Dual Micro-Controller Standby Power Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
The increasing leakage currents in integrated chips due to shrinking transistor sizes lead to high standby power consumption in micro-controllers, especially at higher temperatures, which existing solutions fail to adequately address despite increasing complexity in circuitries and techniques.
Innovation Solution
A micro-controller unit comprising a main micro-controller and a standby micro-controller with separate power supply paths, allowing the main micro-controller to operate in a reduced leakage state while the standby micro-controller maintains full performance, and switching to normal operation upon a wake-up command, thereby reducing leakage current and power consumption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If transistor size is shrunk to increase integration density, then processing capability is improved, but leakage current increases and standby power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The micro-controller is divided into two separate micro-controllers: a main micro-controller and a standby micro-controller. Each has its own independent power supply path, allowing them to be operated independently. This segmentation enables the system to achieve high processing capability when needed while minimizing power consumption during standby operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically switches between different operational modes by selectively enabling power supply to different micro-controllers. The power supply paths can be independently controlled to provide power to the main micro-controller for high-performance processing or to the standby micro-controller for low-power operation, making the system adaptable to varying performance and power requirements.
2Loss of energy
If periodic sleep-wake-up mechanism is used to eliminate leakage current, then standby power consumption is reduced, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of using a single micro-controller with complex sleep-wake-up mechanisms, the system segments the micro-controller into two separate units with independent power supply paths. This simplifies the overall circuit design by eliminating the need for complex power management circuitries while achieving low standby power consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The standby micro-controller acts as a simplified copy or replica of the main micro-controller, designed specifically for low-power operation. This copying approach allows the system to maintain functionality during standby without requiring complex wake-up mechanisms, as the standby unit can be quickly activated when needed.
3Loss of energy
If main micro-controller operates in reduced leakage state, then standby power consumption is reduced, but computational capabilities are impaired
Solution Approach 1:
The computational capabilities are segmented between two micro-controllers: the main micro-controller provides high-performance processing when needed, while the standby micro-controller provides basic functionality during low-power operation. This segmentation allows the system to maintain adequate computational capabilities during standby without requiring the main micro-controller to operate in a reduced leakage state.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the operational parameters of different micro-controllers based on power and performance requirements. During standby, the standby micro-controller operates with full capabilities but low power consumption, while the main micro-controller is powered down completely. This parameter change approach allows the system to achieve both low power consumption and adequate computational capabilities without impairment.
Data Source
AI summary
One embodiment of the present invention relates to a low-power micro-controller unit having both a standby micro-controller optimized for low power consumption and a main micro-controller optimized for high performance. A power supply is coupled to the main micro-controller and the standby micro-controller. The power supply provides power to one or more of the low-power, standby micro-controller and the high performance, main micro-controller by separate power supply paths, depending on system needs. The separate power supply paths allow the main micro-controller and the standby micro-controller operate independent of each other. During a low-power standby operating mode, power can be disconnected to the main micro-controller, while providing power to the standby micro-controller, thereby eliminating the leakage current associated with the large number of transistors in the main micro-controller, while still retaining the computational capabilities of the standby micro-controller.