Dynamic Voltage Scaling for Microcontroller Power Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
Microcontrollers in portable electronic devices continue to consume significant power even in sleep states due to the lack of effective power management protocols, particularly when interacting with sensors and peripherals, limiting their operational time or requiring larger batteries.
Innovation Solution
A power supply system that alternates between two power levels, providing a higher power level during active states and a lower power level during sleep states, using a switch to selectively output power to the microcontroller system based on its operational state, thereby reducing overall power consumption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If a microcontroller uses a lower supply voltage to reduce power consumption, then power usage decreases, but system performance and operational capability are degraded
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic voltage scaling by switching between multiple voltage levels (e.g., 3.3V and 1.8V) based on the operational state of the microcontroller. During active states, higher voltage provides full performance; during sleep or low-activity states, lower voltage reduces power consumption. This dynamic adaptation resolves the contradiction between power consumption and system performance.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the voltage parameter dynamically based on operational requirements. By monitoring the operational state and adjusting the supply voltage accordingly, the system optimizes the trade-off between power consumption and performance, allowing low power usage during idle states while maintaining full performance capability when needed.
2Use of energy by moving object
If a microcontroller enters a low power or sleep state to reduce power consumption, then power usage decreases, but the ability to respond to interrupts or requests from peripherals is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts the power state of the microcontroller based on activity detection. When no interrupts or peripheral requests are detected, the system transitions to a low power state. When activity is detected, the system quickly transitions back to full power state, ensuring reliable response while maximizing time in low power mode.
Solution Approach 2:
The system employs periodic monitoring of interrupt lines and peripheral requests to determine when to enter or exit low power states. This periodic checking mechanism ensures that the microcontroller can maintain low power consumption while still reliably detecting and responding to external events when they occur.
3Use of energy by moving object
If hardware or software-based power mode switching is implemented to reduce microcontroller power usage, then power consumption decreases, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements self-service power management where the microcontroller autonomously monitors its own operational state, detects interrupts and peripheral requests, and automatically transitions between power modes without requiring complex external control logic. This reduces the overall device complexity while achieving effective power management.
Solution Approach 2:
The power management system is integrated into the existing microcontroller architecture, utilizing existing interrupt controllers, status registers, and control logic to manage power states. By making existing components multi-functional (handling both operational control and power management), the patent avoids adding significant complexity while achieving power reduction.
Data Source
AI summary
A system comprises a microcontroller system comprising a CPU, an I/O module, and a microcontroller system power input, a power supply comprising a first power supply output providing power at a first power level, and a second power supply output providing power at a second power level, and a switch comprising a signal input communicatively coupled to the I/O module and configured to receive a status signal from the I/O module, a first switch power input electrically coupled to the first power supply output, a second switch power input electrically coupled to the second power supply output, and a switch power output electrically coupled to the microcontroller system power input and configured to output power to the microcontroller system.