A method, apparatus and storage medium for coupling voltage regulation across multiple power domains

Abstract

This invention belongs to the field of power domains and discloses a method, apparatus, and storage medium for coupled voltage regulation of multiple power domains. It configures a second voltage register to set the target voltage of the second power domain, a first differential voltage register to set the maximum permissible difference between the voltage of the first power domain and the voltage of the second power domain, and a second differential voltage register to set the maximum permissible difference between the voltage of the second power domain and the voltage of the first power domain. Upon receiving a voltage regulation request, based on the values ​​of the first voltage register, the second voltage register, the first differential voltage register, and the second differential voltage register, the final target voltages of the first and second power domains are calculated respectively through coupling logic. The calculated final target voltages are synchronously sent to the corresponding voltage regulation modules to control the two power domains to adjust to their respective target values. This enables coordinated voltage regulation of power domains with coupling requirements, ensuring the need for fine-grained voltage control in different power domains.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of power domain technology, specifically relating to a multi-power domain coupling voltage regulation method, device, and storage medium. Background Technology

[0002] A System-on-Chip (SoC) is an integrated circuit that integrates a complete electronic system onto a single chip. It is not simply a stacking of functions, but rather a highly integrated design that combines processor cores, memory, peripheral interfaces, power management, analog modules, and other components to form a self-contained microcomputer system. It features high integration, modular design, low power consumption, and high efficiency, and is used in mobile devices, the Internet of Things (IoT), automotive electronics (such as autonomous driving and multi-screen interaction), and consumer electronics (such as smartwatches and TV chips). The SoC chip is the "brain" of modern electronic devices, driving intelligent and portable development through integration and innovation.

[0003] Due to battery capacity limitations, low power consumption has always been a critical requirement for portable electronic devices. Furthermore, with the continuous improvement of chip integration and performance, chip heat dissipation has become a major challenge for the industry, making low-power design increasingly important. In modern SOC design, multi-power domain technology is commonly used for low-power design. Multi-power domain technology divides the internal logic of the chip into multiple power domains, each of which can be independently set with appropriate voltage values ​​according to different needs, thereby reducing power consumption while meeting performance requirements. The PMIC (Power Management IC), as an external power management chip of the SOC, can realize independent voltage regulation management of multiple power domains. However, with the increasing complexity of SOC systems, new requirements are placed on the voltage relationships between different power domains of the SOC, such as requiring the voltage of two power domains to maintain a constant voltage difference. Since the PMIC and the SOC need to communicate through a power management bus, the voltage regulation requests from multiple power domains of the SOC are sent to the PMIC serially. This causes the voltage regulation requests between power domains with coupling requirements to be unable to be adjusted synchronously, thus failing to meet the SOC's requirements for coupled voltage control between multiple power domains.

[0004] Taking two power domain voltage settings as an example, in existing schemes, the SOC first sends a voltage regulation request for power domain 1, and then sends a voltage regulation request for power domain 2. In reality, the voltage difference between power domains 1 and 2 must always remain constant. Existing technology uses independent control methods for the voltage control of power domains with explicit coupling requirements, but the transmitted voltage requests are consistent, resulting in wasted bus resources. Secondly, transmitting the voltage regulation requests for the two power domains in two separate data transmissions causes inconsistent arrival times of the voltage regulation requests at the PMIC. Furthermore, between transmitting the voltage regulation requests for power domains 1 and 2, the power management bus may also transmit voltage regulation requests from other power domains, and the interval cannot be guaranteed, meaning the output voltage value cannot be kept consistent, failing to meet the SOC's power output requirements. Therefore, how to achieve coordinated voltage regulation for power domains with coupling requirements is a problem that urgently needs to be solved. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to perform coordinated voltage regulation of power domains with coupling requirements. Therefore, in a first aspect, this application provides a multi-power domain coupling voltage regulation method, applied to a power management chip (PMIC) outside a system-on-a-chip (SOC), wherein the SOC includes a first power domain and a second power domain, and the method includes:

[0006] Configure a second voltage register to set the target voltage of the second power domain, configure a first differential voltage register to set the maximum allowable difference between the voltage of the first power domain and the voltage of the second power domain, and configure a second differential voltage register to set the maximum allowable difference between the voltage of the second power domain and the voltage of the first power domain.

[0007] Receive a voltage adjustment request, which is generated when a write operation to the first voltage register is received;

[0008] In response to the voltage regulation request, the final target voltages of the first power domain and the second power domain are calculated respectively through coupling logic based on the values ​​of the first voltage register, the second voltage register, the first differential voltage register, and the second differential voltage register.

[0009] The calculated final target voltages of the first power domain and the second power domain are synchronously sent to the corresponding voltage regulation modules to control the voltages of the two power domains to be adjusted to the corresponding target values.

[0010] In one possible implementation, the step of calculating the final target voltage of the first power domain and the second power domain respectively through coupling logic based on the values ​​of the first voltage register, the second voltage register, the first differential voltage register, and the second differential voltage register includes:

[0011] When the value of the first voltage register is greater than the value of the second voltage register, the voltage difference obtained by subtracting the value of the second voltage register from the value of the first voltage register is determined;

[0012] If the voltage difference is greater than the value of the first voltage difference register, the final target voltage of the first power domain is equal to the value of the first voltage register, and the final target voltage of the second power domain is equal to the value of the first voltage register minus the value of the first voltage difference register.

[0013] If the voltage difference is not greater than the value of the first voltage difference register, the final target voltage of the first power domain is equal to the value of the first voltage register, and the final target voltage of the second power domain is equal to the value of the second voltage register.

[0014] In one possible implementation, the step of calculating the final target voltage of the first power domain and the second power domain respectively through coupling logic based on the values ​​of the first voltage register, the second voltage register, the first differential voltage register, and the second differential voltage register includes:

[0015] If the value of the first voltage register is not greater than the value of the second voltage register, determine the voltage difference obtained by subtracting the value of the first voltage register from the value of the second voltage register;

[0016] If the voltage difference is greater than the value of the second voltage difference register, the final target voltage of the first power domain is equal to the value of the second voltage register minus the value of the second voltage difference register, and the final target voltage of the second power domain is equal to the value of the second voltage register.

[0017] If the voltage difference is not greater than the value of the second voltage difference register, the final target voltage of the first power domain is equal to the value of the first voltage register, and the final target voltage of the second power domain is equal to the value of the second voltage register.

[0018] In one possible implementation, the step of synchronously sending the calculated final target voltage values ​​of the first power domain and the second power domain to the corresponding voltage regulation module includes:

[0019] The calculated final target voltage value is synchronously sent to the voltage regulation module that shares a common clock source to ensure that the voltage adjustment processes of the first power domain and the second power domain remain synchronized.

[0020] In one possible implementation, configuring the second voltage register to set the target voltage of the second power domain, configuring the first differential voltage register to set the maximum permissible difference between the voltage of the first power domain and the voltage of the second power domain, and configuring the second differential voltage register to set the maximum permissible difference between the voltage of the second power domain and the voltage of the first power domain include:

[0021] The value of the second voltage register is configured to a predetermined voltage threshold, the value of the first differential voltage register is configured to be 0, and the value of the second differential voltage register is configured to be a value greater than the predetermined voltage threshold.

[0022] The step of calculating the final target voltages of the first power domain and the second power domain respectively through coupling logic based on the values ​​of the first voltage register, the second voltage register, the first differential voltage register, and the second differential voltage register includes:

[0023] When the written value to the first voltage register is greater than the predetermined voltage threshold, the final target voltage of the first power domain and the final target voltage of the second power domain remain consistent; when the written value to the first voltage register is not greater than the predetermined voltage threshold, the final target voltage of the first power domain is controlled to the written value, and the final target voltage of the second power domain is controlled to the predetermined voltage threshold.

[0024] Secondly, embodiments of this application provide a multi-power domain coupling voltage regulation device applied to a power management chip (PMIC) outside a system-on-a-chip (SOC), wherein the SOC includes a first power domain and a second power domain, and the device includes:

[0025] The configuration module is used to configure the second voltage register to set the target voltage of the second power domain, configure the first differential voltage register to set the maximum allowable difference between the voltage of the first power domain and the voltage of the second power domain, and configure the second differential voltage register to set the maximum allowable difference between the voltage of the second power domain and the voltage of the first power domain.

[0026] A receiving module is used to receive a voltage regulation request, which is generated when a write operation to the first voltage register is received;

[0027] The calculation module is used to respond to the voltage regulation request by calculating the final target voltage of the first power domain and the second power domain respectively through coupling logic based on the values ​​of the first voltage register, the second voltage register, the first differential voltage register, and the second differential voltage register.

[0028] The voltage regulation module is used to synchronously send the calculated final target voltages of the first power domain and the second power domain to the corresponding voltage regulation module, so as to control the voltages of the two power domains to be adjusted to the corresponding target values ​​respectively.

[0029] In one possible implementation, the computing module is specifically used for:

[0030] When the value of the first voltage register is greater than the value of the second voltage register, the voltage difference obtained by subtracting the value of the second voltage register from the value of the first voltage register is determined;

[0031] If the voltage difference is greater than the value of the first voltage difference register, the final target voltage of the first power domain is equal to the value of the first voltage register, and the final target voltage of the second power domain is equal to the value of the first voltage register minus the value of the first voltage difference register.

[0032] If the voltage difference is not greater than the value of the first voltage difference register, the final target voltage of the first power domain is equal to the value of the first voltage register, and the final target voltage of the second power domain is equal to the value of the second voltage register.

[0033] In one possible implementation, the computing module is specifically used for:

[0034] If the value of the first voltage register is not greater than the value of the second voltage register, determine the voltage difference obtained by subtracting the value of the first voltage register from the value of the second voltage register;

[0035] If the voltage difference is greater than the value of the second voltage difference register, the final target voltage of the first power domain is equal to the value of the second voltage register minus the value of the second voltage difference register, and the final target voltage of the second power domain is equal to the value of the second voltage register.

[0036] If the voltage difference is not greater than the value of the second voltage difference register, the final target voltage of the first power domain is equal to the value of the first voltage register, and the final target voltage of the second power domain is equal to the value of the second voltage register.

[0037] In one possible implementation, the voltage regulating module is specifically used for:

[0038] The calculated final target voltage value is synchronously sent to the voltage regulation module that shares a common clock source to ensure that the voltage adjustment processes of the first power domain and the second power domain remain synchronized.

[0039] Thirdly, this application provides a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program that, when executed by a processor, implements any of the methods described above.

[0040] The solution in this application embodiment configures a second voltage register to set the target voltage of the second power domain, configures a first differential voltage register to set the maximum allowable difference between the voltage of the first power domain and the voltage of the second power domain, and configures a second differential voltage register to set the maximum allowable difference between the voltage of the second power domain and the voltage of the first power domain. A voltage adjustment request is received, generated when a write operation is received to the first voltage register. In response to the voltage adjustment request, based on the values ​​of the first voltage register, the second voltage register, the first differential voltage register, and the second differential voltage register, the final target voltages of the first and second power domains are calculated respectively through coupling logic. The calculated final target voltages of the first and second power domains are synchronously sent to the corresponding voltage adjustment modules to control the voltages of the two power domains to be adjusted to their respective target values. This enables coordinated voltage adjustment of power domains with coupling requirements, ensuring the need for fine-grained voltage control in different power domains. Attached Figure Description

[0041] Figure 1 A schematic flowchart illustrating a voltage regulation method in the power domain provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0042] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the system architecture provided for an embodiment of this application;

[0043] Figure 3 A schematic flowchart illustrating another power domain voltage regulation method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0044] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of voltage relationships provided for an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0045] The present invention will be described in detail below through embodiments.

[0046] A System-on-Chip (SoC) is an integrated circuit that integrates a complete electronic system onto a single chip. It is not simply a stacking of functions, but rather a highly integrated design that combines processor cores, memory, peripheral interfaces, power management, analog modules, and other components to form a self-contained microcomputer system. It features high integration, modular design, low power consumption, and high efficiency, and is used in mobile devices, the Internet of Things (IoT), automotive electronics (such as autonomous driving and multi-screen interaction), and consumer electronics (such as smartwatches and TV chips). The SoC chip is the "brain" of modern electronic devices, driving intelligent and portable development through integration and innovation.

[0047] Due to battery capacity limitations, low power consumption has always been a critical requirement for portable electronic devices. Furthermore, with the continuous improvement of chip integration and performance, chip heat dissipation has become a major challenge for the industry, making low-power design increasingly important. In modern SOC design, multi-power domain technology is commonly used for low-power design. Multi-power domain technology divides the internal logic of the chip into multiple power domains, each of which can be independently set with appropriate voltage values ​​according to different needs, thereby reducing power consumption while meeting performance requirements. The PMIC (Power Management IC), as an external power management chip of the SOC, can realize independent voltage regulation management of multiple power domains. However, with the increasing complexity of SOC systems, new requirements are placed on the voltage relationships between different power domains of the SOC, such as requiring the voltage of two power domains to maintain a constant voltage difference. Since the PMIC and the SOC need to communicate through a power management bus, the voltage regulation requests from multiple power domains of the SOC are sent to the PMIC serially. This causes the voltage regulation requests between power domains with coupling requirements to be unable to be adjusted synchronously, thus failing to meet the SOC's requirements for coupled voltage control between multiple power domains.

[0048] Taking two power domain voltage settings as an example, in existing schemes, the SOC first sends a voltage regulation request for power domain 1, and then sends a voltage regulation request for power domain 2. In reality, the voltage difference between power domains 1 and 2 must always remain constant. Existing technology uses independent control methods for the voltage control of power domains with explicit coupling requirements, but the transmitted voltage requests are consistent, resulting in wasted bus resources. Secondly, transmitting the voltage regulation requests for the two power domains in two separate data transmissions causes inconsistent arrival times of the voltage regulation requests at the PMIC. Furthermore, between transmitting the voltage regulation requests for power domains 1 and 2, the power management bus may also transmit voltage regulation requests from other power domains, and the interval cannot be guaranteed, meaning the output voltage value cannot be kept consistent, failing to meet the SOC's power output requirements. Therefore, how to achieve coordinated voltage regulation for power domains with coupling requirements is a problem that urgently needs to be solved.

[0049] Based on this, see Figure 1 In a first aspect, embodiments of this application provide a multi-power domain coupling voltage regulation method applied to a power management chip (PMIC) external to a system-on-a-chip (SOC), wherein the SOC includes a first power domain and a second power domain, and the method includes:

[0050] S101, Configure the second voltage register to set the target voltage of the second power domain, configure the first differential voltage register to set the maximum allowable difference between the voltage of the first power domain and the voltage of the second power domain, and configure the second differential voltage register to set the maximum allowable difference between the voltage of the second power domain and the voltage of the first power domain.

[0051] At the PMIC, three values ​​are fixed in advance: the target voltage of the second power domain, the maximum allowable difference between the voltage of the first power domain and the voltage of the second power domain, and the maximum allowable difference between the voltage of the second power domain and the voltage of the first power domain.

[0052] S102, Receive a voltage adjustment request, which is generated when a write operation to the first voltage register is received.

[0053] The write operation to the first voltage register is manifested as the first power domain requesting voltage adjustment. At this time, the target voltage requested by the first power domain will be written into the first voltage register.

[0054] S103, in response to the voltage regulation request, calculate the final target voltage of the first power domain and the second power domain respectively through coupling logic based on the values ​​of the first voltage register, the second voltage register, the first differential voltage register, and the second differential voltage register.

[0055] The first power domain and the second power domain are power domains that are coupled together. Therefore, after receiving a voltage regulation request, the final target voltage of the first power domain and the second power domain can be calculated respectively through coupling logic based on the values ​​of the first voltage register, the second voltage register, the first differential voltage register, and the second differential voltage register.

[0056] S104, the calculated final target voltages of the first power domain and the second power domain are synchronously sent to the corresponding voltage regulation modules to control the voltages of the two power domains to be adjusted to the corresponding target values ​​respectively.

[0057] A voltage regulation module is a component used to regulate the voltage of a power supply domain. This application can obtain the final target voltage of two power supply domains simultaneously based on a voltage regulation request, and can send them synchronously to their respective voltage regulation modules to realize voltage regulation of two power supply domains.

[0058] Specifically, this may include: synchronously sending the calculated final target voltage value to a voltage regulation module that shares a common clock source to ensure that the voltage adjustment processes of the first power domain and the second power domain remain synchronized.

[0059] This application embodiment configures a second voltage register to set the target voltage of the second power domain, configures a first differential voltage register to set the maximum allowable difference between the voltage of the first power domain and the voltage of the second power domain, and configures a second differential voltage register to set the maximum allowable difference between the voltage of the second power domain and the voltage of the first power domain. A voltage adjustment request is received, generated when a write operation is received to the first voltage register. In response to the voltage adjustment request, based on the values ​​of the first voltage register, the second voltage register, the first differential voltage register, and the second differential voltage register, the final target voltages of the first and second power domains are calculated respectively through coupling logic. The calculated final target voltages of the first and second power domains are synchronously sent to the corresponding voltage adjustment modules to control the voltages of the two power domains to be adjusted to their respective target values. This enables coordinated voltage adjustment of power domains with coupling requirements, ensuring the need for fine-grained voltage control in different power domains.

[0060] The following describes the scheme of this application through another similar process.

[0061] S201, obtain the first voltage difference of the first power domain, the second current voltage of the second power domain, and the second voltage difference; the first voltage difference is the maximum difference obtained by subtracting the voltage of the second power domain from the voltage of the first power domain when the voltage of the first power domain is greater than the voltage of the second power domain, and the second voltage difference is the maximum difference obtained by subtracting the voltage of the first power domain from the voltage of the second power domain when the voltage of the second power domain is greater than the voltage of the first power domain.

[0062] The solution in this application is applied to the PMIC. First, a first voltage difference of the first power domain, a second current voltage of the second power domain, and a second voltage difference can be statically configured at the PMIC. The voltages of the first power domain and the second power domain are coupled. The first voltage difference represents how much the voltage of the second power domain is allowed to be smaller than that of the first power domain, and the second voltage difference represents how much the voltage of the first power domain is allowed to be smaller than that of the second power domain.

[0063] S202, receive the first voltage regulation request from the first power domain.

[0064] The first voltage regulation request is used to request adjustment of the voltage in the first power domain.

[0065] S203, when the first requested voltage corresponding to the first voltage regulation request is greater than the second current voltage, the first target voltage of the first power domain and the second target voltage of the second power domain are obtained according to the first requested voltage, the first voltage difference, and the second current voltage.

[0066] If the first requested voltage is greater than the voltage of the second power domain, the first target voltage and the second target voltage can be calculated based on the first requested voltage, the first voltage difference, and the second current voltage. It is understood that the voltages of the first and second power domains are coupled; a change in the voltage of one power domain may affect the voltage of the other. Therefore, to ensure this synchronization, the voltages of the two power domains can be adjusted based on a single voltage regulation request.

[0067] S204, when the first requested voltage corresponding to the first voltage regulation request is not greater than the second current voltage, the first target voltage of the first power domain and the second target voltage of the second power domain are obtained according to the first requested voltage, the second voltage difference, and the second current voltage.

[0068] If the first requested voltage is not greater than the voltage of the second power domain, the first target voltage and the second target voltage can be calculated based on the first requested voltage, the second voltage difference, and the second current voltage.

[0069] In this embodiment, a first voltage difference of a first power domain, a second current voltage of a second power domain, and a second voltage difference are obtained. The first voltage difference is the maximum difference obtained by subtracting the voltage of the second power domain from the voltage of the first power domain when the voltage of the first power domain is greater than the voltage of the second power domain. The second voltage difference is the maximum difference obtained by subtracting the voltage of the first power domain from the voltage of the second power domain when the voltage of the second power domain is greater than the voltage of the first power domain. A first voltage regulation request from the first power domain is received. When the first requested voltage corresponding to the first voltage regulation request is greater than the second current voltage, a first target voltage of the first power domain and a second target voltage of the second power domain are obtained based on the first requested voltage, the first voltage difference, and the second current voltage. When the first requested voltage corresponding to the first voltage regulation request is not greater than the second current voltage, the first target voltage of the first power domain and the second target voltage of the second power domain are obtained based on the first requested voltage, the second voltage difference, and the second current voltage. This enables coordinated voltage regulation of power domains with coupling requirements, ensuring the need for fine-grained voltage control in different power domains.

[0070] In one possible implementation, step S103 may specifically include:

[0071] Step 1: When the value of the first voltage register is greater than the value of the second voltage register, determine the voltage difference obtained by subtracting the value of the second voltage register from the value of the first voltage register.

[0072] Step 2: If the voltage difference is greater than the value of the first voltage difference register, the final target voltage of the first power domain is equal to the value of the first voltage register, and the final target voltage of the second power domain is equal to the value of the first voltage register minus the value of the first voltage difference register.

[0073] If the voltage difference obtained by subtracting the value of the second voltage register from the value of the first voltage register is greater than the value of the first voltage register, it means that the value of the second voltage register is too small and needs to be increased to the value of the first voltage register minus the value of the first voltage register.

[0074] Step 3: If the voltage difference is not greater than the value of the first voltage difference register, the final target voltage of the first power domain is equal to the value of the first voltage register, and the final target voltage of the second power domain is equal to the value of the second voltage register.

[0075] If the voltage difference obtained by subtracting the value of the second voltage register from the value of the first voltage register is not greater than the value of the first voltage difference register, it indicates that the voltages of the two power domains are coupled. The first power domain can be adjusted according to the value of the first voltage register, and the second power domain can be adjusted according to the value of the second voltage register.

[0076] In this embodiment of the application, when the value of the first voltage register is greater than the value of the second voltage register, the adjustment voltage of the first power domain and the second power domain is determined by combining the value of the first differential voltage register, which can realize the linkage voltage regulation of the power domain with coupling requirements.

[0077] In one possible implementation, step S103 may specifically include:

[0078] Step 1: When the value of the first voltage register is not greater than the value of the second voltage register, determine the voltage difference obtained by subtracting the value of the first voltage register from the value of the second voltage register.

[0079] Step 2: If the voltage difference is greater than the value of the second voltage difference register, the final target voltage of the first power domain is equal to the value of the second voltage register minus the value of the second voltage difference register, and the final target voltage of the second power domain is equal to the value of the second voltage register.

[0080] If the voltage difference obtained by subtracting the value of the first voltage register from the value of the second voltage register is greater than the value of the second voltage register, it means that the value of the first voltage register is too small and needs to be increased to the value of the second voltage register minus the value of the second voltage register.

[0081] Step 3: If the voltage difference is not greater than the value of the second voltage difference register, the final target voltage of the first power domain is equal to the value of the first voltage register, and the final target voltage of the second power domain is equal to the value of the second voltage register.

[0082] If the voltage difference obtained by subtracting the value of the first voltage register from the value of the second voltage register is not greater than the second voltage difference, it indicates that the voltages of the two power domains are coupled. The first power domain can be adjusted according to the value of the first voltage register, and the second power domain can be adjusted according to the value of the second voltage register.

[0083] In this embodiment of the application, when the value of the first voltage register is not greater than the value of the second voltage register, the adjustment voltage of the first power domain and the second power domain is determined by combining the value of the second differential voltage register, so as to realize the linkage voltage regulation of the power domain with coupling requirements.

[0084] See Figure 2 The diagram below is a schematic of the system architecture provided in the embodiments of this application. After the first target voltage and the second target voltage are calculated at the PMIC, they are sent to their respective voltage regulation modules at the same time. The two voltage regulation modules use the same clock to ensure the consistency of the voltage during the voltage regulation process.

[0085] In existing technologies, voltage regulation requests are transmitted serially. For two power domains with coupling requirements, power domain 1 (located in the SOC) first sends a voltage regulation request to the PMIC via the bus. Only after the PMIC receives the voltage regulation request from power domain 1 can power domain 2 (located in the SOC) send its own voltage regulation request to the PMIC via the bus. This means that power domain 1 and power domain 2 implement voltage regulation at asynchronous times, but since power domain 1 and power domain 2 are coupled, this does not meet the SOC's power output requirements.

[0086] By applying the solution of this application, the PMIC can calculate the target voltage of each of the two power domains based on a received voltage regulation request, and then regulate the voltage according to the target voltage, which can meet the output requirements of the SOC for the power supply.

[0087] See Figure 3 The above is a flowchart of a power domain voltage regulation method provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0088] The inputs include voltage register ctrl1 of power domain 1, voltage register ctrl2 of power domain 2, voltage difference register gap1 of power domain 1, and voltage difference register gap2 of power domain 2; the outputs include output of power domain 1 and output of power domain 2.

[0089] The input-output process involves the following coupling logic:

[0090] When ctrl1>ctrl2 and ctrl1-ctrl2>gap1, the target voltage value of power domain 1 is ctrl1, and the target voltage value of power domain 2 is ctrl1-gap1.

[0091] When ctrl1 > ctrl2 and ctrl1 - ctrl2 <= gap1, the target voltage value of power domain 1 is ctrl1, and the target voltage value of power domain 2 is ctrl2;

[0092] When ctrl1 < ctrl2 and ctrl2 - ctrl1 > gap2, the voltage value of power domain 1 is ctrl2 - gap2, and the target voltage value of power domain 2 is ctrl2;

[0093] When ctrl1 < ctrl2 and ctrl2 - ctrl1 <= gap2, the voltage value of power domain 1 is ctrl1, and the target voltage value of power domain 2 is ctrl2.

[0094] In a possible implementation manner, the above step S101 may specifically include:

[0095] Configure the value of the second voltage register as a predetermined voltage threshold, configure the value of the first differential voltage register as 0, and configure the value of the second differential voltage register as a value greater than the predetermined voltage threshold;

[0096] The above step S103 may specifically include:

[0097] When the written value to the first voltage register is greater than the predetermined voltage threshold, the final target voltages of the first power domain and the second power domain are kept consistent; when the written value to the first voltage register is not greater than the predetermined voltage threshold, the final target voltage of the first power domain is controlled to be the written value, and the final target voltage of the second power domain is controlled to be the predetermined voltage threshold.

[0098] See Figure 4This diagram illustrates a voltage relationship according to an embodiment of this application. The voltage of power domain 2 has a minimum requirement of 0.75V, and the voltage difference between power domain 1 and power domain 2 must be as small as possible under specific conditions. Therefore, the following configuration is used: ctrl2 = 0.75V; gap1 = 0V; gap2 = 1V. As can be seen from the diagram, when the requested voltage of power domain 1 is greater than 0.75V, the lines of power domain 1 and power domain 2 overlap. When the requested voltage of power domain 1 is not greater than 0.75V, since gap2 = 1V, ctrl2 can remain ctrl2 and ctrl1 can remain ctrl1. The SOC only needs to configure a single voltage value (ctrl1) for power domain 1 to meet the voltage coupling requirements of power domain 1 and power domain 2. For example, when ctrl1 is 0.8V, since gap1=0V, the target voltage of power domain 1 and power domain 2 is 0.8V; when ctrl1 is 0.55V, since gap2=1V, the target voltage of power domain 1 is 0.55V and the target voltage of power domain 2 is 0.75V.

[0099] Secondly, embodiments of this application provide a multi-power domain coupling voltage regulation device applied to a power management chip (PMIC) outside a system-on-a-chip (SOC), wherein the SOC includes a first power domain and a second power domain, and the device includes:

[0100] The configuration module is used to configure the second voltage register to set the target voltage of the second power domain, configure the first differential voltage register to set the maximum allowable difference between the voltage of the first power domain and the voltage of the second power domain, and configure the second differential voltage register to set the maximum allowable difference between the voltage of the second power domain and the voltage of the first power domain.

[0101] A receiving module is used to receive a voltage regulation request, which is generated when a write operation to the first voltage register is received;

[0102] The calculation module is used to respond to the voltage regulation request by calculating the final target voltage of the first power domain and the second power domain respectively through coupling logic based on the values ​​of the first voltage register, the second voltage register, the first differential voltage register, and the second differential voltage register.

[0103] The voltage regulation module is used to synchronously send the calculated final target voltages of the first power domain and the second power domain to the corresponding voltage regulation module, so as to control the voltages of the two power domains to be adjusted to the corresponding target values ​​respectively.

[0104] In one possible implementation, the computing module is specifically used for:

[0105] When the value of the first voltage register is greater than the value of the second voltage register, the voltage difference obtained by subtracting the value of the second voltage register from the value of the first voltage register is determined;

[0106] If the voltage difference is greater than the value of the first voltage difference register, the final target voltage of the first power domain is equal to the value of the first voltage register, and the final target voltage of the second power domain is equal to the value of the first voltage register minus the value of the first voltage difference register.

[0107] If the voltage difference is not greater than the value of the first voltage difference register, the final target voltage of the first power domain is equal to the value of the first voltage register, and the final target voltage of the second power domain is equal to the value of the second voltage register.

[0108] In one possible implementation, the computing module is specifically used for:

[0109] If the value of the first voltage register is not greater than the value of the second voltage register, determine the voltage difference obtained by subtracting the value of the first voltage register from the value of the second voltage register;

[0110] If the voltage difference is greater than the value of the second voltage difference register, the final target voltage of the first power domain is equal to the value of the second voltage register minus the value of the second voltage difference register, and the final target voltage of the second power domain is equal to the value of the second voltage register.

[0111] If the voltage difference is not greater than the value of the second voltage difference register, the final target voltage of the first power domain is equal to the value of the first voltage register, and the final target voltage of the second power domain is equal to the value of the second voltage register.

[0112] In one possible implementation, the voltage regulating module is specifically used for:

[0113] The calculated final target voltage value is synchronously sent to the voltage regulation module that shares a common clock source to ensure that the voltage adjustment processes of the first power domain and the second power domain remain synchronized.

[0114] Thirdly, this application provides a computer program product containing instructions that, when run on a computer, cause the computer to execute any of the methods described above.

[0115] Fourthly, this application provides a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program that, when executed by a processor, implements any of the methods described above.

[0116] In the above embodiments, implementation can be achieved entirely or partially through software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. When implemented using software, it can be implemented entirely or partially as a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer instructions. When the computer program instructions are loaded and executed on a computer, all or part of the processes or functions described in the embodiments of this application are generated. The computer can be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, or other programmable device. The computer instructions can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transmitted from one computer-readable storage medium to another. For example, the computer instructions can be transmitted from one website, computer, server, or data center to another website, computer, server, or data center via wired (e.g., coaxial cable, fiber optic, digital subscriber line (DSL)) or wireless (e.g., infrared, wireless, microwave, etc.) means. The computer-readable storage medium can be any available medium that a computer can access or a data storage device such as a server or data center that integrates one or more available media. The available medium can be a magnetic medium (e.g., floppy disk, hard disk, magnetic tape), an optical medium (e.g., DVD), or a semiconductor medium (e.g., solid state disk (SSD)).

[0117] It should be noted that, in this document, relational terms such as "first" and "second" are used only to distinguish one entity or operation from another, and do not necessarily require or imply any such actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. Furthermore, the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such a process, method, article, or apparatus. Without further limitations, an element defined by the phrase "comprising one..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that includes said element.

[0118] The various embodiments in this specification are described in a related manner. Similar or identical parts between embodiments can be referred to mutually. Each embodiment focuses on describing the differences from other embodiments. In particular, the apparatus embodiments are basically similar to the method embodiments, so the description is relatively simple; relevant parts can be referred to the descriptions of the method embodiments.

[0119] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of this application and is not intended to limit the scope of protection of this application. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of this application are included within the scope of protection of this application.

Claims

1. A multi-power domain coupling voltage regulation method, characterized in that, A power management chip (PMIC) applied externally to a system-on-a-chip (SOC), wherein the SOC includes a first power domain and a second power domain, the method comprising: Configure a second voltage register to set the target voltage of the second power domain, configure a first differential voltage register to set the maximum allowable difference between the voltage of the first power domain and the voltage of the second power domain, and configure a second differential voltage register to set the maximum allowable difference between the voltage of the second power domain and the voltage of the first power domain. Receive a voltage adjustment request, which is generated when a write operation to the first voltage register is received; In response to the voltage regulation request, the final target voltages of the first power domain and the second power domain are calculated respectively through coupling logic based on the values ​​of the first voltage register, the second voltage register, the first differential voltage register, and the second differential voltage register. The calculated final target voltages of the first power domain and the second power domain are synchronously sent to the corresponding voltage regulation modules to control the voltages of the two power domains to be adjusted to the corresponding target values.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The step of calculating the final target voltages of the first power domain and the second power domain respectively through coupling logic based on the values ​​of the first voltage register, the second voltage register, the first differential voltage register, and the second differential voltage register includes: When the value of the first voltage register is greater than the value of the second voltage register, the voltage difference obtained by subtracting the value of the second voltage register from the value of the first voltage register is determined; If the voltage difference is greater than the value of the first voltage difference register, the final target voltage of the first power domain is equal to the value of the first voltage register, and the final target voltage of the second power domain is equal to the value of the first voltage register minus the value of the first voltage difference register. If the voltage difference is not greater than the value of the first voltage difference register, the final target voltage of the first power domain is equal to the value of the first voltage register, and the final target voltage of the second power domain is equal to the value of the second voltage register.

3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The step of calculating the final target voltages of the first power domain and the second power domain respectively through coupling logic based on the values ​​of the first voltage register, the second voltage register, the first differential voltage register, and the second differential voltage register includes: If the value of the first voltage register is not greater than the value of the second voltage register, determine the voltage difference obtained by subtracting the value of the first voltage register from the value of the second voltage register; If the voltage difference is greater than the value of the second voltage difference register, the final target voltage of the first power domain is equal to the value of the second voltage register minus the value of the second voltage difference register, and the final target voltage of the second power domain is equal to the value of the second voltage register. If the voltage difference is not greater than the value of the second voltage difference register, the final target voltage of the first power domain is equal to the value of the first voltage register, and the final target voltage of the second power domain is equal to the value of the second voltage register.

4. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The step of synchronously sending the calculated final target voltage values ​​of the first power domain and the second power domain to the corresponding voltage regulation module includes: The calculated final target voltage value is synchronously sent to the voltage regulation module that shares a common clock source to ensure that the voltage adjustment processes of the first power domain and the second power domain remain synchronized.

5. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The configuration of the second voltage register is used to set the target voltage of the second power domain; the configuration of the first differential voltage register is used to set the maximum allowable difference between the voltage of the first power domain and the voltage of the second power domain; and the configuration of the second differential voltage register is used to set the maximum allowable difference between the voltage of the second power domain and the voltage of the first power domain, including: The value of the second voltage register is configured to a predetermined voltage threshold, the value of the first differential voltage register is configured to be 0, and the value of the second differential voltage register is configured to be a value greater than the predetermined voltage threshold. The step of calculating the final target voltages of the first power domain and the second power domain respectively through coupling logic based on the values ​​of the first voltage register, the second voltage register, the first differential voltage register, and the second differential voltage register includes: When the written value to the first voltage register is greater than the predetermined voltage threshold, the final target voltage of the first power domain and the final target voltage of the second power domain remain consistent; when the written value to the first voltage register is not greater than the predetermined voltage threshold, the final target voltage of the first power domain is controlled to the written value, and the final target voltage of the second power domain is controlled to the predetermined voltage threshold.

6. A multi-power domain coupling voltage regulation device, characterized in that, A power management chip (PMIC) applied externally to a system-on-a-chip (SoC), wherein the SoC includes a first power domain and a second power domain, the device comprising: The configuration module is used to configure the second voltage register to set the target voltage of the second power domain, configure the first differential voltage register to set the maximum allowable difference between the voltage of the first power domain and the voltage of the second power domain, and configure the second differential voltage register to set the maximum allowable difference between the voltage of the second power domain and the voltage of the first power domain. A receiving module is used to receive a voltage regulation request, which is generated when a write operation to the first voltage register is received; The calculation module is used to respond to the voltage regulation request by calculating the final target voltage of the first power domain and the second power domain respectively through coupling logic based on the values ​​of the first voltage register, the second voltage register, the first differential voltage register, and the second differential voltage register. The voltage regulation module is used to synchronously send the calculated final target voltages of the first power domain and the second power domain to the corresponding voltage regulation module, so as to control the voltages of the two power domains to be adjusted to the corresponding target values ​​respectively.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6, characterized in that, The calculation module is specifically used for: When the value of the first voltage register is greater than the value of the second voltage register, the voltage difference obtained by subtracting the value of the second voltage register from the value of the first voltage register is determined; If the voltage difference is greater than the value of the first voltage difference register, the final target voltage of the first power domain is equal to the value of the first voltage register, and the final target voltage of the second power domain is equal to the value of the first voltage register minus the value of the first voltage difference register. If the voltage difference is not greater than the value of the first voltage difference register, the final target voltage of the first power domain is equal to the value of the first voltage register, and the final target voltage of the second power domain is equal to the value of the second voltage register.

8. The apparatus according to claim 6, characterized in that, The calculation module is specifically used for: If the value of the first voltage register is not greater than the value of the second voltage register, determine the voltage difference obtained by subtracting the value of the first voltage register from the value of the second voltage register; If the voltage difference is greater than the value of the second voltage difference register, the final target voltage of the first power domain is equal to the value of the second voltage register minus the value of the second voltage difference register, and the final target voltage of the second power domain is equal to the value of the second voltage register. If the voltage difference is not greater than the value of the second voltage difference register, the final target voltage of the first power domain is equal to the value of the first voltage register, and the final target voltage of the second power domain is equal to the value of the second voltage register.

9. The apparatus according to claim 6, characterized in that, The voltage regulating module is specifically used for: The calculated final target voltage value is synchronously sent to the voltage regulation module that shares a common clock source to ensure that the voltage adjustment processes of the first power domain and the second power domain remain synchronized.

10. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The computer-readable storage medium stores a computer program that, when executed by a processor, implements the method described in any one of claims 1-5.

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