMI configuration information (i.e., the second voltage regulation command) determined by the voltage adjustment module is mostly the same as the SPMI configuration information (i.e., the first voltage regulation command) output by the SoC chip. The difference lies in the voltage corresponding to the specific data in the SPMI configuration information.
[0116] In this way, the first voltage contained in the first voltage regulation command from the SoC chip can be corrected based on the target voltage to obtain the second voltage regulation command. The SPMI configuration information output by the voltage adjustment module is used to overwrite the SPMI configuration information output by the SoC, thereby realizing the voltage adjustment of the PMIC module. There is no need to regenerate the configuration information in the second voltage regulation command, and the voltage adjustment response speed is fast.
[0117] In another specific embodiment, before the voltage adjustment module outputs the target voltage adjustment command to the PMIC module, the voltage adjustment method provided in this application further includes:
[0118] In the case where the voltage regulation module includes a LUT unit and a switching unit, the switching unit is controlled to be connected to the LUT unit.
[0119] Among them, reference Figure 4 The voltage regulation module shown includes a LUT unit and a switching unit. When the voltage regulation module includes a LUT unit and a switching unit, the switching unit is controlled to be connected to the LUT unit. The switching unit can output the second voltage regulation command determined by the LUT unit as the target voltage regulation command.
[0120] Thus, the voltage regulation module provided in this application embodiment can be flexibly configured with voltage regulation commands according to the usage scenario. The switching of voltage regulation commands can be achieved by switching the switching unit. The voltage regulation commands can be controlled by the PMIC module 200 by comprehensively selecting the first voltage regulation command from the SoC chip 100 or the second voltage regulation command determined by the LUT unit 321, thereby realizing the dynamic adjustment of voltage regulation commands, optimizing power consumption and performance, and improving the efficiency of the PMIC module 200.
[0121] Figure 10-1 This is a flowchart illustrating a specific voltage adjustment method provided in an embodiment of this application.
[0122] like Figure 10-1 As shown, the voltage adjustment method provided in this application embodiment is applied to the voltage regulating module provided in any of the above embodiments. The voltage adjustment method may include the following steps:
[0123] During the power-on phase, the SoC reads the internal ROM to obtain SPMI configuration information, which can be SPMI voltage configuration information;
[0124] The SoC outputs PMIC configuration information to the arbitrator.
[0125] The SoC's internal arbiter comprehensively judges and outputs SPMI configuration information;
[0126] After receiving the SPMI configuration information, the PMIC module configures the voltage according to the SPMI configuration information and outputs the voltage value.
[0127] The AVS sensor detects the current voltage value and obtains target information such as the current load and temperature within the SoC from the SoC, and sends it to the AVS controller;
[0128] After the AVS controller determines a more suitable voltage value, it sends the updated voltage value to the arbitrator, which then updates the SPMI configuration information.
[0129] The voltage adjustment module obtains monitoring information from the AVS sensor from the SoC through interfaces such as JTAG, I2C, and SPI;
[0130] The voltage regulation module determines the appropriate SPMI configuration information by looking up a table based on the user scenario;
[0131] The voltage regulation module outputs SPMI configuration information as the SPMI master device.
[0132] The voltage regulation module (configuration IC) selects the data type to be transmitted to the PMIC module according to the scenario: select SPMI configuration information from the SoC or select SPMI configuration information configured internally by the voltage regulation module;
[0133] The PMIC module re-outputs the voltage value to the SoC load.
[0134] The voltage adjustment method provided in this application can adjust the voltage within a System-on-a-Chip (SoC) through a voltage adjustment module, thereby solving the problem in related technologies where the power supply voltage within the SoC cannot be modified. Furthermore, in determining the target voltage adjustment command, the voltage adjustment module also considers target information related to voltage adjustment obtained from the SoC chip, thus ensuring that the determined target voltage adjustment command is more accurate.
[0135] Furthermore, the voltage adjustment method provided in this application embodiment allows the voltage adjustment module to flexibly configure voltage adjustment commands according to the usage scenario. It can comprehensively select the SPMI configuration information configured by the SoC chip or the SPMI configuration information determined by the voltage adjustment module to control the PMIC module to adjust the voltage, thereby realizing dynamic adjustment of the voltage adjustment command, optimizing power consumption and performance, and improving the efficiency of the PMIC module.
[0136] In practical applications, the voltage regulation module (configuration IC) selects and transmits the SPMI configuration information configured internally to the PMIC module according to the target scenario. Target scenarios can include those requiring an increase in output voltage via a custom IC or those requiring a decrease in output voltage via a configuration IC.
[0137] For example, in scenarios where increased voltage needs to be achieved through IC configuration: In scenarios with large instantaneous loads, the voltage is increased to prevent system crashes caused by undervoltage protection. Within the allowable range of the load's operating voltage, a custom IC can be configured to forcibly increase the voltage appropriately for a short period to maintain normal system operation. Alternatively, in specific scenarios for a particular module, the voltage can be forcibly increased to improve system performance and user experience. For instance, after a long period of use, when SoC-related IP cores age, the power supply voltage of the IP cores can be appropriately increased to maintain good IP core performance and extend the lifespan of the machine.
[0138] At this time, as Figure 10-2 As shown, in the process of the AVS sensor monitoring the current voltage value and obtaining target information such as the current load and temperature within the SoC from the SoC, if a large load current is detected or a scenario with a large load is predicted to be entered, the SoC chip can notify the configuration IC to detect the situation. The configuration IC can then look up a table to increase the output voltage of the current scenario. The configuration IC outputs SPMI configuration information to control the PMIC to output a higher operating voltage, thereby maintaining normal system operation or maintaining good operating performance.
[0139] For example, in scenarios where the output voltage needs to be reduced by configuring an IC: without affecting system performance, the operating voltage of some loads within the SoC chip can be appropriately reduced to meet the minimum operating voltage of the load, thereby reducing power consumption. For instance, if the normal configuration voltage of a certain IP core within the SoC (without the involvement of a custom IC) is V1, the voltage can be forcibly configured to V2 by a custom IC (both V1 and V2 are within the operating voltage requirements of the load, V1>V2), thereby reducing the power consumption of that circuit.
[0140] At this time, as Figure 10-3 As shown, in the process of the AVS sensor monitoring the current voltage value and obtaining target information such as the current load and temperature within the SoC from the SoC, if it is detected that the operating voltage of part of the load within the SoC chip can be appropriately reduced, the SoC chip can notify the configuration IC to detect the situation. The configuration IC can look up the table to obtain the minimum voltage required for the current scenario voltage. The configuration IC outputs SPMI configuration information to control the PMIC to output the minimum operating voltage, thereby reducing the power consumption of part of the load within the SoC chip.
[0141] In addition, the voltage regulation module (configuration IC) can also select to transmit SPMI configuration information from the SoC to the PMIC module according to specific scenarios (such as power-on / power-off phases).
[0142] For example, such as Figure 10-4 As shown, this voltage adjustment method is similar to... Figure 10-1 The difference in the voltage adjustment method shown is that: during the process of the voltage adjustment module (configuration IC) selecting the data type to be transmitted to the PMIC module according to the scenario (selecting SPMI configuration information from the SoC chip or selecting SPMI configuration information configured inside the voltage adjustment module), it can further determine whether the current working stage is the power-on stage or the power-off stage.
[0143] During the power-on or power-off phase, SPMI configuration information from the SoC chip can be transmitted to the PMIC module.
[0144] If it is not during the power-on or power-off phase, you can choose to transfer the SPMI configuration information configured inside the voltage regulation module to the PMIC module.
[0145] In this way, the SoC chip determines the SPMI configuration information during the power-on and power-off phases, while the custom IC determines the SPMI configuration information after power-on and before power-off. This prevents the custom IC from malfunctioning and affecting the system power-on, reduces interference with the system power-on / power-off process, improves system stability, and also helps to reduce the algorithm complexity.
[0146] In the description of this specification, the references to terms such as "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "illustrative embodiment," "example," "specific example," or "some examples," etc., indicate that a specific feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment or example is included in at least one embodiment or example of this application. In this specification, the illustrative expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples.
[0147] Although embodiments of this application have been shown and described, those skilled in the art will understand that various changes, modifications, substitutions and alterations can be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of this application, the scope of which is defined by the claims and their equivalents.
Claims
1. A voltage regulating module, characterized in that, include: The system-on-a-chip (SoC) chip, the power management integrated circuit (PMIC) module, and the voltage regulation module are disposed outside the SoC chip. The first control terminal of the SoC chip is connected to the control terminal of the PMIC module through the voltage adjustment module, and the voltage output terminal of the PMIC module is connected to the voltage input terminal of the SoC chip. The input terminal of the voltage adjustment module is connected to the first control terminal of the SoC chip, and the output terminal of the voltage adjustment module is connected to the control terminal of the PMIC module. The voltage adjustment module includes a first controller, a configuration module, and a second controller; the configuration module is connected to both the first controller and the second controller; the first controller is connected to the first control terminal of the SoC chip via the input terminal of the voltage adjustment module; the second controller is connected to the control terminal of the PMIC module via the output terminal of the voltage adjustment module. The configuration module includes a lookup table (LUT) unit and a switching unit; the switching unit has a first input terminal, a second input terminal, and an output terminal, the first input terminal of the switching unit is connected to the LUT unit, the second input terminal of the switching unit is connected to the first controller, and the output terminal of the switching unit is connected to the second controller.
2. The voltage regulating module according to claim 1, characterized in that, The second control terminal of the SoC chip is coupled to the configuration module within the voltage adjustment module, and the first control terminal is different from the second control terminal.
3. The voltage regulating module according to claim 1, characterized in that, The switching unit has a first working state and a second working state; In the first operating state, the LUT unit is connected to the second controller via the switching unit; In the second operating state, the first controller is connected to the second controller via the switching unit.
4. An electronic device, characterized in that, Includes the voltage regulating module as described in any one of claims 1-3.
5. A voltage adjustment method, characterized in that, Applied to the voltage regulating module as described in any one of claims 1-3, the method comprises: The voltage regulation module obtains the target voltage regulation command; The voltage adjustment module outputs the target voltage adjustment command to the PMIC module; The target voltage regulation command is used to adjust the output voltage provided by the PMIC module to the voltage input terminal of the SoC chip; The voltage adjustment module acquires the target voltage adjustment command, including: The voltage adjustment module acquires target information from the SoC chip; The voltage adjustment module obtains a second voltage adjustment command based on the target information; The voltage adjustment module determines the second voltage adjustment command as the target voltage adjustment command; The target information is information related to voltage regulation.
6. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that, The voltage adjustment module obtains a second voltage regulation command based on the target information, including: The voltage adjustment module determines the target voltage based on the target information; The voltage adjustment module corrects the first voltage contained in the first voltage adjustment command from the SoC chip based on the target voltage to obtain the second voltage adjustment command.
7. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that, Before the voltage regulation module outputs the target voltage regulation command to the PMIC module, the method further includes: In the case where the voltage regulation module includes a LUT unit and a switching unit, the switching unit is controlled to be connected to the LUT unit.
8. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that, The voltage adjustment module acquires the target voltage adjustment command, including: The voltage adjustment module receives the first voltage adjustment command from the SoC chip; If the first voltage regulation command includes a power-on command or a power-off command, the first voltage regulation command shall be used as the target voltage regulation command.