A control circuit and control method

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a control circuit and a control method, the control circuit comprising: a control module comprising a first interface, a second interface and a functional unit; a voltage conversion module electrically connected with the functional unit and configured to supply power for the functional unit; the control module is configured to: configure a first type of configuration parameter of the voltage conversion module through the first interface; determine a target output voltage corresponding to the voltage conversion module based on a running requirement of the functional unit; provide a voltage regulation control signal corresponding to the target output voltage to the voltage conversion module through the second interface, so that the voltage conversion module adjusts the output voltage based on the corresponding voltage regulation control signal; wherein a voltage regulation response speed corresponding to the second interface is greater than a configuration response speed corresponding to the first interface, and a time limit requirement of the first type of configuration parameter is lower than a time limit requirement of the target regulation voltage.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to the field of electronic circuit technology, and more specifically, to a control circuit and control method. Background Technology

[0002] In the current Dynamic Voltage and Frequency Adjustment (DVFS) scheme, the voltage adjustment command is transmitted through a serial bus. Due to the constraints of bus protocol handshake and response waiting mechanisms, the transmission delay of a single voltage adjustment command reaches the microsecond level, which causes the voltage adjustment to be unable to keep up with load changes in a timely manner.

[0003] As chips face increasingly stringent requirements for power consumption and real-time performance, voltage regulation response speed has become a key bottleneck restricting system energy efficiency. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In view of this, the present disclosure provides a control circuit and a control method.

[0005] This disclosure provides a control circuit, including a control module comprising a first interface, a second interface, and a functional unit; a voltage conversion module electrically connected to the functional unit for supplying power to the functional unit; the control module is configured to: configure a first type of configuration parameters of the voltage conversion module through the first interface; determine a target output voltage corresponding to the voltage conversion module based on the operational requirements of the functional unit; and provide a voltage regulation control signal corresponding to the target output voltage to the voltage conversion module through the second interface, so that the voltage conversion module adjusts the output voltage based on the corresponding voltage regulation control signal; wherein the voltage regulation response speed corresponding to the second interface is greater than the configuration response speed corresponding to the first interface, and the timeliness requirement of the first type of configuration parameters is lower than the timeliness requirement of the target regulated voltage.

[0006] According to the control circuit of the present disclosure, the functional unit in the control circuit includes multiple functional units, and the voltage conversion module includes multiple voltage conversion units, which are electrically connected to the multiple functional units respectively; the control module is configured to provide multiple voltage regulation control signals to the multiple voltage conversion units through a second interface, so that the multiple voltage conversion units adjust their respective output voltages within the same voltage regulation cycle.

[0007] According to the control circuit of the present disclosure embodiment, the control circuit further includes a parallel output circuit, which is connected between the second interface and the plurality of voltage conversion units, and is used to output a plurality of voltage regulation control signals in parallel to the plurality of voltage conversion units.

[0008] According to the control circuit of the present disclosure embodiment, the parallel output circuit has a write state and a hold state; in the write state, the parallel output circuit sequentially receives and stores the level states corresponding to multiple voltage regulation control signals through the second interface; in the hold state, the parallel output circuit outputs the stored level states in parallel to multiple voltage conversion units.

[0009] According to the control circuit of the present disclosure, each voltage conversion unit includes at least two voltage selection terminals, and the voltage regulation control signal includes a combination of levels provided to the at least two voltage selection terminals, with different level combinations corresponding to different output voltage levels of the voltage conversion unit.

[0010] According to the control circuit of the present disclosure embodiment, the control module is further configured to determine the target output voltage corresponding to each functional unit according to the operating requirements of each functional unit; generate a plurality of corresponding voltage regulation control signals according to each target output voltage; and the parallel output circuit is further configured to output the level combination of each voltage regulation control signal in parallel to the voltage selection terminal of each voltage conversion unit, so that each voltage conversion unit determines the corresponding output voltage level according to the received level combination.

[0011] According to the control circuit of the present disclosure, the first interface is a serial communication interface; the second interface is a general-purpose input / output interface.

[0012] According to the control circuit of the present disclosure embodiment, the control module is further configured to configure a first type of configuration parameters of the voltage conversion module through a first interface when the control circuit is started, the first type of configuration parameters remaining unchanged during the operation of the control circuit; and to provide a voltage regulation control signal corresponding to the target output voltage to the voltage conversion module through a second interface during the operation of the control circuit.

[0013] This disclosure also provides a control method for a control module applied to a control circuit. The control circuit includes a control module and a voltage conversion module. The control module includes a first interface, a second interface, and a functional unit. The voltage conversion module is electrically connected to the functional unit and is used to supply power to the functional unit. The method includes: configuring a first type of configuration parameters of the voltage conversion module through the first interface; determining a target output voltage corresponding to the voltage conversion module based on the operating requirements of the functional unit; and providing a voltage regulation control signal corresponding to the target output voltage to the voltage conversion module through the second interface, so that the voltage conversion module adjusts the output voltage based on the corresponding voltage regulation control signal. The voltage regulation response speed corresponding to the second interface is greater than the configuration response speed corresponding to the first interface, and the timeliness requirement of the first type of configuration parameters is lower than the timeliness requirement of the target regulated voltage.

[0014] According to the control method of this disclosure, the functional unit includes multiple functional units, the voltage conversion module includes multiple voltage conversion units, and the multiple voltage conversion units are electrically connected to the multiple functional units respectively. Providing a voltage regulation control signal corresponding to the target output voltage to the voltage conversion module through the second interface includes: providing multiple voltage regulation control signals to the multiple voltage conversion units through the second interface so that the multiple voltage conversion units adjust their respective output voltages within the same voltage regulation cycle.

[0015] This disclosure also provides an electronic device, including: a memory for storing a computer program; and a processor for executing the computer program to implement the steps of any of the above methods.

[0016] This disclosure also provides a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program, wherein the computer program, when executed by a processor, implements the steps of any of the above methods.

[0017] This disclosure also provides a computer program product, including a computer program that, when executed by a processor, implements the steps of any of the above methods.

[0018] It should be understood that the description in this section is not intended to identify key or essential features of the embodiments of this disclosure, nor is it intended to limit the scope of this disclosure. Other features of this disclosure will become readily apparent from the following description. Attached Figure Description

[0019] The above and other objects, features, and advantages of this disclosure will become clearer from the following description of embodiments of the present disclosure with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0020] Figure 1 The schematic diagram illustrates a structural schematic of a control circuit according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0021] Figure 2 The schematic diagram illustrates a structural schematic of a multiplex control circuit according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0022] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of another control circuit according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0023] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the structure of a voltage conversion unit according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0024] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of the control circuit of an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0025] Figure 6 A flowchart illustrating a control method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. Detailed Implementation

[0026] The embodiments of the present disclosure will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, it should be understood that these descriptions are exemplary only and are not intended to limit the scope of the disclosure. In the following detailed description, numerous specific details are set forth to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments of the present disclosure for ease of explanation. However, it will be apparent that one or more embodiments may be practiced without these specific details. Furthermore, descriptions of well-known structures and techniques are omitted in the following description to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the concepts of the present disclosure.

[0027] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit this disclosure. The terms “comprising,” “including,” etc., as used herein indicate the presence of features, steps, operations, and / or components, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, steps, operations, or components.

[0028] All terms used herein (including technical and scientific terms) have the meanings commonly understood by those skilled in the art, unless otherwise defined. It should be noted that the terms used herein are to be interpreted in a manner consistent with the context of this specification, and not in an idealized or overly rigid way.

[0029] When using expressions such as "at least one of A, B and C", they should generally be interpreted in accordance with the meaning that is commonly understood by those skilled in the art (e.g., "a system having at least one of A, B and C" should include, but is not limited to, a system having A alone, a system having B alone, a system having C alone, a system having A and B, a system having A and C, a system having B and C, and / or a system having A, B and C, etc.).

[0030] The relevant terms in the embodiments of this disclosure are explained below.

[0031] Figure 1 The schematic diagram illustrates the structure of a control circuit according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0032] like Figure 1As shown, this embodiment of the present disclosure provides a control circuit, which includes a control module 110, including a first interface 120, a second interface 130, and a functional unit 140; a voltage conversion module 150, electrically connected to the functional unit 140, for supplying power to the functional unit 140; the control module 110 is configured to: configure a first type of configuration parameters of the voltage conversion module 150 through the first interface 120; determine the target output voltage corresponding to the voltage conversion module 150 based on the operating requirements of the functional unit 140; and provide a voltage regulation control signal corresponding to the target output voltage to the voltage conversion module 150 through the second interface 130, so that the voltage conversion module 150 adjusts the output voltage based on the corresponding voltage regulation control signal; wherein, the voltage regulation response speed corresponding to the second interface 130 is greater than the configuration response speed corresponding to the first interface 120, and the timeliness requirement of the first type of configuration parameters is lower than the timeliness requirement of the target regulated voltage.

[0033] In the embodiments of this disclosure, the first type of configuration parameters configured by the control module 110 through the first interface 120 are non-real-time parameters. These parameters do not participate in real-time voltage regulation decisions. For example, the first type of configuration parameters are the initialization configuration parameters for the operation of the voltage conversion module 150. These first type of configuration parameters include, for example, the voltage ramp-up rate, overvoltage protection threshold, undervoltage protection threshold, and operating mode of the voltage conversion module 150. These parameters are written into the internal register of the voltage conversion module 150 during initialization, serving as the initialization configuration parameters for its operation. The configuration response speed of the first interface 120 is at the microsecond level, which is sufficient to meet the transmission requirements of non-real-time parameters and will not occupy the fast response resources of the control module 110. The voltage regulation control signal transmitted by the control module 110 through the second interface 130 is a real-time signal. The voltage regulation response speed of the second interface 130 is at the nanosecond level, enabling it to respond quickly when the operational requirements of the functional unit 140 change, allowing the voltage conversion module 150 to adjust its output voltage in a timely manner.

[0034] For example, the control module sends configuration commands to the voltage conversion module through the first interface to configure the voltage ramp-up rate, overvoltage protection threshold, undervoltage protection threshold, and operating mode. This configuration is completed when the control circuit starts up or can be performed as needed during operation. During system operation, when the load of a functional unit switches from low load to high load, the control module determines the corresponding target output voltage to be 0.85V and sends a corresponding voltage regulation control signal to the voltage conversion module through the second interface. This signal is a combination of high and low levels, instructing the voltage conversion module to adjust the output voltage to 0.85V.

[0035] In the embodiments of this disclosure, by setting the configuration function and the voltage regulation function on the first interface and the second interface respectively, the two types of signals are independent of each other in the transmission path and do not interfere with each other. The voltage regulation control signal can be sent independently without waiting for the configuration signal to complete transmission, avoiding the situation where the voltage regulation control signal is blocked when the configuration signal occupies the transmission channel. The first type of configuration parameters are the initialization configuration parameters for the operation of the voltage conversion module. They do not participate in real-time voltage regulation decisions, and the transmission timing of the first type of configuration parameters is not constrained by the real-time voltage regulation cycle. They can be configured or updated as needed. The first interface, which has a lower configuration response speed, is used for transmission, so it will not affect the voltage regulation performance. The second interface is dedicated to transmitting the voltage regulation control signal. Its higher voltage regulation response speed ensures that the voltage conversion module 150 can keep up with the changes in the operating requirements of the functional unit 140 in a timely manner, so that the supply voltage matches the load requirements.

[0036] Figure 2 The schematic diagram illustrates the structure of a multiplex control circuit according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0037] like Figure 2 As shown, in the embodiments of this disclosure, the functional unit includes multiple functional units, including functional unit A 210, functional unit B 220 and functional unit C 230; the voltage conversion module 150 includes multiple voltage conversion units, which are electrically connected to the multiple functional units respectively, including voltage conversion unit A 240, voltage conversion unit B 250 and voltage conversion unit C 260; the control module 110 is configured to provide multiple voltage regulation control signals to the multiple voltage conversion units through the second interface 130, so that the multiple voltage conversion units adjust their respective output voltages within the same voltage regulation cycle.

[0038] In the embodiments of this disclosure, the voltage conversion module 150 includes multiple voltage conversion units, each independently connected to a corresponding functional unit, forming a one-to-one independent power supply relationship. Multiple voltage conversion units can form the voltage conversion module 150 in parallel, with each unit operating independently; a change in the output voltage of any one unit does not affect the output voltage of other units. Voltage conversion unit A 240 is electrically connected to functional unit A 210, providing an independent power supply voltage to A 210; voltage conversion unit B 250 is electrically connected to functional unit B 220, providing an independent power supply voltage to B 220; voltage conversion unit C 260 is electrically connected to functional unit C 230, providing an independent power supply voltage to C 230. The output voltage of each voltage conversion unit is controlled by the control module 110 through the second interface 130. Each unit synchronously completes its voltage adjustment action within the same voltage regulation cycle; the voltage adjustment action of any unit does not affect the output voltage of other units.

[0039] For example, functional unit A can be a graphics processing unit (GPU), functional unit B can be a central processing unit (CPU), and functional unit C can be a neural network processor (NNF) core. During system operation, the GPU enters a high-load state, requiring its supply voltage to increase from 0.65V to 0.85V; the CPU maintains a medium-load state, keeping its supply voltage at 0.75V; and the NNF enters a low-load state, requiring its supply voltage to decrease from 0.75V to 0.55V. After the control module determines the target output voltage for each of the three functional units, it simultaneously sends corresponding voltage regulation control signals to voltage conversion units A, B, and C via a second interface. The three voltage conversion units begin adjusting their output voltages at the same time and complete their respective voltage adjustments within the same regulation cycle.

[0040] In the embodiments of this disclosure, under the serial voltage regulation method, when multiple functional units generate voltage regulation requirements simultaneously, the voltage adjustment of each functional unit is completed sequentially. The functional unit that completes voltage regulation first enters the target working state first, while the functional unit that completes voltage regulation later is in a state of voltage mismatch with the requirement during the waiting period. This will lead to at least two consequences: for functional units that need to boost voltage, the supply voltage has not yet reached the target value during the waiting period, and the functional unit cannot operate at full load. The overall performance of the chip is limited by the last functional unit to complete the boost voltage; for functional units that need to buck voltage, the supply voltage remains at a high value during the waiting period, and the functional unit cannot enter the low power consumption state. The overall power consumption of the chip is higher than the target level.

[0041] In other words, asynchronous voltage regulation causes the chip to fail to achieve either the target performance or the target power consumption during the waiting period. Multiple voltage conversion units adjust their respective output voltages within the same regulation cycle, and each functional unit receives the updated supply voltage at the same time, avoiding the accumulated delays caused by the sequential adjustment of each voltage conversion unit in a serial voltage regulation method. Each functional unit can obtain a supply voltage matching its current operating needs in the shortest possible time, without waiting for other functional units to complete their voltage regulation before starting its own voltage adjustment. Figure 3 A schematic diagram of another control circuit according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0042] like Figure 3 As shown, in the embodiments of this disclosure, the control circuit may further include a parallel output circuit 310, which is connected between the second interface 130 and multiple voltage conversion units (voltage conversion unit A 240, voltage conversion unit B 250 and voltage conversion unit C 260) for outputting multiple voltage regulation control signals in parallel to the multiple voltage conversion units.

[0043] In the embodiments of this disclosure, the parallel output circuit 310 is connected between the second interface 130 and multiple voltage conversion units, serving as a relay node in the signal transmission path. The control module 110 sends a serial voltage regulation control signal to the parallel output circuit 310 through the second interface 130. After receiving the signal, the parallel output circuit 310 converts it into multiple parallel output level signals and simultaneously outputs the corresponding voltage regulation control signal to each voltage conversion unit. The parallel output circuit 310 internally includes multiple output channels, each independently connected to the voltage selection terminal of each voltage conversion unit, realizing the expansion conversion from one input signal to multiple output signals.

[0044] For example, the parallel output circuit is implemented using an eight-bit addressable latch, which has three address inputs, one data input, one reset input, one enable input, and eight data outputs. The control module is connected to the address input, data input, reset, and enable inputs of the latch via the six general-purpose input / output pins of the second interface.

[0045] The latch comprises three general purpose input / output (GPIO) pins used as address inputs to select the output channel; one GPIO pin used as a data input to provide the voltage level to be written; one GPIO pin used as a reset pin to clear all output channels; and one GPIO pin used as an enable pin to control the switching between write and hold states. The latch's eight data outputs are connected to the voltage selection terminals of multiple voltage conversion units.

[0046] In the embodiments of this disclosure, the parallel output circuit 310 converts the serial voltage regulation control signal provided by the control module 110 through the second interface 130 into a parallel output level signal. This allows the control module 110 to control multiple voltage conversion units with only a few general-purpose input / output pins, reducing the number of pins occupied by the control module 110. Simultaneously, the parallel output characteristic of the parallel output circuit 310 ensures that each voltage conversion unit simultaneously receives its corresponding voltage regulation control signal, providing a hardware foundation for synchronous voltage regulation of multiple voltage conversion units.

[0047] In the embodiments of this disclosure, the parallel output circuit has a write state and a hold state; in the write state, the parallel output circuit sequentially receives and stores the level states corresponding to multiple voltage regulation control signals through the second interface; in the hold state, the parallel output circuit outputs the stored level states in parallel to multiple voltage conversion units.

[0048] In the embodiments of this disclosure, the parallel output circuit operates collaboratively through its address input and data input terminals in write mode. The address input terminal sequentially selects each output channel, and the data input terminal provides the corresponding level state for each output channel during each selection cycle. This level state is stored in an internal register. The reception and storage of each level state are completed sequentially until the level states corresponding to all output channels are written to the internal register. After all level states have been received, the parallel output circuit switches to a hold state. In the hold state, each output channel simultaneously outputs the stored level state to the corresponding voltage conversion unit.

[0049] In the embodiments of this disclosure, the parallel output circuit achieves serial reception and parallel output of the voltage regulation control signal through the timing coordination of the write state and the hold state. In the write state, each voltage regulation control signal is input sequentially, reducing the instantaneous output capability requirements of the control module's second interface. In the hold state, all level states are simultaneously output to each voltage conversion unit, ensuring that multiple voltage conversion units receive the voltage regulation control signal at the same time, thus achieving synchronous adjustment of multiple voltages.

[0050] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the structure of a voltage conversion unit according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0051] like Figure 4 As shown in the embodiments of this disclosure, each voltage conversion unit includes at least two voltage selection terminals, wherein voltage conversion unit A 240 includes voltage selection terminal A 410 and voltage selection terminal B 420, and the voltage regulation control signal includes a combination of levels provided to at least two voltage selection terminals. Different level combinations correspond to different output voltage levels of the voltage conversion unit. The output voltage level of voltage conversion unit A is output to the corresponding functional unit by voltage output 430.

[0052] In the embodiments of this disclosure, each voltage conversion unit includes at least two voltage selection terminals, and the number of voltage selection terminals determines the number of supported output voltage levels. When a voltage conversion unit includes two voltage selection terminals, each voltage selection terminal receives a high-level signal or a low-level signal output from the corresponding channel of the parallel output circuit. The level states of the two voltage selection terminals combine to form four different level combinations, each level combination corresponding to a preset output voltage level within the voltage conversion unit. Based on the level combination received by its voltage selection terminal, the voltage conversion unit determines the target level from the preset multiple output voltage levels and outputs the corresponding supply voltage to the functional unit through its voltage output terminal.

[0053] For example, voltage conversion unit A includes voltage selection terminal A and voltage selection terminal B, which receive four levels of input / output voltage. When both voltage selection terminals are low, voltage conversion unit A outputs a 0.55V supply voltage; when voltage selection terminal A is high and voltage selection terminal B is low, voltage conversion unit A outputs a 0.65V supply voltage; when voltage selection terminal A is low and voltage selection terminal B is high, voltage conversion unit A outputs a 0.75V supply voltage; and when both voltage selection terminals are high, voltage conversion unit A outputs a 0.85V supply voltage. The voltage output then supplies the above voltages to functional unit A.

[0054] In the embodiments of this disclosure, each voltage conversion unit directly determines the output voltage level by the combination of voltage selection terminals. It does not need to receive instructions containing voltage values ​​through a serial bus, nor does it need to perform voltage value parsing and conversion operations inside the voltage conversion unit. The delay from the arrival of the voltage regulation control signal at the voltage selection terminal to the start of output voltage change depends only on the hardware response time inside the voltage conversion unit.

[0055] In embodiments of this disclosure, the control module is further configured to determine the target output voltage corresponding to each functional unit according to the operational requirements of each functional unit; generate multiple voltage regulation control signals corresponding to each target output voltage; and the parallel output circuit is further configured to output the level combination of each voltage regulation control signal in parallel to the voltage selection terminal of each voltage conversion unit, so that each voltage conversion unit determines the corresponding output voltage level according to the received level combination.

[0056] In the embodiments of this disclosure, the control module continuously monitors the load status of each functional unit during operation, determines the current operating requirements of each functional unit based on the load status, and determines a target output voltage matching the current operating requirements for each functional unit. The control module searches for the corresponding level combination in a preset voltage mapping relationship based on each target output voltage, generates a voltage regulation control signal corresponding to that level combination, and sequentially sends each voltage regulation control signal to the parallel output circuit through the second interface. The parallel output circuit receives and stores the level status corresponding to each voltage regulation control signal in write mode, and simultaneously outputs all level statuses to the voltage selection terminals of each voltage conversion unit in hold mode.

[0057] For example, the control module determines the target output voltage of functional unit A to be 0.85V based on the current load state of functional unit A. It then finds the corresponding voltage level combination of 0.85V in a preset voltage mapping relationship as high level and high level, and generates the corresponding voltage regulation control signal. Similarly, it determines the target output voltage of functional unit B to be 0.75V based on the current load state of functional unit B. It then finds the corresponding voltage level combination of 0.75V in a preset voltage mapping relationship as low level and high level, and generates the corresponding voltage regulation control signal. Finally, it determines the target output voltage of functional unit C to be 0.55V based on the current load state of functional unit C. It then finds the corresponding voltage level combination of 0.55V in a preset voltage mapping relationship as low level and low level, and generates the corresponding voltage regulation control signal. The parallel output circuit simultaneously outputs the above three voltage regulation control signals to voltage conversion units A, B, and C.

[0058] In the embodiments of this disclosure, the control module determines the target output voltage and generates corresponding voltage regulation control signals according to the operational requirements of each functional unit, thereby realizing independent control of multiple voltages. The parallel output characteristics of the parallel output circuit ensure that each voltage conversion unit receives the corresponding voltage regulation control signal simultaneously, and each functional unit simultaneously obtains the updated supply voltage.

[0059] In the embodiments of this disclosure, the first interface is a serial communication interface; the second interface is a general-purpose input / output interface.

[0060] In the embodiments of this disclosure, the first interface is a serial communication interface, employing a serial communication protocol and using two signal lines, a clock line and a data line, to transmit data, and is used to transmit configuration data. The second interface is a general-purpose input / output interface, containing multiple general-purpose input / output pins, each of which can be independently configured as an output mode, directly outputting a high-level or low-level signal, used to transmit voltage regulation control signals.

[0061] For example, the first interface adopts a two-wire serial bus interface, which includes two signal lines: a clock line and a data line, used to transmit voltage ramp-up speed configuration instructions, overvoltage protection threshold configuration instructions, undervoltage protection threshold configuration instructions, pulse width modulation mode configuration instructions, or pulse frequency modulation mode configuration instructions. The second interface includes multiple general-purpose input / output pins, each of which independently outputs a high or low level under the control of the control module, used to provide address signals, data signals, enable signals, and reset signals to the parallel output circuit.

[0062] In the embodiments of this disclosure, the control circuit startup phase is the period from system power-on to entering normal operating mode. During this period, the control module sends a first type of configuration parameters to the voltage conversion module through the first interface. The voltage conversion module receives and stores these parameters, completing the initialization configuration. After the control circuit enters the operation phase, the first type of configuration parameters remain constant, and the control module no longer sends configuration parameters through the first interface. During the operation phase, the control module continuously monitors the operational requirements of the functional units and sends voltage regulation control signals to the voltage conversion module through the second interface to adjust the output voltage in real time.

[0063] In embodiments of this disclosure, the control module is further configured to configure a first type of configuration parameters of the voltage conversion module through a first interface when the control circuit is started, the first type of configuration parameters remaining unchanged during the operation of the control circuit; and to provide a voltage regulation control signal corresponding to the target output voltage to the voltage conversion module through a second interface during the operation of the control circuit.

[0064] In the embodiments of this disclosure, the control circuit startup phase is the period from system power-on to entering normal operating mode. During this period, the control module sends a first type of configuration parameters to the voltage conversion module through the first interface. The voltage conversion module receives and stores these parameters, completing the initialization configuration. After the control circuit enters the operation phase, the first type of configuration parameters remain constant, and the control module no longer sends configuration parameters through the first interface. During the operation phase, the control module continuously monitors the operational requirements of the functional units and sends voltage regulation control signals to the voltage conversion module through the second interface to adjust the output voltage in real time.

[0065] For example, when the control circuit powers on, the control module configures the voltage ramp-up rate, overvoltage protection threshold, undervoltage protection threshold, and operating mode to the voltage conversion module through the first interface. These parameters remain constant during the operation of the control circuit. During the operation of the control circuit, when the load of the functional unit changes, the control module sends a corresponding voltage regulation control signal to the voltage conversion module through the second interface, instructing the voltage conversion module to adjust the output voltage.

[0066] In the embodiments of this disclosure, by configuring the first type of configuration parameters all at once during the startup phase and keeping them unchanged during operation, the first interface only performs data transmission during the startup phase and does not occupy transmission bandwidth during the operation phase, thus avoiding the situation where configuration signals and voltage regulation control signals compete for transmission resources. The second interface is dedicated to transmitting voltage regulation control signals during the operation phase, ensuring the timeliness and reliability of voltage regulation response.

[0067] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of the control circuit of an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0068] like Figure 5 As shown, the control circuit of this embodiment includes a processor, a latch, and multiple voltage converters (corresponding to...). Figure 5 The voltage converters 1, 2, and 3 are included, along with multiple XPUs (corresponding to XPU1, XPU2, and XPU3). Figure 5 The illustration uses three voltage converters and three XPUs as an example, but this disclosure is not limited to this; the number of voltage converters and XPUs can be expanded according to actual needs. The processor is connected to each voltage converter via a first interface (Inter-Integrated Circuit, I2C) two-wire serial bus, used to configure the first type of configuration parameters of each voltage converter when the control circuit starts. The processor is also connected to latches via a second interface (General-Purpose Input / Output, GPIO), and each output of the latch is connected to the voltage selection terminal of each voltage converter, used to provide voltage regulation control signals to each voltage converter during operation.

[0069] Each voltage converter is connected to its corresponding XPU to provide power to that XPU. XPU represents a functional unit within the processor that requires independent power, such as a Central Processing Unit (CPU), a Graphics Processing Unit (GPU), a Neural Processing Unit (NPU), or Double Data Rate (DDR) memory. Each XPU requires a different power supply voltage depending on its operational needs, and therefore is powered by an independent voltage converter.

[0070] A latch is an implementation of a parallel output circuit, used to convert serial voltage regulation control signals sent by the processor through a second interface into parallel output level signals. The latch's address inputs A0, A1, and A2 receive address codes provided by the processor to select the corresponding output channel; the data input D receives the level state to be written; the reset terminal / MR clears all output channels; and the enable terminal / E controls the latch's switching between write and hold states. The latch's data outputs Q0 to Q5 (and Q6 and Q7, not shown) are connected to the voltage selection terminals of each voltage converter to output the corresponding level state.

[0071] Among multiple voltage converters, some may have an I2C interface to receive the first type of configuration parameters, while others may not have an I2C interface and only receive voltage regulation control signals through a voltage selection terminal, depending on the voltage converter's hardware configuration. Each voltage converter provides power to its corresponding XPU through its voltage output terminal. The first type of configuration parameters sent by the processor to each voltage converter through the first interface are written into the internal registers of each voltage converter when the control circuit starts. Each voltage converter establishes an output voltage ramp-up curve and protection mechanism based on these first type of configuration parameters, which remain unchanged throughout the entire operation of the control circuit after being written. During the operation phase, the voltage regulation control signal sent by the processor to the latch through the second interface is a real-time signal. This voltage regulation control signal contains the target voltage level information required by each voltage converter. After the latch converts the voltage regulation control signal into a parallel output level signal, each voltage converter synchronously receives its corresponding level signal and adjusts its output voltage according to the received level signal.

[0072] The latch has three address inputs, A0, A1, and A2, with eight possible level combinations. These correspond to the latch's eight data outputs, Q0 to Q7. The processor selects each data output sequentially by changing the level combinations of the three address inputs and writes the corresponding level state to the selected output channel through the data input D. The latch's reset pin / MR is active low. When / MR is low, the latch forces all data outputs Q0 to Q7 to output a low level, regardless of the signal state of the other inputs.

[0073] The latch's enable pin / E is active low. When / E is low, the latch is in write mode, allowing the level of the data input pin D to be written to the output channel selected by the address input. When / E is high, the latch is in hold mode, and each data output pin maintains its current level. The voltage selection pins of each voltage converter are connected to the corresponding data output pins of the latches. The voltage converter determines the corresponding output voltage level based on the level combination received at its voltage selection pin and provides the determined output voltage to the corresponding XPU through its voltage output pin.

[0074] Table 1

[0075]

[0076] Table 1 shows the timing control table of the latch in write mode. As shown in Table 1, the processor controls the address input terminals A2, A1, A0 and data input terminal D of the latch through the second interface, writing the eight-channel level states sequentially into the internal register of the latch in eight steps. In steps 1 to 8, / MR and / E are both kept low (i.e., logic 0), and the latch is in write mode. At this time, the combinations of A2, A1, and A0 in each step are 000, 001, 010, 011, 100, 101, 110, and 111, respectively, which correspond to the selection of output channels Q0 to Q7. The D terminal provides the level state that needs to be written to the corresponding output channel in each step. In step 9, / MR and / E switch to high (i.e., logic 1), and the latch enters the hold state. The state of the address input terminals A2, A1, A0 and the data input terminal D is arbitrary (X). The latch outputs the stored level states in parallel to each voltage converter. X indicates any state, meaning that the pin is inactive in the current operating mode, and whether it is high or low does not affect the current operation of the latch.

[0077] Table 2

[0078]

[0079] Table 3

[0080]

[0081] Tables 2 and 3 together illustrate the input-output logic relationship of the latch in different operating modes. Table 2 is the input state table, and Table 3 is the output state table; the two tables are used together. As shown in Tables 2 and 3, the latch operates in three modes: master reset, demultiplexing / write, and store (hold). In master reset mode, / MR is low (L) and / E is high (H). The latch clears all output channels Q0 to Q7, and the outputs are all low (L). In demultiplexing / write mode, / MR is low (L) and / E is low (L). The latch is in write mode. At this time, the level combination of address input terminals A0, A1, and A2 determines the selected output channel. The level state (d) of data input terminal D is written to the selected output channel, and the output of the corresponding output channel is equal to d (i.e., Q=d). Other unselected output channels remain low (L).

[0082] In store (hold) mode, / MR is high (H), / E is high (H), the latch is in hold state, and each output channel Q0 to Q7 retains the previously written level state (q0 to q7), no longer responding to signal changes at the address input and data input terminals. d indicates following the level state of the data input terminal D, and q0 to q7 represent the previously stored level states of each output channel. L represents low level, H represents high level, and X represents any state. Referring to the timing control in Table 1, steps 1 to 8 correspond to demultiplexing / write mode, step 9 corresponds to store (hold) mode, and the master reset mode is used to clear all output channels when needed.

[0083] In the embodiments of this disclosure, taking an eight-bit addressable latch as an example, this solution is compared with the serial peripheral interface solution and the two-wire serial bus solution in three aspects: voltage regulation speed, voltage regulation sequence, and the number of input / output requirements. In terms of voltage regulation speed, the serial peripheral interface solution requires approximately 320ns to write 2 bytes of data at a maximum speed of 50Mbps; the two-wire serial bus solution requires approximately 7μs to write 3 bytes of data at a maximum speed of 3.4Mbps; while the latch used in this solution has a transmission delay of approximately 74ns from sequential data writing to parallel output completion. Therefore, the voltage regulation speed of this solution is superior to both the serial peripheral interface solution and the two-wire serial bus solution.

[0084] From the perspective of voltage regulation sequence, the serial peripheral interface scheme and the two-wire serial bus scheme, when the voltage control master device is single-threaded, can only perform serial voltage regulation in multi-power rail scenarios, with each power rail queuing up to wait for voltage regulation to complete. In contrast, this scheme uses a serial latch followed by parallel output, allowing all voltage conversion units to regulate voltage synchronously, and the voltage regulation sequence is not limited by the number of threads in the voltage control master device. Regarding the number of input / output requirements, with 4 voltage conversion units and each unit having 4 preset voltage levels, the serial peripheral interface scheme requires 16 lines, the two-wire serial bus scheme requires 8 lines, and this disclosure requires 8 lines. With 8 voltage conversion units and each unit having 4 preset voltage levels, the serial peripheral interface scheme requires 32 lines, the two-wire serial bus scheme requires 16 lines, and this disclosure requires 9 lines. This disclosure shows a lower increase in the number of input / output requirements as the number of voltage conversion units increases compared to the serial peripheral interface scheme and the two-wire serial bus scheme.

[0085] Figure 6 A flowchart illustrating a control method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0086] like Figure 6 As shown, the control method of this embodiment is applied to the control module of the control circuit. The control circuit includes a control module and a voltage conversion module. The control module includes a first interface, a second interface, and a functional unit. The voltage conversion module is electrically connected to the functional unit and is used to supply power to the functional unit. The control method may include operations S610 to S630.

[0087] In operation S610, the first type of configuration parameters of the voltage conversion module are configured through the first interface.

[0088] In the embodiments of this disclosure, the control module sends a first type of configuration parameters to the voltage conversion module through a first interface during the control circuit startup phase. These first type of configuration parameters are non-real-time parameters, including the voltage ramp-up rate, overvoltage protection threshold, undervoltage protection threshold, and operating mode of the voltage conversion module. These parameters are written into the internal register of the voltage conversion module during initialization to define the output characteristic boundaries of the voltage conversion module.

[0089] After receiving the configuration parameters, the voltage conversion module stores them in its internal register and establishes an output characteristic curve according to the configuration parameters. Once the first type of configuration parameters is written, they remain unchanged, and the control module will not send configuration data through the first interface during subsequent operation.

[0090] In operating the S620, the target output voltage corresponding to the voltage conversion module is determined based on the operational requirements of the functional unit.

[0091] In the embodiments of this disclosure, the control module continuously monitors the load status of the functional units during the operation phase and determines the current operating requirements of the functional units based on the load status. The load status of a functional unit is related to the type and intensity of the task it is currently executing. Under different load statuses, the functional unit requires different supply voltages to ensure a balance between performance and power consumption.

[0092] The control module queries a preset voltage mapping relationship to find the target output voltage that matches the monitored load state. This voltage mapping relationship is pre-stored in the control module's storage unit and contains the correspondence between load states and target output voltages.

[0093] In operation S630, a voltage regulation control signal corresponding to the target output voltage is provided to the voltage conversion module through the second interface, so that the voltage conversion module adjusts the output voltage based on the corresponding voltage regulation control signal.

[0094] In the embodiments of this disclosure, the voltage regulation response speed corresponding to the second interface is greater than the configuration response speed corresponding to the first interface, and the timeliness requirement of the first type of configuration parameters is lower than the timeliness requirement of the target regulating voltage. After the control module determines the target output voltage, it searches for the level combination corresponding to the target output voltage in a preset voltage mapping relationship, generates a voltage regulation control signal containing the level combination, and sends the voltage regulation control signal to the voltage conversion module through the second interface. The voltage conversion module receives the voltage regulation control signal through its voltage selection terminal, determines the target level from a preset plurality of output voltage levels according to the level combination state of the voltage selection terminal, and adjusts the output voltage to the voltage value corresponding to the level.

[0095] In the embodiments of this disclosure, the voltage regulation response speed corresponding to the second interface reaches the nanosecond level, and the delay of the voltage conversion module in adjusting the output voltage after receiving the voltage regulation control signal is less than one hundred nanoseconds. The configuration response speed corresponding to the first interface is at the microsecond or millisecond level, which is sufficient to meet the transmission requirements of the first type of configuration parameters. The first type of configuration parameters are transmitted only once during the startup phase and do not participate in the real-time voltage regulation process; their timeliness requirements are lower than those of the target regulated voltage. The voltage regulation control signal is continuously transmitted during the operation phase, and its timeliness requirements are high. Using the second interface with a faster voltage regulation response speed ensures the timeliness of the voltage regulation action.

[0096] In the embodiments of this disclosure, the functional unit includes multiple functional units, the voltage conversion module includes multiple voltage conversion units, and the multiple voltage conversion units are electrically connected to the multiple functional units respectively. Providing a voltage regulation control signal corresponding to the target output voltage to the voltage conversion module through the second interface may further include: providing multiple voltage regulation control signals to the multiple voltage conversion units through the second interface so that the multiple voltage conversion units adjust their respective output voltages within the same voltage regulation cycle.

[0097] In the embodiments of this disclosure, the control module acquires the load status of each functional unit, determines the target output voltage corresponding to each functional unit based on the load status, and generates multiple voltage regulation control signals corresponding to each target output voltage. The control module simultaneously sends multiple voltage regulation control signals through the second interface. After receiving their respective voltage regulation control signals, each voltage conversion unit simultaneously begins to adjust its output voltage, completing its respective voltage adjustment action within the same voltage regulation cycle.

[0098] In the embodiments of this disclosure, multiple voltage conversion units each complete the adjustment of their output voltage within the same voltage regulation cycle, and the adjustment process of any one voltage conversion unit is unaffected by the adjustment status of other voltage conversion units. Each functional unit obtains the updated supply voltage at the same time, without having to wait for the voltage regulation actions of other functional units to complete before starting its own voltage adjustment. The parallel voltage regulation method avoids the delay accumulation problem caused by serial voltage regulation, and can significantly shorten the total time required for all voltage conversion units to complete voltage regulation in multi-power supply scenarios.

[0099] Embodiments of this disclosure also provide an electronic device including a memory and a processor, the memory storing a computer program, the processor being configured to run the computer program to perform the steps in any of the control method embodiments described above.

[0100] Embodiments of this disclosure also provide a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program configured to execute the steps in any of the control method embodiments described above when running.

[0101] In one exemplary embodiment, the aforementioned computer-readable storage medium may include, but is not limited to, various media capable of storing computer programs, such as a USB flash drive, read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), portable hard disk, magnetic disk, or optical disk.

[0102] Embodiments of this disclosure also provide a computer program product, which includes a computer program that, when executed by a processor, implements the steps in any of the control method embodiments described above.

[0103] Embodiments of this disclosure also provide another computer program product, including a non-volatile computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program that, when executed by a processor, implements the steps in any of the control method embodiments described above.

[0104] Any of the components, modules, units, parts, methods, and operations described in this disclosure can be implemented using software, firmware, hardware (e.g., fixed logic circuitry), manual processing, or any combination thereof. Alternatively or additionally, any functionality described herein can be performed at least in part by one or more hardware logic components, such as, but not limited to, a central processing unit (CPU), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), an application-specific standard product (ASSP), a system-on-a-chip (SoC), a complex programmable logic device (CPLD), a microprocessor (MCU), etc. The terms "system," "computing device," or "apparatus" described herein encompass various means, devices, and machines for processing data, including, for example, one or more programmable processors, computers, SoCs, or combinations thereof. The apparatus may also include code that creates an execution environment for the computer program in question, such as code constituting processor firmware, a protocol stack, a database management system, an operating system, a cross-platform runtime environment, a virtual machine, or one or more combinations thereof. The aforementioned computer program (also known as a program, software, software application, app, script, or code) can be written in any form of programming language, including compiled or interpreted languages, declarative or procedural languages, and can be deployed in any form, including as a standalone program or as a module, component, subroutine, object, or other unit suitable for a computing environment.

[0105] The units and algorithm steps of the various examples described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented in electronic hardware, computer software, or a combination of both. To clearly illustrate the interchangeability of hardware and software, the components and steps of each example have been generally described in terms of functionality in the foregoing description. Whether these functions are implemented in hardware or software depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Those skilled in the art can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementations should not be considered beyond the scope of this disclosure.

[0106] The control method and electronic device provided in this disclosure have been described in detail above. Specific examples have been used to illustrate the principles and implementation methods of this disclosure. The descriptions of the embodiments above are only for the purpose of helping to understand the method and its core ideas. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various improvements and modifications to this disclosure without departing from its principles, and these improvements and modifications also fall within the protection scope of this disclosure.

Claims

1. A control circuit, comprising: The control module includes a first interface, a second interface, and functional units; A voltage conversion module, electrically connected to the functional unit, is used to supply power to the functional unit; The control module is configured as follows: Configure the first type of configuration parameters of the voltage conversion module through the first interface; Based on the operational requirements of the functional unit, the target output voltage corresponding to the voltage conversion module is determined; The voltage conversion module is provided with a voltage regulation control signal corresponding to the target output voltage through the second interface, so that the voltage conversion module adjusts the output voltage based on the corresponding voltage regulation control signal. The voltage regulation response speed of the second interface is greater than the configuration response speed of the first interface, and the timeliness requirement of the first type of configuration parameters is lower than the timeliness requirement of the target regulating voltage.

2. The control circuit according to claim 1, wherein the functional unit comprises a plurality of functional units, the voltage conversion module comprises a plurality of voltage conversion units, and the plurality of voltage conversion units are respectively electrically connected to the plurality of functional units; The control module is configured to provide multiple voltage regulation control signals to the multiple voltage conversion units through the second interface, so that the multiple voltage conversion units adjust their respective output voltages within the same voltage regulation cycle.

3. The control circuit according to claim 2 further includes a parallel output circuit, the parallel output circuit being connected between the second interface and the plurality of voltage conversion units, for outputting the plurality of voltage regulation control signals in parallel to the plurality of voltage conversion units.

4. The control circuit according to claim 3, wherein the parallel output circuit has a write state and a hold state; In the write state, the parallel output circuit sequentially receives and stores the level states of each of the plurality of voltage regulation control signals through the second interface; In the held state, the parallel output circuit outputs the stored level states of each channel in parallel to the plurality of voltage conversion units.

5. The control circuit according to claim 4, wherein each voltage conversion unit includes at least two voltage selection terminals, and the voltage regulation control signal includes a level combination provided to the at least two voltage selection terminals, and different level combinations correspond to different output voltage levels of the voltage conversion unit.

6. The control circuit according to claim 5, wherein the control module is further configured to determine the target output voltage corresponding to each of the functional units according to the operational requirements of each of the functional units; Generate multiple corresponding voltage regulation control signals based on the target output voltages described above; The parallel output circuit is further configured to output the level combination of each voltage regulation control signal in parallel to the voltage selection terminal of each voltage conversion unit, so that each voltage conversion unit determines the corresponding output voltage level according to the received level combination.

7. The control circuit according to claim 1, wherein the first interface is a serial communication interface; and the second interface is a general-purpose input / output interface.

8. The control circuit according to claim 1, wherein the control module is further configured to configure a first type of configuration parameters of the voltage conversion module through the first interface when the control circuit is started, wherein the first type of configuration parameters remain unchanged during the operation of the control circuit; During the operation of the control circuit, a voltage regulation control signal corresponding to the target output voltage is provided to the voltage conversion module through the second interface.

9. A control method applied to a control module of a control circuit, the control circuit including a control module and a voltage conversion module, the control module including a first interface, a second interface, and a functional unit, the voltage conversion module being electrically connected to the functional unit for supplying power to the functional unit, the method comprising: Configure the first type of configuration parameters of the voltage conversion module through the first interface; Based on the operational requirements of the functional unit, the target output voltage corresponding to the voltage conversion module is determined; The voltage conversion module is provided with a voltage regulation control signal corresponding to the target output voltage through the second interface, so that the voltage conversion module adjusts the output voltage based on the corresponding voltage regulation control signal. The voltage regulation response speed of the second interface is greater than the configuration response speed of the first interface, and the timeliness requirement of the first type of configuration parameters is lower than the timeliness requirement of the target regulating voltage.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the functional unit comprises a plurality of functional units, the voltage conversion module comprises a plurality of voltage conversion units, the plurality of voltage conversion units are electrically connected to the plurality of functional units respectively, and the step of providing a voltage regulation control signal corresponding to the target output voltage to the voltage conversion module through the second interface comprises: Multiple voltage regulation control signals are provided to the multiple voltage conversion units through the second interface, so that the multiple voltage conversion units adjust their respective output voltages within the same voltage regulation cycle.

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