Address Generation Circuit for Multi-State Control Pin Programming
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Solution Overview
Problem
Integrated circuits face challenges in efficiently programming multiple operating modes due to the high number of control pins required by binary input control logic, which increases package size and power consumption, especially in complex ICs like multiple output low-dropout linear voltage regulators.
Innovation Solution
A method and circuit that use an off-chip resistor network and on-chip address decoding to assign multiple programming states to each control pin, allowing fewer pins to program a large number of states, by selecting power-of-two multiplication factors and shifting and adding input values to generate a contiguous address range.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If binary input control logic is used to program multiple operating modes, then the number of programmable options increases, but the number of control pins required increases
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple binary control pins are merged into a single multi-state control pin. The patent combines the functionality of multiple pins (each providing 2 states) into one pin that can represent multiple states through analog voltage levels, thereby reducing the total pin count while maintaining the ability to select multiple operating modes.
Solution Approach 2:
The control mechanism transitions from digital binary states (0 or 1 per pin) to analog continuous voltage levels. By utilizing the voltage dimension (analog-to-digital conversion), a single pin can represent multiple states, effectively adding a new dimension of control capability that reduces the number of pins required.
2Adaptability or versatility
If more control pins are used to increase programmable options, then more operating modes can be selected, but the package size increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple control pins into a single multi-state control pin, directly reducing the package footprint. By combining the control functions of multiple pins into one, the physical package size is minimized while still providing access to multiple operating modes through analog voltage selection.
Solution Approach 2:
A single control pin is designed to perform multiple functions by representing multiple states through analog voltage levels. This multi-functional approach allows one pin to replace what would traditionally require multiple pins, thereby reducing the overall package size while maintaining full programmable capability.
3Adaptability or versatility
If more control pins are used to program complex ICs, then more operating conditions can be controlled, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple control pins into a single multi-state pin, reducing the total number of control signals required. This consolidation reduces the power consumption associated with driving multiple pins, as fewer pin interfaces and associated circuitry are needed, while still enabling control over multiple operating conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses an analog copy of digital control concepts. Instead of using multiple digital pins, it creates an analog representation (voltage levels) that can be converted to digital states, thereby reducing the power required for control signaling while maintaining the ability to select multiple operating conditions.
4Ease of manufacture
If each control pin represents only two digital states, then the control logic is simple, but the number of pins required for complex programming increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an analog voltage dimension to the control pin, allowing it to represent multiple states beyond binary. This dimensional extension enables a single pin to perform what would traditionally require multiple pins, maintaining control logic simplicity at the pin level while increasing the information capacity of each pin through analog-to-digital conversion.
Solution Approach 2:
The control pin transitions from fixed binary states to variable analog voltage levels. By changing the parameter representation from discrete digital (0/1) to continuous analog (voltage levels), the system achieves higher state density per pin while keeping the underlying control mechanism relatively simple through standard analog-to-digital conversion techniques.
Data Source
AI summary
A method in an integrated circuit for generating an address value having a contiguous address range from a first selection result and a second selection result each being an one-of-k selection result includes selecting multiple multiplication factors being power-of-two multiplication factors and the sum of the multiplication factors being equal to k; shifting the first selection result towards the most significant bit by each of the multiplication factors to generate multiple shifted input values where each shifted input value is shifted towards the most significant bit by one of the multiplication factors; adding the shifted input values and the second selection result; and generating the address value having a contiguous address range. The method can be extended to combine more than two selection results by applying the shifting and addition steps in a hierarchical manner.