Adaptive Drive Strength Control for Power Multiplexing Systems
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Solution Overview
Problem
Power multiplexing systems face challenges in efficiently managing drive strength to balance performance and power consumption, particularly due to process voltage temperature (PVT) variations, which can lead to increased leakage power and reduced performance.
Innovation Solution
The system adaptively controls the drive strength of multiplexed power from supply power rails by using a control circuit to monitor output voltage and adjust the drive strength of supply selection circuits, reducing the need for oversized transistors and thus minimizing leakage power while maintaining desired performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If oversized transistors are used in supply selection circuits to increase drive strength margin, then performance is improved, but leakage power increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic drive strength adjustment by controlling multiple parallel transistors with different drive strengths through enable signals. The supply selection circuit can adaptively activate or deactivate specific transistors based on process voltage temperature (PVT) variations, allowing the drive strength to be dynamically optimized rather than statically oversized, thereby reducing leakage power while maintaining performance.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the drive strength parameter of the supply selection circuit by selectively activating transistors with different drive strengths. The control circuit monitors PVT variations and adjusts the drive strength indicator to enable or disable specific transistors, thereby changing the overall drive strength parameter to match actual operating conditions and reduce unnecessary leakage power.
2Reliability
If drive strength is increased to compensate for PVT variations, then performance is maintained, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a control circuit that monitors PVT variations and provides feedback to adjust the drive strength of the supply selection circuit. Based on the monitored PVT conditions, the control circuit dynamically enables or disables specific transistors to maintain performance stability without unnecessarily increasing power consumption, achieving optimal power-performance tradeoff.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent makes the drive strength dynamic by allowing the supply selection circuit to adapt its transistor configuration in real-time based on PVT variations. This dynamic adjustment ensures performance stability is maintained only when necessary, reducing power consumption during conditions where full drive strength is not required.
3Loss of energy
If multiple voltage domains are provided to balance performance and power consumption, then power efficiency is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a universal power multiplexing system that can selectively supply power from multiple voltage domains to different operational circuits. The supply selection circuit serves multiple functions by dynamically switching between different voltage domains based on operational mode, providing both high-performance and low-power modes through a single unified control mechanism, thereby managing complexity while maintaining power efficiency.
Data Source
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AI summary
Adaptively controlling drive strength of multiplexed power from supply power rails (204(N)) in a power multiplexing system (200) to a powered circuit (208) is disclosed. A power multiplexing circuit (201) in the power multiplexing system includes a plurality of supply selection circuits (216) (e.g., head switches) each coupled between a respective supply power rail and an output power rail (206) coupled to the powered circuit (208). The power multiplexing circuit (201) is configured to activate a selected supply selection circuit to switch coupling of an associated supply power rail to the output power rail to power the powered circuit. In one example, the supply selection circuits each include a plurality of power switch selection circuits coupled to an associated supply power rail. The power switch selection circuits are configured to be activated and deactivated by a control circuit (222) to adjust drive strength of a multiplexed supply power rail based on operational conditions, which can account for performance variations.