Delay-Locked Voltage Regulator for Timing Reliability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Digital circuits face performance variations due to process and operating conditions, requiring significant effort to manage device performance and timing issues, especially in maintaining optimal clock speed and power efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A voltage regulator that adjusts supply voltage to maintain a fixed delay through combinational logic and flip-flops by using a delay chain, thermometer to binary encoder, and signal processing circuit to compare estimated and target delays, allowing for automatic reduction of supply voltage and power consumption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If designers use worst-case voltage conditions for timing analysis, then timing reliability is improved, but power consumption and gate area increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic voltage adjustment by using a delay-locked loop to continuously monitor actual circuit delay and adjust the supply voltage in real-time. This replaces the static worst-case voltage approach with a dynamic system that adapts to actual process, voltage, and temperature conditions, maintaining timing reliability while optimizing power consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs feedback through a delay measurement circuit that monitors the actual delay of the logic path and feeds this information back to a voltage control circuit. This closed-loop feedback system adjusts the supply voltage to maintain a target delay, eliminating the need for conservative worst-case voltage margins and reducing power consumption.
2Stability of the object's composition
If designers account for process variations and operating conditions, then device performance consistency is improved, but design complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a self-adjusting system where the circuit automatically measures its own delay characteristics and adjusts its supply voltage without external intervention. The delay measurement circuit and voltage control work together to maintain optimal performance across process variations and operating conditions, eliminating the need for manual worst-case analysis and complex design margins.
3Use of energy by moving object
If supply voltage is reduced for power efficiency, then power consumption decreases, but timing reliability worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses feedback control to dynamically adjust supply voltage based on actual circuit delay measurements. The system reduces voltage to save power but automatically increases it when the delay measurement indicates timing margins are becoming insufficient, thus maintaining timing reliability while optimizing power consumption throughout operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the supply voltage parameter dynamically based on measured delay characteristics. By continuously adjusting this critical parameter according to actual operating conditions rather than fixed worst-case values, the system achieves better power efficiency while maintaining timing reliability through real-time parameter optimization.
Data Source
AI summary
A voltage regulator includes a delay chain having a plurality of delay elements, a thermometer to binary encoder coupled to multiple nodes in the delay chain to provide a first binary number that is indicative of an estimated delay of the delay chain, and a latch coupled to the thermometer to binary encoder to receive the binary number. The voltage regulator also includes a signal processing circuit for providing a control signal indicative of a difference between the first binary number with a second binary number that represents a target delay, and a voltage control circuit coupled to the signal processing circuit for providing an output voltage based on the control signal from the processing circuit.