Bandgap Voltage Clock Gating for Lower Reference Power
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Solution Overview
Problem
Bandgap circuits continuously consume power to provide a stable reference voltage, leading to inefficient energy usage.
Innovation Solution
A bandgap voltage generating apparatus that includes a bandgap circuit, a frequency dividing circuit, and a logic circuit, where the bandgap circuit determines whether to generate a bandgap voltage based on an enable clock, and the frequency dividing circuit generates divided clocks used by the logic circuit to create the enable clock, allowing the bandgap circuit to be enabled only during necessary periods to reduce power consumption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If the bandgap circuit continuously operates to provide stable reference voltage, then the voltage stability is improved, but the power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The bandgap circuit operates periodically rather than continuously. The enable clock controls the bandgap circuit to generate bandgap voltage only during specific time intervals (when enable clock is high), while remaining disabled during other intervals. This periodic operation maintains voltage stability when needed while reducing overall power consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The capacitor stores the bandgap voltage in advance during the enabled period. By pre-charging the capacitor when the bandgap circuit is active, the stored voltage can be used during the disabled period, eliminating the need for continuous operation and thereby reducing power consumption while maintaining voltage availability.
2Duration of action of moving object
If the bandgap circuit is enabled continuously, then the reference voltage is always available, but the energy efficiency deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses periodic enabling of the bandgap circuit controlled by the enable clock. The circuit is activated during specific periods to charge the capacitor, then disabled to conserve energy. This periodic action ensures voltage availability during enabled periods while improving energy efficiency through disabled periods.
Solution Approach 2:
The capacitor acts as an intermediary energy storage element between the bandgap circuit and the load. It stores the bandgap voltage when the circuit is enabled and supplies voltage when the circuit is disabled, mediating the transition and allowing the circuit to be disabled without immediately affecting voltage availability.
3Device complexity
If the bandgap circuit operates without control signals, then the circuit simplicity is maintained, but the power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The enable clock serves as a simple control intermediary that manages the operation of the bandgap circuit. By introducing this single control signal, the system achieves power consumption reduction through enabled/disabled states without significantly increasing circuit complexity. The enable clock coordinates the operation of the bandgap circuit and the capacitor charging/discharging cycles.
Data Source
AI summary
A bandgap voltage generating apparatus and an operation method thereof are provided. The bandgap voltage generating apparatus includes a bandgap circuit, a frequency dividing circuit, and a logic circuit. The bandgap circuit is configured to determine whether to generate a bandgap voltage based on an enable clock. The frequency dividing circuit is configured to divide an original clock to generate at least one divided clock. The logic circuit is coupled to the frequency dividing circuit and the bandgap circuit. The logic circuit uses at least one of the at least one divided clock to generate the enable clock for an enable terminal of the bandgap circuit.