Digital Signal Processor Voltage Frequency Calibration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Digital signal processors require precise voltage and frequency calibration to operate effectively, but variations in manufacturing processes and power management units complicate the calibration process, making it challenging to ensure optimal performance across different devices.
Innovation Solution
A signal processing system comprising a digital signal processing circuit, a power management unit, and a digital control circuit with a non-volatile memory, which performs a built-in self-test to calibrate voltage values for specific frequencies by incrementally adjusting the voltage until the test succeeds, storing the calibrated values for later use.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If voltage values are stored for different operating frequencies before shipment, then the digital signal processor can operate at desired frequencies, but the calibration process becomes complicated due to manufacturing variations and power management unit differences
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs voltage and frequency calibration before shipment by automatically determining the optimal voltage for each operating frequency through built-in self-test, storing the calibrated values in non-volatile memory. This preliminary calibration action eliminates the need for complex manual calibration processes later, resolving the contradiction between ensuring reliable operation and simplifying the calibration process.
Solution Approach 2:
The digital signal processor performs self-calibration using its built-in self-test functionality to automatically determine the appropriate voltage for each operating frequency. This self-service approach eliminates the need for external calibration equipment and manual intervention, reducing calibration complexity while ensuring reliable operation across manufacturing variations.
2Productivity
If the digital signal processor operates at higher frequencies, then real-time multimedia processing performance improves, but the power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent establishes a calibrated relationship between operating frequency and voltage parameters, allowing the system to select the minimum necessary voltage for each desired frequency. This parameter optimization enables real-time multimedia processing at higher frequencies when needed while reducing power consumption by operating at lower frequencies and voltages when full performance is not required.
Data Source
AI summary
A signal processing system includes a digital signal processing circuit, a power management unit, and a digital control circuit. The power management unit provides a first voltage to the digital signal processing circuit. When in a calibration mode the digital control circuit controls the power management unit to set the first voltage at a minimum preset value, controls the digital signal processing circuit to operate under a first calibration target frequency, triggers the digital signal processing circuit to perform a built-in self-test, raises the first voltage when the built-in self-test fails, triggers the digital signal processing circuit to perform the built-in self-test again, and stores the first calibration target frequency and a value of the first voltage corresponding to the first calibration target frequency to a non-volatile memory when the built-in self-test has succeeded.