Power supply adjustment device, motherboard, and power supply adjustment method with multi-segment load lines
Patent Information
- Application Number
- JP2025211455
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Priority Date
- 2024-12-27
- Filing Date
- 2025-12-01
- Publication Date
- 2026-08-25
AI Technical Summary
Existing CPU load lines with fixed slopes fail to balance performance and power consumption under dynamic load states, leading to instability and reduced power savings when overclocked or overvoltage occurs.
Implementing a power supply adjustment device with a multi-segment load line that dynamically adjusts power supply based on processor current, using a control circuit to manage a relationship between preset currents and power parameters with varying slopes.
This approach ensures stable operation under heavy loads while achieving energy savings during light loads, even in overclocked or overvoltage conditions.
Smart Images
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Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] The present disclosure relates to a power supply adjustment device, a motherboard, and a power supply adjustment method.
Background Art
[0002] A central processing unit (CPU) mounted on a computer motherboard is usually designed with a fixed load line in order to balance performance and power consumption. In the default state, the greater the load on the CPU, the greater the voltage drop due to the load line. However, when the CPU is overclocked or overvoltage occurs, the fixed load line generates a large voltage drop and reduces the stability of the system.
[0003] To solve this problem, the user can reduce the voltage drop by lowering the load line value and improve the stability of the system. However, when the load line value is lowered, the voltage drop becomes small in both the light load state and the heavy load state, and there is a possibility that the original power saving function may not be exhibited. Therefore, a load line having a fixed slope has limitations under a dynamic load state.
Summary of the Invention
Problems to be Solved by the Invention
[0004] Therefore, the present disclosure provides a power supply adjustment method, a motherboard, and a power supply adjustment device having a multi-segment load line.
Means for Solving the Problems
[0005] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a power supply regulating device having a multi-segment load line is applicable to a processor and a power supply controller and comprises a reading wire and a control circuit, the control circuit being connected to the reading wire. The reading wire is configured to acquire the operating current of the processor. The control circuit is configured to acquire a target power parameter from a pre-stored multi-segment load line in accordance with the operating current and to control the power supply controller to supply power to the processor in accordance with the target power parameter, the pre-stored multi-segment load line representing a relationship between a plurality of preset currents and a plurality of preset power parameters and comprising a plurality of segments corresponding to different current ranges and having different slopes.
[0006] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a motherboard having a multisegment load line comprises a power supply controller and a processor, the processor being connected to the power supply controller. The processor obtains a target power parameter from a pre-stored multisegment load line according to the operating current of the processor, and controls the power supply controller to supply power to the processor according to the target power parameter, the pre-stored multisegment load line representing the relationship between a plurality of preset currents and a plurality of preset power parameters, and includes a plurality of segments corresponding to different current ranges and having different slopes.
[0007] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a power supply adjustment method applicable to a processor and a power supply controller comprises: obtaining the operating current of the processor; obtaining a target power parameter from a pre-stored multi-segment load line according to the operating current; and controlling the power supply controller to supply power to the processor according to the target power parameter, wherein the pre-stored multi-segment load line represents the relationship between a plurality of preset currents and a plurality of preset power parameters and includes a plurality of segments corresponding to different current ranges and having different slopes. [Effects of the Invention]
[0008] In view of the above description, the power supply adjustment method, motherboard, and power supply adjustment device having multi-segment load lines of this disclosure can dynamically adjust the power supply in accordance with the operating current of the processor by applying load lines having an unfixed slope. Therefore, even when the computer system is in an overclocked or overvoltage state, energy savings can be achieved under light loads and stability can be maintained under heavy loads. [Brief explanation of the drawing]
[0009] This disclosure will be better understood from the following detailed description and accompanying drawings, which are for illustrative purposes only and do not limit the scope of this disclosure.
[0010] [Figure 1] A functional block diagram showing a power supply adjustment device and its applicable environment according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] This is a functional block diagram of a power supply controller and control circuit of a power supply adjustment device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 3] This is a functional block diagram of a power supply controller and control circuit of a power supply adjustment device according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 4] This is a functional block diagram of a motherboard according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 5]This is a flowchart of a power supply adjustment method according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 6] This is a schematic diagram of a multi-segment load line according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Modes for carrying out the invention]
[0011] The following detailed description includes numerous specific details to provide a thorough understanding of the disclosed embodiments. Those skilled in the art will readily grasp the concepts and features of the invention based on the description, claims, and drawings disclosed herein. The following embodiments further illustrate various aspects of the invention, but are not intended to limit the scope of the invention.
[0012] The power supply adjustment devices and methods described below may be applied to the management of the processor and power supply controller on a computer motherboard.
[0013] Referring to Figure 1, Figure 1 is a functional block diagram of a power supply regulating device and its application environment according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 1, the power supply regulating device 1 includes a leading wire 11, a control circuit 12, and a user interface 13, the user interface 13 being an optional component. The control circuit 12 is connected to the leading wire 11 and the user interface 13 by wire or wireless, and the control circuit 12 is connected to a power supply controller A2. The leading wire 11 is connected to a processor A1. The processor A1 may be, for example, a central processing unit, a graphics processing unit, a microcontroller, a programmable logic controller, or other processor having signal processing capabilities. The power supply controller A2 may be, for example, a pulse width modulation (PWM) controller or other type of power supply controller for supplying power to the processor A1. In one implementation, the processor A1 and the power supply controller A2 are components of the motherboard, and the power supply regulating device 1 is located outside the motherboard. In another implementation, the processor A1, the power supply controller A2, and the power supply regulating device 1 are components of the same motherboard.
[0014] The leading wire 11 is configured to acquire the operating current of processor A1, in particular the current operating current. For example, the leading wire 11 may be connected to an ammeter or other current sensing circuit of processor A1. It should be noted that Figure 1 exemplifies the leading wire 11 connected to processor A1 for acquiring the operating current of processor A1. However, in other embodiments, the leading wire 11 may be a connection wire connected to a power supply controller A2 on which a pulse width modulation controller is implemented, and the operating current of processor A1 may be acquired from the pulse width modulation controller. Alternatively, the leading wire 11 may be a connection wire connected to a basic input / output system (BIOS) chip, and the operating current of processor A1 may be acquired from the BIOS chip.
[0015] The control circuit 12 is configured to obtain a target power parameter from a pre-stored multi-segment load line according to the operating current, and to control the power supply controller A2 to supply power to the processor A1 according to the target power parameter. The pre-stored multi-segment load line indicates the relationship between multiple preset currents and multiple preset power parameters, and includes multiple segments corresponding to different current ranges and having different slopes. The control circuit 12 may include at least a port and a processing unit, the port being configured to connect to the power supply controller A2, and the processing unit being, for example, a BIOS chip, an embedded controller (EC), a microcontroller unit (MCU), or other component having signal processing capabilities, and is configured to adjust the load line values of the power supply controller A2, or a load unit connected through the power supply controller A2 via the port. The multi-segment load line may be multiple load lines, which may be selected depending on the model or type of processor A1. The multiple segments may refer to two or more segments depending on the current load state of processor A1. The preset current may be a current range that the processor A1 can withstand, for example, between 0 and 200 amperes, or it may refer to a current calculated from the power consumption used by the processor A1. The target power parameter may be voltage, power, power supply efficiency, over current protection (OCP) threshold, or over voltage protection (OVP) threshold.
[0016] In one embodiment, a plurality of segments of a pre-stored multi-segment load line include at least a first segment corresponding to a first current range and a second segment corresponding to a second current range, wherein the current value of the first current range is smaller than the current value of the second current range, and the slope of the first segment is greater than the slope of the second segment. The first current range may be applicable to the processor under light load, and the first segment may allow for a larger voltage drop to achieve power saving during light load. The second current range may be applicable to the processor under heavy load, and the second segment may allow for a smaller voltage drop to maintain system stability and prevent performance degradation caused by system crashes, calculation errors, or excessive voltage drops. Specifically, the slope of the first segment is greater than twice the slope of the second segment. For example, the first current range may be greater than 0 amperes and 50 amperes or less, and the slope of the first segment may be 0.5; the second current range may be greater than 50 amperes and 100 amperes or less, and the slope of the second segment may be 0.2. In one embodiment, the slope may refer to the resistance value.
[0017] The user interface 13 may be an input device such as a keyboard, mouse, or touchscreen, and may be configured to receive change commands and send them to the control circuit 12, which is further configured to adjust pre-stored multisegment load lines in response to the change commands. The user interface 13 may provide the user with access to modify the multisegment load lines and send change commands to the control circuit 12. For example, the user may change the slope of one or more segments of the multisegment load line or change the switching points (i.e., boundaries between current ranges) corresponding to current values, depending on the model or usage of the processor A1. In one embodiment, the change command indicates a switching current value identified as a switching point between two of the multiple segments, and the control circuit 12 is configured to adjust the identified switching current value as a switching point at a preset ratio. That is, the control circuit 12 may fine-tune the switching current value identified by the user and use the fine-tuned switching current value as the switching point. For example, if the user specifies that the switching point between the first and second segments of a multi-segment load line corresponds to 50 amperes, the control circuit 12 may set the current value corresponding to the switching point to 45 amperes, depending on a preset ratio, for example 10%, so that when the load on processor A1 exceeds 45 amperes, switching occurs from the first segment to the second segment. The preset ratio can provide a buffer area for the load stage, thereby effectively preventing system failures caused by sudden high loads. The preset ratio may be set as needed. In the example above, the final setting of the current value is the specified current value minus the value obtained by multiplying the specified current value by the preset ratio. In other embodiments, the final setting of the current value may be the specified current value plus the value obtained by multiplying the preset ratio.
[0018] Referring to FIG. 2, FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of a control circuit of a power supply controller and a power supply adjustment device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The control circuit 12 in FIG. 1 may be implemented by the control circuit 22 in FIG. 2. As shown in FIG. 2, the control circuit 22 includes a processing device 221 and a communication bus 222, and the communication bus 222 is connected to the processing device 221 and the power supply controller A2'. In this embodiment, the power supply controller A2' is a digital controller.
[0019] The processing device 221 is configured to obtain target power parameters from a multi-segment load line stored in advance according to the operating current, and adjust the load line value of the power supply controller A2' through the communication bus 222 according to the target power parameters. For example, the processing device 221 may be a BIOS chip, an embedded controller, a microcontroller unit or other components having a signal processing function, and may adjust the load line value of the power supply controller A2' such as voltage, current and / or power limit through the communication bus 222. The communication bus 222 may be a power management bus (PMBus) or an inter-integrated circuit bus (I 2 2C Bus).
[0020] Referring to FIG. 3, FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram of a control circuit of a power supply controller and a power supply adjustment device according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. The control circuit 12 in FIG. 1 may be implemented by the control circuit 32 in FIG. 3. As shown in FIG. 3, the control circuit 32 may include a processing device 321, a general-purpose input / output (GPIO) port 322 and a plurality of load units 323. The general-purpose input / output port 322 is connected to the processing device 321 and the plurality of load units 323, and is connected to the power supply controller A2'' through the plurality of load units 323. In this embodiment, the power supply controller A2'' is an analog controller.
[0021] The processing device 321 can be connected to the power supply controller A2” through the general-purpose input / output port 322 and a plurality of load units 323. The processing device 321 acquires target power parameters from a multi-segment load line stored in advance according to the operating current, and according to the target power parameters, at least a part of the plurality of load units 323 is switched on through the general-purpose input / output port 322 to the power supply controller A2”, so as to be configured to adjust the power supplied by the power supply controller A2”. For example, the processing device 321 may be a BIOS chip, an embedded controller, a microcontroller unit or other components having a signal processing function.
[0022] Each of the plurality of load units 323 includes at least one of a resistor and a capacitor, and the plurality of load units 323 are configured to be connected to the power supply controller A2”. The plurality of load units 323 may include different numbers of resistors and capacitors and have different impedance values. The processing device 321 can control the load units 323 turned on by the power supply controller A2” through the general-purpose input / output port 322, thereby adjusting the power supplied by the power supply controller A2”. In particular, the impedance value is proportional to the load line value (slope).
[0023] Referring to FIG. 4, FIG. 4 is a functional block diagram of a motherboard according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 4, the motherboard 4 includes a power supply controller 41, a processor 42 and a user interface 43, and the processor 42 is connected to the power supply controller 41 and the user interface 43 through a wired or wireless connection. The user interface 43 is an arbitrary component. Since the realization and operation of the power supply controller 41 and the user interface 43 are the same as those of the power supply controller A2 and the user interface 13 shown in FIG. 1, the repeated description is omitted here.
[0024] The processor 42 is configured to obtain a target power parameter from a pre-stored multi-segment load line according to the processor's operating current, and to control the power supply controller 41 to supply power to the processor 42 according to the target power parameter. The pre-stored multi-segment load line represents the relationship between a plurality of preset currents and a plurality of preset power parameters, and includes a plurality of segments corresponding to different current ranges and having different slopes. The implementation of the pre-stored multi-segment load line is the same as in the previously described embodiment, and redundant explanation is omitted here. In this embodiment, the processor 42 may perform operations performed by the control circuit 12 in the previously described embodiment. For example, the processor 42 may be a central processing unit, a graphics processing unit, a microcontroller, a programmable logic controller, or other processor having signal processing capabilities. The target power parameter may be, for example, voltage or power. For example, the processor 42 may correlate its operating current to a target voltage and send a control signal to the power supply controller 41, thereby allowing the power supply controller 41 to adjust the output voltage or current to stably supply power that meets the operating requirements.
[0025] Referring to Figure 5, Figure 5 is a flowchart of a power supply adjustment method according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 5, the power supply adjustment method comprises: step S1: obtaining the operating current of the processor; step S3: obtaining a target power parameter from a pre-stored multi-segment load line according to the operating current; and step S5: controlling the power supply controller to supply power to the processor according to the target power parameter. The power supply adjustment method may be applied to the power supply adjustment device 1 shown in Figure 1 and the motherboard 4 shown in Figure 4. The power supply adjustment method shown in Figure 5 is described below illustratively with reference to the adjustment device 1 shown in Figure 1. In other embodiments, the power supply adjustment method may be performed by the processor 42 of the motherboard 4 shown in Figure 4.
[0026] In step S1, the leading wire 11 obtains the operating current of processor A1. Specifically, the leading wire 11 may obtain the operating current of processor A1 by calculating the current according to Ohm's law using the voltage drop across a fixed resistor and provide real-time current data to the control circuit 12. Alternatively, the leading wire 11 may obtain the operating current of processor A1 from a pulse width modulation controller or from a basic input / output system.
[0027] In step S3, the control circuit 12 obtains the target power parameter from a pre-stored multi-segment load line according to the operating current. Specifically, the pre-stored multi-segment load line shows the relationship between multiple preset currents and multiple preset power parameters and includes multiple segments corresponding to different current ranges and having different slopes.
[0028] In step S5, the control circuit 12 controls the power supply controller to supply power to the processor according to the target power parameters. Specifically, the control circuit 12 may obtain parameters for dynamic voltage adjustment according to the design guidelines or power requirement specifications of the processor A1, and control the power supply controller A2 to perform power compensation according to the voltage drop calculated from the load line, thereby adjusting the power supplied to the processor A1 by the power supply controller A2.
[0029] In one embodiment, the power supply adjustment method may further include receiving a change command and adjusting a pre-stored multisegment load line in response to the change command. For example, a user may change a multisegment load line via a user interface 13 and send a change command to the control circuit 12. The change command may indicate a specified switching current value as a switching point between two of the multiple segments, and adjusting the pre-stored multisegment load line in response to the aforementioned change command may include adjusting the specified switching current value by a preset ratio so that it functions as a switching point.
[0030] Referring to Figure 6, which is a schematic diagram of a multisegment load line according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the multisegment load line may have at least three segments, including a first segment L11, a second segment L12, and a third segment L13. The multisegment load line may correspond to an overclocked state of the processor. During the boot process, the basic input / output system may recognize that the processor is in an overclocked state and notify the power supply unit or the processor to control the power supply using the multisegment load line.
[0031] In this embodiment, the first segment L11 indicates that when the processor's operating current is within 50 amperes (including 50 amperes), a system including the processor (e.g., a computer system) can operate stably by using a 0.5 milliohm load segment. The second segment L12 indicates that when the processor's operating current is between 51 and 100 amperes, a system can operate stably by using 0.2 milliohms. The third segment L13 indicates that when the processor's operating current is 100 amperes or more, a system can operate stably by using 0 milliohms. The power supply regulator or processor detects pulse-width modulated current data and adjusts the load line segment in use according to the current data, thereby achieving the effect of dynamically changing the slope in use according to the load current data.
[0032] In view of the above description, the power supply adjustment method, motherboard, and power supply adjustment device having multi-segment load lines disclosed in this application can dynamically adjust the power supply in accordance with the operating current of the processor by applying load lines having a non-constant slope. Therefore, even when the computer system is in an overclocked or overvoltage state, energy savings can be achieved under light loads, and stability can be maintained under heavy loads.
Claims
1. A power supply regulator having a multi-segment load line, applicable to processors and power supply controllers, A reading wire configured to acquire the operating current of the aforementioned processor, A control circuit connected to the leading wire and configured to acquire a target power parameter from a multi-segment load line pre-stored according to the operating current, and to control the power supply controller to supply power to the processor according to the target power parameter, The system includes a user interface connected to the control circuit and configured to receive change commands and transmit the change commands to the control circuit, The aforementioned pre-stored multi-segment load line represents the relationship between multiple preset currents and multiple preset power parameters, and includes multiple segments corresponding to different current ranges and having different slopes, wherein the multiple segments are discontinuous line segments. The change command specifies a switching current value identified as a switching point between two of the plurality of segments, and the control circuit is further configured to adjust the switching point of the discontinuous line segment according to the identified switching current value, in a power supply adjustment device.
2. The power supply adjustment device according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of segments include at least a first segment corresponding to a first current range and a second segment corresponding to a second current range, the current value of the first current range is smaller than the current value of the second current range, and the slope of the first segment is greater than the slope of the second segment.
3. The power supply adjustment device according to claim 2, wherein the inclination of the first segment is greater than twice the inclination of the second segment.
4. The aforementioned power supply controller is a digital controller, The aforementioned control circuit is A communication bus configured to connect to the power supply controller, The power supply adjustment device according to claim 1, comprising: a processing unit connected to the communication bus and configured to acquire the target power parameter from the pre-stored multisegment load line according to the operating current, and to adjust the load line value of the power supply controller via the communication bus according to the target power parameter.
5. The aforementioned power supply controller is an analog controller. The aforementioned control circuit is A plurality of load units, each comprising at least one resistor and a capacitor, and connected to the power supply controller, The general-purpose input / output ports connected to the aforementioned multiple load units, The power supply adjustment device according to claim 1, comprising: a processing device connected to the general-purpose input / output port, configured to acquire the target power parameter from the pre-stored multi-segment load line according to the operating current, and to switch on at least a portion of the plurality of load units to the power supply controller via the general-purpose input / output port according to the target power parameter, and to adjust the power supplied by the power supply controller.
6. The power supply adjustment device according to claim 1, wherein the control circuit is configured to adjust the identified switching current value by a preset ratio so as to function as the switching point.
7. A motherboard with multi-segment load lines, Power supply controller, A processor connected to the power supply controller, configured to acquire a target power parameter from a multi-segment load line pre-stored according to the operating current of the processor, and to control the power supply controller to supply power to the processor according to the target power parameter, The system includes a user interface connected to the processor and configured to receive change commands and transmit the change commands to the processor, The aforementioned pre-stored multi-segment load line represents the relationship between multiple preset currents and multiple preset power parameters, and includes multiple segments corresponding to different current ranges and having different slopes, wherein the multiple segments are discontinuous line segments. The change command specifies a switching current value identified as a switching point between two of the plurality of segments, and the processor is further configured to adjust the switching point of the discontinuous line segment according to the identified switching current value, the motherboard.
8. The motherboard according to claim 7, wherein the plurality of segments include at least a first segment corresponding to a first current range and a second segment corresponding to a second current range, the current value of the first current range is smaller than the current value of the second current range, and the slope of the first segment is larger than the slope of the second segment.
9. The motherboard according to claim 8, wherein the inclination of the first segment is greater than twice the inclination of the second segment.
10. The motherboard according to claim 7, wherein the processor is configured to adjust the identified switching current value by a preset ratio so as to function as a switching point.
11. A power supply adjustment method applicable to a processor and a power supply controller, To obtain the operating current of the aforementioned processor, The target power parameters are obtained from a multi-segment load line that has been pre-stored according to the operating current, Controlling the power supply controller to supply power to the processor according to the target power parameter, Receiving change commands and The system includes adjusting the pre-saved multi-segment load lines in response to the aforementioned change command, The aforementioned pre-stored multi-segment load line represents the relationship between multiple preset currents and multiple preset power parameters, and includes multiple segments corresponding to different current ranges and having different slopes, wherein the multiple segments are discontinuous line segments. A power supply adjustment method wherein the change command specifies a switching current value identified as a switching point between two of the plurality of segments, and adjusting the pre-stored multisegment load line in response to the change command includes adjusting the switching point of the discontinuous line segment in response to the identified switching current value.
12. The power supply adjustment method according to claim 11, wherein the plurality of segments include at least a first segment corresponding to a first current range and a second segment corresponding to a second current range, the current value of the first current range is smaller than the current value of the second current range, and the slope of the first segment is greater than the slope of the second segment.
13. The power supply adjustment method according to claim 12, wherein the inclination of the first segment is greater than twice the inclination of the second segment.
14. The power supply adjustment method according to claim 11, wherein adjusting the switching points of the discontinuous line segment in accordance with the identified switching current value includes adjusting the identified switching current value by a preset ratio so that it functions as a switching point.