Electric signal detection circuit, chip, processing system and electronic equipment

Abstract

The invention provides an electric signal detection circuit, a chip, a processing system and electronic equipment, and relates to the field of chip design. The electric signal detection circuit comprises a first sampling signal output end, a second sampling signal output end and a plurality of sampling sub-circuits which are connected in parallel, each sampling sub-circuit comprises a power resistor; the input end of each power resistor is also connected with a first sampling signal output end; the output end of each power resistor is also connected with a second sampling signal output end; the first sampling signal output end is used for collecting a first voltage signal of the power resistor at the input end, and the second sampling signal output end is used for collecting a second voltage signal of the power resistor at the output end of the power resistor. And the difference between the first voltage signal and the second voltage signal is used for calculating the current output by the tested power supply. The electric signal detection circuit can improve the accuracy of current detection.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of chip design, and specifically, provides an electrical signal detection circuit, chip, processing system and electronic equipment. Background Art

[0002] As the performance of various processor chips improves, their power consumption is also increasing. Correspondingly, the processor also requires a larger power supply current. For example, the core power supply current of some GPGPUs (General-Purpose Computing on Graphics Processing Units) currently needs to reach more than 1000A.

[0003] Processor power management and power management require power supply current detection to obtain current information and control various functions. However, current detection circuits currently have issues with high current detection accuracy. For example, the PMIC (Power Management Integrated Circuit) in the processor core power supply is commonly used for current detection. The PMIC uses multiple power stages for current detection, and the currents detected by all power stages are summed to obtain the total current. However, PMIC current detection suffers from poor detection accuracy, and the accumulation of currents from multiple power stages can result in large errors. For another example, some circuits use inductive current detection for current monitoring, but this method is complex to implement and can lead to large detection accuracy errors due to high currents or environmental factors causing temperature rise. Other commonly used methods use a single low-resistance resistor for sampling. Although they achieve high-precision current detection, these circuits are only suitable for current detection below 50A, and most are only suitable for low current detection below 10A. This cannot meet the high-precision current detection requirements of processors such as GPGPUs. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In view of this, the present application aims to provide an electrical signal detection circuit, chip, processing system and electronic equipment to improve the measurement accuracy of power supply current.

[0005] In a first aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides an electrical signal detection circuit, comprising: a first sampling signal output terminal, a second sampling signal output terminal, and a plurality of sampling sub-circuits connected in parallel; each of the sampling sub-circuits comprises: a power resistor; the input terminal of the power resistor is used to connect to a power supply under test, and the output terminal of the power resistor is used to connect to an electrical device; the input terminal of each of the power resistors is also connected to the first sampling signal output terminal; the output terminal of each of the power resistors is also connected to the second sampling signal output terminal; the first sampling signal output terminal is used to collect a first voltage signal of the power resistor at the input terminal, and the second sampling signal output terminal collects a second voltage signal of the power resistor at the output terminal of the power resistor, and the difference between the first voltage signal and the second voltage signal is used to characterize and calculate the current output by the power supply under test.

[0006] In the embodiments of the present application, multiple sampling subcircuits are connected in parallel to split the current, distributing it evenly to each current sampling branch, thereby enabling the electrical signal detection circuit to detect larger currents. This also reduces heating caused by excessive current at a specific location in the detection circuit, reducing the impact of temperature on detection accuracy. PMIC current detection has significant fluctuations in detection accuracy across different current ranges, with high detection errors in both high and low current scenarios. In the embodiments of the present application, power resistors are used in the sampling subcircuits for current detection. Power resistors can withstand high power, meaning they can flow large currents at low resistance values. They exhibit high stability in high current scenarios, thus reducing the impact of current magnitude on detection accuracy. This allows for higher detection accuracy compared to PMIC current detection. Furthermore, power resistors have smaller temperature drift than inductive devices. When the ambient temperature rises or when heat is generated by high current, using power resistors can effectively reduce the impact of temperature increases on device performance, improve the stability of the electrical signal detection circuit, and thus reduce the impact of temperature changes on detection accuracy, thereby achieving improved detection accuracy. When multiple sampling subcircuits are connected in parallel, multiple power resistors are connected in parallel, thereby reducing the equivalent resistance of the electrical signal detection circuit and reducing the loss caused by the current output by the measured circuit flowing through the electrical signal detection circuit. On this basis, the detected current can be more accurately equal to the current output by the electrical signal detection circuit, thereby improving the accuracy of the detected current. In addition, in the embodiments of the present application, the current is calculated using the voltage difference between the first voltage signal and the second voltage signal. Compared with directly measuring the current, it can reduce the influence of other factors such as wire resistance and contact resistance, thereby improving the accuracy of the measurement.

[0007] In one embodiment, the input end of the power resistor includes the first port and the third port, and the output end of the power resistor includes the second port and the fourth port; the first port is connected to the power supply under test; the second port is used to connect to the electrical device; the third port is used to connect to the first sampling signal output end; and the fourth port is connected to the second sampling signal output end.

[0008] In the embodiment of the present application, a four-port power resistor is selected. Compared with the two-port power resistor, the four-port power resistor has a lower temperature drift, which can further improve the anti-interference ability of the electrical signal detection circuit, thereby improving the detection accuracy. At the same time, the four-port power resistor distinguishes the signal pins, that is, the first port and the second port are current pins that can pass current, and the third port and the fourth port are voltage difference pins. Compared with the two-port power resistor, the four-port power resistor is simpler in circuit design and easier to design and route on the PCB (Printed Circuit Board). At the same time, the third port and the fourth port in the four-port power resistor are designed inside the power resistor. Thus, the first sampling signal output terminal and the second sampling signal output terminal are directly connected to the inside of the power resistor. From the realization of the Kelvin connection of the four-port power resistor, there is no need to connect the wires on both sides of the power resistor, thereby reducing the lead resistance or contact resistance, reducing the influence of the lead resistance or contact resistance on the measurement accuracy, and improving the current detection accuracy.

[0009] In one embodiment, each of the sampling sub-circuits further includes: a first compensation resistor and a second compensation resistor; the resistance of the first compensation resistor and the second compensation resistor are both greater than the power resistor; the first compensation resistor is connected between the third port and the first sampling signal output terminal; and the second compensation resistor is connected between the fourth port and the second sampling signal output terminal.

[0010] In the embodiments of the present application, a single sampling sub-circuit is limited in the current allowed to pass through it. To detect a higher current, multiple sampling sub-circuits are connected in parallel to divide the current. When multiple sampling sub-circuits are connected in parallel, ideally, the difference between the first voltage signal and the second voltage signal on each power resistor is consistent, and the current flowing through each power resistor is the same. Therefore, the difference between the first voltage signal and the second voltage signal can be used to calculate the current of all sampling sub-circuits, and then the total current can be calculated based on the number of sampling sub-circuits. Each sampling subcircuit is arranged at a different location and connected by wires. This results in different distances between the power resistor and the first sampling signal output terminal, and different distances between the power resistor and the second sampling signal output terminal in different sampling subcircuits. This, in turn, results in inconsistent wire lengths, leading to inconsistent equivalent impedances from each sampling subcircuit to the first sampling signal output terminal and the second sampling signal output terminal. This inconsistent impedance results in inconsistent differences between the first voltage signal and the second voltage signal corresponding to each sampling subcircuit. Current calculation requires that the first and second voltage signals of each sampling subcircuit be identical or within an acceptable error range when multiple sampling subcircuits are connected in parallel. Therefore, inconsistent equivalent impedances prevent accurate calculation of the current magnitude from the difference between the first and second voltage signals, affecting detection accuracy. Therefore, in an embodiment of the present application, compensation resistors having a resistance greater than the power resistor can be provided at the third and fourth ports, respectively. This compensation circuit reduces the impact of inconsistent equivalent impedances of the sampling subcircuits on detection accuracy, thereby improving detection accuracy.

[0011] In one embodiment, the electrical signal detection circuit further includes: a filter capacitor; the filter capacitor is connected in parallel to each of the sampling sub-circuits, a first end of the filter capacitor is connected to the first sampling signal output end, and a second end of the filter capacitor is connected to the second sampling signal output end.

[0012] In an embodiment of the present application, the sampling subcircuit is used to convert the current signal into a voltage signal to facilitate the calculation of the current, and the first voltage signal and the second voltage signal are analog signals, which may contain noise interference. Therefore, the noise interference signal can be filtered out by a parallel filter capacitor before the first voltage signal and the second voltage signal are output, so as to output a more accurate first voltage signal and the second voltage signal for current calculation, thereby improving the accuracy of the calculated current and achieving the effect of improving the accuracy of current detection.

[0013] In one embodiment, the number of the sampling sub-circuits is greater than or equal to the ratio of a first maximum current to a preset allowable current; the first maximum current is a preset maximum current output by the power supply under test; and the preset allowable current is a preset maximum current allowed to flow through the sampling sub-circuit.

[0014] In an embodiment of the present application, the number of the sampling sub-circuits is greater than or equal to the ratio of the first maximum current to the preset allowable current, so that the current flowing through each sampling sub-circuit is less than or equal to the maximum current allowed to flow through the sampling sub-circuit. As a result, problems such as heat generation and power loss caused by excessive current flowing through each sampling sub-circuit can be effectively reduced, thereby reducing the possibility of detection accuracy being affected by temperature.

[0015] In one embodiment, the ratio of the preset allowable current to the second maximum current is within a preset range; the preset allowable current is less than the second maximum current, and the second maximum current is the maximum current theoretically allowed to flow through a single sampling sub-circuit.

[0016] In the embodiment of the present application, the preset allowable current is less than the second maximum current, that is, the preset allowable current is less than the maximum current theoretically allowed to flow through the sampling sub-circuit. As a result, the current flowing through each sampling sub-circuit will not be too large. On the one hand, it can protect the electrical signal measurement circuit from abnormalities caused by excessive instantaneous current. On the other hand, it allows the sampling sub-circuit to withstand a smaller current, thereby reducing heat generation and power consumption loss.

[0017] In one embodiment, the preset range is 30% to 60%.

[0018] When the sampling subcircuit is subjected to high current for an extended period, the resistors may generate significant heat, resulting in significant power loss. However, when the current flowing through the sampling subcircuit is relatively low, the performance of the sampling subcircuit cannot be fully utilized. In this embodiment of the present application, the preset range is 30% to 60%. When the ratio of the preset allowable current to the second maximum current is within this preset range, the current that each power resistor must withstand is significantly less than its theoretical maximum current. As a result, each power resistor generates less heat, effectively reducing power loss. Furthermore, the performance of the sampling subcircuit can be effectively utilized, eliminating the need to connect too many sampling subcircuits in parallel.

[0019] In one embodiment, the electrical signal detection circuit further includes: a current calculation module connected to the first sampling signal output terminal and the second sampling signal output terminal respectively.

[0020] In an embodiment of the present application, a current calculation module is also provided in the electrical signal detection circuit to calculate the current through the current calculation module. Accordingly, the electrical equipment does not need to be customized, such as there is no need to design corresponding circuits or programs to calculate the current, thereby expanding the compatibility and scope of application of the electrical signal detection circuit.

[0021] In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides an electrical signal detection chip, comprising the electrical signal detection circuit as described in any one of the first aspects.

[0022] In a third aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a processing system, comprising: an electrical signal detection chip as described in any one of the first aspects, used to be connected to the power supply; and a processor, connected to the electrical signal detection chip.

[0023] In a fourth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides an electronic device, comprising: a power supply; and a processing system as described in the third aspect, wherein an electrical signal detection chip in the processing system is connected to the power supply. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, the following is a brief introduction to the drawings required for use in the embodiments of the present application. It should be understood that the following drawings only show certain embodiments of the present application and therefore should not be regarded as limiting the scope. For those skilled in the art, other relevant drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative work.

[0025] Figure 1 This is a first schematic diagram of an electrical signal detection circuit provided in one embodiment of the present application;

[0026] Figure 2 A second schematic diagram of an electrical signal detection circuit including a four-port power resistor provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0027] Figure 3 A third schematic diagram of an electrical signal detection circuit including a compensation resistor provided in one embodiment of the present application;

[0028] Figure 4 This is a fourth schematic diagram of the electrical signal detection circuit provided in one embodiment of the present application.

[0029] Icons: first sampling signal output terminal 110; second sampling signal output terminal 120; sampling sub-circuit 130; current calculation module 140. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0030] In order to make the purpose, technical solutions and advantages of this application more clearly understood, the present application is further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to explain this application and are not intended to limit this application.

[0031] First, an embodiment of the present application provides an electrical signal detection circuit, which can be connected to a power supply and an electrical device to monitor the current output from the power supply to the electrical device in real time.

[0032] See also Figure 1 , Figure 1This is a first schematic diagram of an electrical signal detection circuit provided in an embodiment of the present application. The electrical signal detection circuit includes: a first sampling signal output terminal 110 , a second sampling signal output terminal 120 , and a plurality of sampling sub-circuits 130 .

[0033] The multiple sampling subcircuits 130 can be regarded as a whole, that is, the multiple sampling subcircuits 130 constitute a sampling module. The sampling module is connected in series between the power supply under test and the power-consuming device, and is used to sample the current output from the power supply under test to the power-consuming device. The power-consuming device includes but is not limited to various devices that require current monitoring, for example, various processors, including GPGPU, GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), CPU (Central Processing Unit), NPU (Neural Processing Unit), VPU (Video Processing Unit), etc.

[0034] The first sampling signal output terminal 110 and the second sampling signal output terminal 120 are used to connect to each sampling sub-circuit 130 to obtain the electrical signal of each sampling sub-circuit 130 and then output the electrical signal to a processor or other module capable of calculating current for current calculation.

[0035] In the embodiments of the present application, multiple sampling sub-circuits 130 can be considered as a sampling module. In the sampling module, multiple sampling sub-circuits 130 are connected in parallel, and each of the multiple sampling sub-circuits 130 is identical. The "identical" includes identical circuit connections and the use of components of the same specifications. Minor differences in component performance within each sampling sub-circuit 130 due to production, manufacturing, or other reasons are not considered within the scope of this application.

[0036] In the embodiment of the present application, the sampling module is equivalent to being connected in series between the power supply under test and the electrical equipment, and the electrical signal detection circuit provided by the present application can be applied to scenarios of large current detection. For example, the current output by the core power supply of some GPGPUs reaches more than 1000A. In this scenario, the sampling module will withstand a current of 1000A.

[0037] Currently, individual electronic devices typically struggle to withstand high currents. Even if they can, they suffer power loss and heat generation. This power loss affects the actual current output to the device. For example, the original output current is 1000A, but after the power loss in the sampling module, the device may only receive 950A, resulting in a certain amount of loss. Furthermore, the high current passing through the sampling module generates significant heat, potentially raising the temperature of the sampling module and its surroundings. This can affect circuit and device performance, affecting current detection accuracy and the normal operation of other circuit functions.

[0038] Therefore, if Figure 1 As shown, in an embodiment of the present application, in a sampling module, multiple sampling sub-circuits 130 may be connected in parallel to shunt a large current through the multiple sampling sub-circuits 130 , thereby reducing the current flowing through each sampling sub-circuit 130 .

[0039] For example, assuming that the current output by the device under test is 1000 A and the number of sampling sub-circuits 130 connected in parallel is 10, the current actually flowing through each sampling sub-circuit 130 is 100 A.

[0040] By connecting the sampling sub-circuits 130 in parallel, the performance requirements for each sampling sub-circuit 130 can be reduced. High currents are evenly distributed among the different sampling sub-circuits 130. Instead of directly bearing the high current, each sampling sub-circuit 130 only bears a portion of the high current. Consequently, the performance requirements for each sampling sub-circuit 130 can be reduced. Furthermore, since the current flowing through each sampling sub-circuit 130 is reduced, the heat generated by it is also reduced. Furthermore, since the multiple sampling sub-circuits 130 are dispersed across different locations on the circuit board, heat dissipation is enhanced, reducing the risk of overheating.

[0041] In addition, connecting multiple sampling sub-circuits 130 in parallel can also reduce the overall equivalent impedance of the sampling module, thereby reducing the loss of current when flowing through the sampling module, and thus reducing power consumption loss, which helps the electrical equipment obtain a current that is closer to the output of the power supply under test and closer to the current size detected by the electrical signal detection circuit, and can also improve the detection accuracy to a certain extent.

[0042] In an embodiment of the present application, the number of the sampling sub-circuits 130 is greater than or equal to the ratio of the first maximum current to the preset allowable current.

[0043] In an embodiment of the present application, the first maximum current is the maximum current output by the preset power supply under test. The electrical signal detection circuit is used to detect the current output by the power supply to the electrical device. In general, the performance of the power supply or the performance of the electrical device can be directly known. The maximum current that the power supply can output can be obtained through the performance of the power supply, or the power specifications required by the electrical device can be inferred through the performance of the electrical device. In other embodiments, an electrical signal detection circuit including different numbers of sampling sub-circuits 130 can also be designed for use in scenarios with different power supplies or electrical devices. Therefore, the method of obtaining the first maximum current is not limited here.

[0044] Next, the preset allowed current is determined by the components and connection relationships within the sampling sub-circuit 130 . Therefore, the current allowed to flow through the sampling sub-circuit 130 can be obtained by calculation, which will not be elaborated here.

[0045] In the embodiment of the present application, the preset allowable current is the maximum current preset by the sampling sub-circuit 130 that is allowed to flow. The preset allowable current of the sampling sub-circuit 130 is not equal to the theoretical maximum current that can flow. For example, the sampling sub-circuit 130 is theoretically capable of flowing a current of 200 A. If the current exceeds 200 A, the device may malfunction. The preset allowable current is a current less than 200 A, such as 80 A, 100 A, or 120 A.

[0046] In practice, although the current flowing through the sampling subcircuit may not reach the theoretical maximum allowable current, if it exceeds a certain range, the components within the sampling subcircuit may generate significant heat due to the excessive current, causing the temperature to rise, affecting the performance of the internal components of the sampling subcircuit and thus affecting detection accuracy. At the same time, the high temperature will also increase the power consumption of the electrical signal detection circuit.

[0047] In the embodiment of the present application, a preset allowable current is used to calculate the number of sampling sub-currents. The preset allowable current is smaller than the theoretical maximum current allowed to flow through a single sampling sub-circuit 130. Therefore, the current flowing through each sampling sub-circuit 130 does not reach the theoretical maximum current allowed to flow through the sampling sub-circuit 130, effectively reducing or even avoiding the situation where the current flowing through each sampling sub-circuit 130 is too large, thereby causing heat generation and excessive power loss.

[0048] If the second maximum current is the maximum current theoretically allowed to flow through a single sampling sub-circuit 130 , in some embodiments of the present application, the ratio of the preset allowed current to the second maximum current may be within a preset range.

[0049] The preset allowable current is less than the second maximum current, that is, the preset allowable current is less than the maximum current theoretically allowed to flow through the sampling sub-circuit 130. Therefore, the current flowing through each sampling sub-circuit 130 will not be too large. On the one hand, it can protect the electrical signal measurement circuit from abnormalities caused by excessive instantaneous current. On the other hand, it allows the sampling sub-circuit 130 to withstand a smaller current, thereby reducing heat generation and power loss.

[0050] In one embodiment, the preset range is 30% to 60%.

[0051] For example, if the second maximum current of a single sampling sub-circuit 130 is 200A, the preset allowable current can be 60A to 120A. Assuming that the preset allowable current is 100A, when the maximum current output by the power supply under test is 1000A, that is, the first maximum current is 1000A, the ratio of the first maximum current to the preset allowable current is 10. Accordingly, the number of sampling sub-circuits 130 is greater than or equal to 10.

[0052] In the embodiment of the present application, when the ratio of the preset allowable current to the second maximum current is lower than 30%, the performance of the sampling sub-circuit 130 cannot be fully utilized. Furthermore, if a larger current needs to flow through the electrical signal detection circuit, a larger number of sampling sub-circuits 130 must be designed, which makes the circuit overly complex.

[0053] When the ratio of the preset allowable current to the second maximum current is greater than 60%, the current flowing through the single sampling sub-circuit 130 is in a larger range, and the heat generated by the sampling sub-circuit 130 begins to increase.

[0054] Therefore, in the embodiment of the present application, the ratio of the preset allowable current to the second maximum current is set to 30% to 60%, which can effectively utilize the performance of the sampling sub-circuit 130 while reducing excessive heat generation and power consumption of the sampling sub-circuit 130.

[0055] like Figure 1 As shown, in the embodiment of the present application, each sampling subcircuit 130 includes a power resistor R1. The input end of each power resistor is used to connect to the power supply under test, and the output end of the power resistor is used to connect to the power device. The input end of each power resistor is also connected to the first sampling signal output end 110; the output end of each power resistor is also connected to the second sampling signal output end 120.

[0056] Among them, the power resistor refers to a resistor that can withstand a certain power, also known as a high-power resistor. You can refer to the existing technology and will not elaborate on it here.

[0057] A power resistor, also known as a heat dissipation resistor, is a resistor used to limit the flow of power in a circuit. In the embodiment of the present application, the use of a power resistor can also improve the heat dissipation capacity of the electrical signal detection circuit, reduce the temperature rise, and reduce the impact of temperature on detection accuracy.

[0058] The first sampling signal output terminal 110 and the second sampling signal output terminal 120 are connected to the input terminal and the output terminal of the power resistor, respectively. Thus, the first sampling signal output terminal 110 and the second sampling signal output terminal 120 can collect the voltage across the power resistor. For example, the first sampling signal output terminal 110 is used to collect a first voltage signal of the power resistor at the input terminal, and the second sampling signal output terminal 120 collects a second voltage signal of the power resistor at the output terminal of the power resistor.

[0059] The difference between the first voltage signal and the second voltage signal is the voltage applied to the power resistor in the sampling sub-circuit 130. The structures of the sampling sub-circuits 130 are the same. In theory, the first voltage signal and the second voltage signal of each power resistor are the same. Therefore, the first sampling signal output terminal 110 and the second sampling signal output terminal 120 can be connected to the two sides of the power resistor to collect the first voltage signal and the second voltage signal to calculate the current output by the power supply under test.

[0060] In an embodiment of the present application, the current is calculated using the voltage difference between the first voltage signal and the second voltage signal. Compared with directly measuring the current, the length of the wires and the number of devices connected between the electrical equipment and the power supply can be reduced, thereby reducing the influence of other factors such as wire resistance and contact resistance, thereby improving the accuracy of the measurement.

[0061] The resistance value of the power resistor and the number of parallel stages of the sampling sub-circuit 130 are known. Therefore, the current can be calculated based on the equivalent resistance of all sampling sub-circuits 130 and the difference between the first voltage signal and the second voltage signal. The calculation of the current can refer to existing technologies and is not limited here.

[0062] Accordingly, the second maximum current is also the maximum current that the power resistor used can theoretically flow through. For example, if the specifications of a power resistor are: resistance 0.2 milliohm, power 8W, and the maximum current that the resistor can theoretically flow through is 200A, then the second maximum current is 200A.

[0063] Compared with the PMIC current detection method, the power resistor used in the embodiment of the present application can withstand greater power, can flow through a larger current under low resistance conditions, and can have higher stability in large current scenarios, thereby reducing the impact of current size on detection accuracy, and can obtain higher detection accuracy than PMIC current detection.

[0064] At the same time, compared with inductive devices, power resistors have smaller temperature drift. For example, the temperature drift of some power resistors is 35ppm (parts per million). Therefore, power resistors have higher resistance to environmental interference. When the ambient temperature rises or heat rises due to large current, the use of power resistors can effectively reduce the impact of temperature rise on device performance and improve the stability of the electrical signal detection circuit, thereby reducing the impact of temperature changes on detection accuracy and achieving improved detection accuracy.

[0065] In addition, the power resistor can withstand higher power. Therefore, when the same current needs to be transmitted, the power resistor has a lower resistance, which can reduce the equivalent resistance of the electrical signal detection circuit, thereby reducing power loss, reducing heat generation, and improving detection accuracy.

[0066] In addition, in an embodiment of the present application, when multiple sampling sub-circuits 130 are connected in parallel, multiple power resistors are connected in parallel, which can further reduce the equivalent resistance of the electrical signal detection circuit and reduce the loss generated when the current output by the circuit under test flows through the electrical signal detection circuit. On this basis, the detected current can be more accurately equal to the current output by the electrical signal detection circuit, thereby improving the accuracy of the detected current.

[0067] Power resistors include two-port and four-port types.

[0068] Compared with four-port power resistors, two-port power resistors have lower costs, but the input and output ends of the two-port power resistor only include one port. In this case, during the design and manufacturing process, it is difficult to avoid introducing some wires in the connection between the first sampling signal output terminal 110 and the second sampling signal output terminal 120 and the power resistor, thereby adding some additional equivalent resistance and contact resistance, affecting the detection accuracy. Among them, the wire portion that generates lead resistance and contact resistance refers to the portion of the lead in the connecting wire between the power resistor and the electrical equipment and the power supply under test that is repeated with the first sampling signal output terminal 110, the second sampling signal output terminal 120 and the power resistor. At the same time, the lead resistance and contact resistance will also increase the loss, and the circuit board needs to be designed accordingly, which increases the difficulty of implementation.

[0069] In some embodiments of the present application, a four-port power resistor may be used as a power resistor. Compared with a two-port power resistor, a four-port power resistor provides a dedicated signal pin for generating a voltage difference on the power resistor by current, that is, the input end of the power resistor includes a first port and a third port, and the output end of the power resistor includes a second port and a fourth port, wherein the first port and the second port are current pins, and the third port and the fourth port are voltage pins.

[0070] See also Figure 2, Figure 2 This is a second schematic diagram of an electrical signal detection circuit including four-port power resistors provided in an embodiment of the present application. In this embodiment of the present application, the first port of each power resistor is connected to the power supply under test, the second port is used to connect to the power device, the third port is used to connect to the first sampling signal output terminal 110, and the fourth port is connected to the second sampling signal output terminal.

[0071] The voltage difference signal pin provided by the four-port power resistor is inside the power resistor, that is, the third port and the fourth port are directly connected to the inside of the power resistor. The four-port power resistor implements the Kelvin connection method in its physical structure. Therefore, there is no need to design the circuit board accordingly. After the third port is connected to the first sampling signal output terminal 110 and the fourth port and the second sampling signal output terminal 120, no resistance other than the power resistor is introduced. Therefore, the introduction of current information of non-power resistors such as lead resistance and contact resistance can be reduced or even avoided, thereby ensuring the accuracy of current acquisition.

[0072] Using a four-port power resistor ensures that the collected current information / voltage signal is only the current / voltage signal flowing through the power resistor, thereby ensuring the accuracy of current collection. The choice of power resistor will be reasonably calculated and selected based on the specific application scenario and is not restricted here.

[0073] Therefore, compared to a two-port power resistor, the use of a four-port power resistor can reduce or even avoid the introduction of current information from non-power resistors such as lead resistance and contact resistance, which helps to improve detection accuracy. Among them, a two-port power resistor can be used in some scenarios where low cost and low accuracy requirements are required. The use of a four-port power resistor is an example provided in this application and should not be a limitation of this application.

[0074] When multiple sampling sub-circuits 130 are connected in parallel, different sampling sub-circuits 130 need to be arranged at different locations on the circuit board. This results in different distances between each sampling sub-circuit 130 and the first sampling signal output terminal 110 and the second sampling signal output terminal 120. This results in different lengths of connecting wires used, and the wires have a certain resistance. Therefore, due to layout reasons, different equivalent impedances will exist between each sampling sub-circuit 130 and the first sampling signal output terminal 110 and the second sampling signal output terminal 120, which in turn affects the voltage signals output to the first sampling signal output terminal 110 and the second sampling signal output terminal 120.

[0075] The resistance of power resistors is relatively small; for example, some power resistors may be as low as 0.2 milliohms. The equivalent impedance of the sampling sub-circuit 130 significantly affects the magnitude of the current flowing through the power circuit, resulting in different currents in different sampling sub-circuits 130. Calculating current using the voltage difference between the first and second voltage signals requires that the currents in each sampling sub-circuit 130 be equal, or at least within a reasonable error range. However, the equivalent impedance may result in excessively large differences in error between different sampling sub-circuits 130, making them unusable for current calculation. Alternatively, the calculated current may differ significantly from the actual current, resulting in low detection accuracy.

[0076] Therefore, in some embodiments of the present application, a compensation circuit may be provided to solve this problem.

[0077] See also Figure 3 , Figure 3 This is a third schematic diagram of an electrical signal detection circuit including compensation resistors, provided in accordance with an embodiment of the present application. In this embodiment, each sampling sub-circuit 130 further includes a first compensation resistor and a second compensation resistor. Both the first and second compensation resistors have resistances greater than the power resistor. The first compensation resistor is connected between the third port and the first sampling signal output terminal 110; the second compensation resistor is connected between the fourth port and the second sampling signal output terminal 120.

[0078] In this embodiment, the resistance values ​​of the first compensation resistor and the second compensation resistor are both much greater than the resistance value of the power resistor. The resistance values ​​can be selected according to the requirements of different scenarios and are not limited here.

[0079] In the embodiment of the present application, because the current is calculated using the voltage difference between the first and second voltage signals rather than directly acquiring the current signal, the connection of a large-resistance compensation resistor in series with the third and fourth ports does not affect the actual current output by the power supply to the power-consuming device. Furthermore, due to the large resistances of the first and second compensation resistors, the equivalent impedances resulting from the different distances from the first and second sampling signal output terminals 110 and 120 can be effectively balanced, resulting in similar equivalent impedances between each sampling sub-circuit 130 and the first and second sampling signal output terminals 110 and 120, thereby reducing differences in the voltage signals of each sampling sub-circuit 130.

[0080] Therefore, in an embodiment of the present application, compensation resistors having a resistance greater than the power resistor are respectively provided at the third port and the fourth port. The compensation circuit can reduce the impact of inconsistent current caused by the inconsistent equivalent impedance of each sampling sub-circuit 130 on the detection accuracy, thereby improving the detection accuracy.

[0081] like Figure 3As shown, in an embodiment of the present application, the electrical signal detection circuit may further include a filter capacitor. The filter capacitor is connected in parallel with each sampling sub-circuit 130, with a first end of the filter capacitor connected to the first sampling signal output terminal 110, and a second end of the filter capacitor connected to the second sampling signal output terminal 120.

[0082] In this embodiment, the first voltage signal and the second voltage signal are analog signals, and the filter capacitor is connected to the side of the first sampling signal output terminal 110 and the second sampling signal output terminal 120 that receives the first voltage signal and the second voltage signal. Therefore, before the first voltage signal and the second voltage signal are output by the first sampling signal output terminal 110 and the second sampling signal output terminal 120, the filter capacitor can filter out part of the noise interference signal in the first voltage signal and the second voltage signal, thereby outputting more accurate first voltage signal and second voltage signal. When calculating the current based on the difference between the first voltage signal and the second voltage signal, a more accurate current value can be obtained, thereby improving the accuracy of current detection.

[0083] In some embodiments of the present application, the electrical signal detection circuit may further include: a current calculation module 140 connected to the first sampling signal output terminal 110 and the second sampling signal output terminal 120 respectively.

[0084] In this embodiment, the current calculation module 140 can obtain the first voltage signal output by the first sampling signal output terminal 110 and the second voltage signal output by the second sampling signal output terminal 120, and calculate the difference between the first voltage signal and the second voltage signal, and calculate the current magnitude through the difference between the first voltage signal and the second voltage signal, the resistance value of the power resistor, the number of parallel sampling sub-circuits 130, and the resistance value of the compensation resistor.

[0085] In an embodiment of the present application, the current calculation module 140 may include an analog-to-digital conversion circuit and a calculation circuit. The analog-to-digital conversion circuit is used to convert the first voltage signal and the second voltage signal from analog signals into digital signals, and then calculate the current through the calculation circuit.

[0086] There are many ways to implement a calculation circuit that calculates voltage based on a voltage signal, which will not be elaborated here.

[0087] In some embodiments of the present application, the current calculation module 140 is implemented as an integrated chip, or an existing chip is used, and is connected to the aforementioned multiple sampling sub-circuits 130 to quickly achieve a highly integrated design and reduce design complexity. In this embodiment, the calculation circuit can be pre-configured with the resistance value of the power resistor, the number of parallel sampling sub-circuits 130, the resistance value of the compensation resistor, and the current calculation method, so that the current magnitude can be directly calculated after the first voltage signal and the second voltage signal are input to the current calculation module 140.

[0088] In an embodiment of the present application, the electrical signal detection circuit can be used to connect to an electrical device to provide the electrical device with a current detection result, and the electrical device can implement power consumption management and other related functions based on the current detection result. Accordingly, the electrical signal detection circuit needs to be configured with a corresponding communication interface. In some embodiments of the present application, the current calculation module 140 can also be provided with a communication interface connected to the electrical device. The type of communication interface is not limited. For example, it can be implemented using common interfaces such as SPI (Serial Peripheral Interface), URAT (Universal Asynchronous Receiver / Transmitter), and I2C (Universal Asynchronous Receiver / Transmitter).

[0089] In the embodiments of the present application, the communication interface can be configured according to the requirements of the power consumption device to be connected. For example, when the power consumption device is a processor such as GPGPU, GPU, CPU, etc., a PMBus (Power Management Bus) interface can be used.

[0090] In some embodiments of the present application, the current calculation module 140 can also receive control instructions from a processor or other electrical equipment to adjust the configuration of the current calculation module 140, including configuring the sampling rate, sampling speed, reporting frequency, detection range, etc. of the current calculation module 140. The specific adjustable configuration can be set according to needs and is not limited here.

[0091] For ease of understanding, an example of an electrical signal detection circuit is provided here for illustration, and this example should not be construed as limiting the present application. Figure 4 , Figure 4 This is a fourth schematic diagram of the electrical signal detection circuit provided in one embodiment of the present application.

[0092] In this example, the electrical signal detection circuit includes a plurality of sampling sub-circuits 130 , a first sampling signal output terminal 110 , a second sampling signal output terminal 120 , a filter capacitor, and a current calculation module 140 .

[0093] Multiple sampling subcircuits 130 are connected in parallel, the number of sampling subcircuits 130 being greater than or equal to the ratio of a first maximum current to a preset allowable current, and the ratio of the preset allowable current to the second maximum current being within a preset range, which is 30% to 60%. The first maximum current is a preset maximum current output by the power supply under test, the preset allowable current is a preset maximum current allowed to flow through the sampling subcircuits 130, and the second maximum current is a theoretical maximum current allowed to flow through a single sampling subcircuit 130, with the preset allowable current being less than the second maximum current.

[0094] Each sampling subcircuit 130 includes a power resistor, a first compensation resistor, and a second compensation resistor. The power resistor is a four-port power resistor, with a first port and a third port as inputs, and a second port and a fourth port as outputs. The first port is connected to the power supply under test; the second port is connected to the power device; the third port is connected to the first sampling signal output terminal 110; and the fourth port is connected to the second sampling signal output terminal.

[0095] The resistance of the first compensation resistor and the second compensation resistor are both greater than the power resistor. The first compensation resistor is connected between the third port and the first sampling signal output terminal 110; the second compensation resistor is connected between the fourth port and the second sampling signal output terminal 120.

[0096] The filter capacitor is connected in parallel to each sampling sub-circuit 130 , a first end of the filter capacitor is connected to the first sampling signal output terminal 110 , and a second end of the filter capacitor is connected to the second sampling signal output terminal 120 .

[0097] The current calculation module 140 is connected to the first sampling signal output terminal 110 and the second sampling signal output terminal 120. The current calculation module 140 is configured with a communication interface connected to the power-consuming device, so as to connect to the power-consuming device through the communication interface and output the current detection result to the power-consuming device so that the power-consuming device can perform other functions based on the current detection result.

[0098] In an embodiment of the present application, multiple sampling subcircuits 130 are connected in parallel to shunt current, distributing it evenly to each current sampling branch, thereby enabling the electrical signal detection circuit to detect larger currents. This also reduces heating caused by excessive current at a certain location in the detection circuit, reducing the impact of temperature on detection accuracy. PMIC current detection can cause variations in detection accuracy depending on the magnitude of the current. In an embodiment of the present application, a power resistor is used in the sampling subcircuit 130 for current detection. Power resistors can withstand high power, meaning they can flow large currents at low resistance values. They exhibit high stability in high-current scenarios, thereby reducing the impact of current magnitude on detection accuracy. This allows current detection using power resistors to achieve higher detection accuracy compared to PMIC current detection. Furthermore, compared to inductive devices, power resistors have smaller temperature drift. When the ambient temperature rises or when heat is generated by high current, using power resistors can effectively reduce the impact of temperature increases on device performance, improve the stability of the electrical signal detection circuit, and thus reduce the impact of temperature changes on detection accuracy, thereby achieving improved detection accuracy. When multiple sampling subcircuits 130 are connected in parallel, multiple power resistors are connected in parallel, thereby reducing the equivalent resistance of the electrical signal detection circuit and reducing the loss caused by the current output by the measured circuit flowing through the electrical signal detection circuit. On this basis, the detected current can be more accurately equal to the current output by the electrical signal detection circuit, thereby improving the accuracy of the detected current. In addition, in the embodiment of the present application, the current is calculated using the voltage difference between the first voltage signal and the second voltage signal. Compared with directly measuring the current, it can reduce the influence of other factors such as wire resistance and contact resistance, thereby improving the accuracy of the measurement.

[0099] The use of a four-port power resistor can effectively reduce or even avoid the introduction of information other than the power resistor that affects circuit calculations, improving current detection accuracy and simplifying circuit design.

[0100] At the same time, one of the reasons why power resistors are not currently used for current detection is that when the resistance of the power resistor is low, it is easily affected by non-power resistance factors such as wire resistance and contact resistance, resulting in low detection accuracy. In the present application, the first compensation resistor and the second compensation resistor are used to effectively reduce the influence of non-power resistance such as wire resistance and contact resistance on each sampling sub-circuit 130, thereby improving the accuracy of current detection, especially the detection accuracy when multiple sampling sub-circuits 130 are connected in parallel to measure large currents.

[0101] In addition, the filter capacitor can filter out interference signals and improve the current detection accuracy.

[0102] Finally, in order to reduce the impact of heat and temperature rise on detection accuracy during large current detection, the number of sampling sub-circuits 130 is greater than or equal to the ratio of the first maximum current to the preset allowable current, and the ratio of the preset allowable current to the second maximum current is within a preset range, effectively reducing the temperature rise caused by excessive heat dissipation in the electrical signal detection circuit.

[0103] Based on the same inventive concept, an embodiment of the present application further provides an electrical signal detection chip, which includes the electrical signal detection circuit provided by any of the aforementioned embodiments.

[0104] In an embodiment of the present application, the electrical signal detection circuit is integrated into a chip, so that the electrical signal detection circuit can be directly connected to various modules or devices for use, meeting the needs of rapid use in different scenarios.

[0105] Based on the same inventive concept, an embodiment of the present application further provides a processing system, which may include: the electrical signal detection chip and processor provided in the aforementioned embodiment.

[0106] In this embodiment, the processor can be a different type of processor such as a GPGPU, a CPU, an NPU, a GPU, etc., without limitation. The electrical signal detection chip can refer to the aforementioned embodiment and will not be described in detail here. The electrical signal detection chip and the processor can be integrated into the same circuit board.

[0107] In this embodiment, the electrical signal detection chip and the processor are arranged in the same system and connected through a communication interface. The electrical signal detection chip can output the current detection result to the processor for the processor to read, display and power consumption management.

[0108] In some embodiments, the processor may dynamically manage power consumption based on the read current, including but not limited to dynamically adjusting the processor's operating main frequency and operating voltage, thereby ensuring that the processor's high-efficiency performance is fully utilized.

[0109] In some embodiments of the present application, if the electrical signal detection chip does not include the current calculation module 140, the first sampling signal output terminal 110 and the second sampling signal output terminal 120 in the electrical signal detection chip can be directly connected to the processor, and the processor is configured with corresponding circuits or programs so that the processor can calculate the current based on the first voltage signal and the second voltage signal.

[0110] In some embodiments, the processor can control the electrical signal detection chip, including but not limited to configuring the sampling rate, sampling speed, reporting speed, and detection range of the electrical signal detection chip.

[0111] Based on the same inventive concept, an embodiment of the present application further provides an electronic device, which may include: a power supply and the processing system provided in the aforementioned embodiment.

[0112] In the electronic device, the electric signal detection chip in the processing system is connected to a power supply.

[0113] In the embodiments of the present application, the electronic device may be a computer, a server, a smart terminal, etc., which is not limited here.

[0114] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of the present application, but the scope of protection of the present application is not limited thereto. Any changes or substitutions that can be easily conceived by a person skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in the present application should be included in the scope of protection of the present application. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present application should be based on the scope of protection of the claims.

[0115] It should be noted that, in this document, the terms "comprises," "includes," or any other variations thereof are intended to encompass non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus comprising a series of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not explicitly listed, or elements inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus. In the absence of further limitations, an element defined by the phrase "comprising a ..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus comprising the element.

Claims

1. An electrical signal detection circuit, characterized in that: include: A first sampling signal output terminal, a second sampling signal output terminal, and a plurality of sampling sub-circuits connected in parallel; Each of the sampling sub-circuits includes: a power resistor; The input end of the power resistor is used to connect to the power supply under test, and the output end of the power resistor is used to connect to the power-consuming device; The input end of each power resistor is also connected to the first sampling signal output end; The output end of each power resistor is also connected to the second sampling signal output end; The first sampling signal output end is used to collect a first voltage signal of the power resistor at the input end, and the second sampling signal output end is used to collect a second voltage signal of the power resistor at the output end of the power resistor. The difference between the first voltage signal and the second voltage signal is used to calculate the current output by the power supply under test.

2. The electrical signal detection circuit according to claim 1, characterized in that: The input end of the power resistor includes a first port and a third port, and the output end of the power resistor includes a second port and a fourth port; The first port is used to connect to the power supply under test; The second port is used to connect to the electrical device; The third port is connected to the first sampling signal output end; the fourth port is connected to the second sampling signal output end.

3. The electrical signal detection circuit according to claim 2, characterized in that: Each of the sampling sub-circuits further includes: a first compensation resistor and a second compensation resistor; the resistance values ​​of the first compensation resistor and the second compensation resistor are both greater than the power resistor; The first compensation resistor is connected between the third port and the first sampling signal output terminal; The second compensation resistor is connected between the fourth port and the second sampling signal output terminal.

4. The electrical signal detection circuit according to claim 1, wherein: The electrical signal detection circuit further includes: a filter capacitor; the filter capacitor is connected in parallel with each of the sampling sub-circuits, a first end of the filter capacitor is connected to the first sampling signal output end, and a second end of the filter capacitor is connected to the second sampling signal output end.

5. The electric signal detection circuit according to claim 1, characterized in that: The number of the sampling sub-circuits is greater than or equal to the ratio of the first maximum current to the preset allowable current; The first maximum current is a preset maximum current output by the power supply under test; The preset allowable current is a preset maximum current allowed to flow through the sampling sub-circuit.

6. The electric signal detection circuit according to claim 5, characterized in that: The ratio of the preset allowable current to the second maximum current is within a preset range; the preset allowable current is less than the second maximum current, and the second maximum current is the maximum current theoretically allowed to flow through a single sampling sub-circuit.

7. The electric signal detection circuit according to claim 6, characterized in that: The preset range is 30% to 60%.

8. The electric signal detection circuit according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that: The electrical signal detection circuit further includes: The current calculation module is connected to the first sampling signal output terminal and the second sampling signal output terminal respectively.

9. An electrical signal detection chip, characterized in that: include: The electrical signal detection circuit according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

10. A processing system, characterized in that include: The electrical signal detection chip according to claim 9, configured to be connected to a power supply; A processor is connected to the electrical signal detection chip.

11. An electronic device, characterized in that: include: power supply; The processing system according to claim 10, wherein the electrical signal detection chip in the processing system is connected to the power supply.

Images