Digital Sub-Regulators for Independent Voltage Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
In systems where multiple circuit blocks share a common supply rail, the supply voltage is often set high enough to support the highest clock speed processor, leading to wasted power in processors operating at lower clock speeds, as the voltage cannot be independently adjusted for each block.
Innovation Solution
Implementing digital sub-regulators (DSRs) between each circuit block and the supply rail, which include a variable-impedance switch, an analog-to-digital converter (ADC), and a controller to adjust the impedance based on the block supply voltage and a target voltage, allowing each block to operate at a voltage below the supply rail voltage, thus reducing energy consumption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the supply voltage is set high enough to support the highest clock speed processor, then the highest performance processor can operate at full speed, but lower clock speed processors waste energy operating at unnecessarily high voltage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces digital sub-regulators between the common supply rail and individual circuit blocks, segmenting the power delivery path. This allows each circuit block to have its own impedance control, enabling independent voltage adjustment for each block based on its specific performance requirements, thereby resolving the contradiction between maintaining high performance and reducing energy waste in lower-speed blocks
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements local impedance control through variable-impedance switches in each sub-regulator, allowing different parts of the system (different circuit blocks) to have different electrical characteristics. This enables each block to operate at the optimal voltage for its clock speed and performance requirements, rather than using a uniform high voltage across all blocks
2Device complexity
If a common supply rail is used for multiple circuit blocks, then the system structure is simple, but the voltage cannot be independently adjusted for each block
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the power delivery system by inserting digital sub-regulators between the common supply rail and individual circuit blocks. Each sub-regulator contains a variable-impedance switch that can be independently controlled, providing voltage adjustment flexibility for each block while maintaining the simplicity of the common rail architecture
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces digital sub-regulators as intermediary devices between the common supply rail and circuit blocks. These sub-regulators act as mediators that can adjust the voltage delivered to each block independently, reconciling the simplicity of the common rail structure with the need for individualized voltage control
Data Source
AI summary
In certain aspects, a regulator includes a variable-impedance switch coupled between a supply rail and a circuit block, wherein an impedance of the variable-impedance switch is set by an impedance code input to the variable-impedance switch. The regulator also includes an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) configured to convert a block supply voltage at the circuit block into a voltage code, and a controller configured to adjust the impedance code based on the voltage code in a direction that reduces a difference between the block supply voltage and a target supply voltage.