Autonomous I/O Buffer Control for GPIO Standby Leakage

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing GPIO programming flows for integrated circuits (ICs) are time-consuming and error-prone, leading to electrical pad contention and increased standby leakage current, especially in portable devices, due to manual configuration and collaboration between multiple engineering teams.

Innovation Solution

Implementing a finite state machine (FSM) integrated into an I/O controller to autonomously detect and configure GPIO pad states based on architectural states, using weak pull impedance devices to prevent pad contention and adapt to different use cases, thereby eliminating the need for intensive manual programming.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If manual GPIO programming is performed by multiple engineering teams, then device functionality can be configured, but time consumption and error rates increase significantly

Engineering Contradiction:

ImproveGPIO configuration capabilityVSAvoidProgramming time

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The I/O controller autonomously configures GPIO pads by detecting architectural states and automatically setting appropriate states, eliminating the need for manual programming by multiple engineering teams. The system serves itself by making configuration decisions based on detected states, thereby reducing programming time while maintaining configuration capability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs preliminary detection of architectural states before finalizing GPIO pad configurations. By detecting the architectural state in advance and pre-configuring the appropriate pad states, the system avoids time-consuming manual programming while ensuring correct configuration.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Adaptability or versatility

If manual GPIO programming is performed by multiple engineering teams, then device functionality can be configured, but error rates increase due to collaboration complexity

Engineering Contradiction:

ImproveGPIO configuration capabilityVSAvoidConfiguration accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The I/O controller autonomously configures GPIO pads by detecting architectural states and automatically setting appropriate states, eliminating the need for manual programming by multiple engineering teams. The system serves itself by making configuration decisions based on detected states, thereby reducing programming time while maintaining configuration capability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The system detects the architectural state as feedback and uses this information to automatically determine the appropriate GPIO pad configuration. This closed-loop feedback mechanism ensures configuration accuracy by basing decisions on actual system states rather than manual programming, thereby improving reliability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

3Power

If incorrect I/O pad programming occurs during standby, then electrical pad contention increases, but standby leakage current and battery drain increase significantly

Engineering Contradiction:

ImproveOperating powerVSAvoidStandby leakage current

Core Design Contradiction:

PowerVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary detection of architectural states before finalizing GPIO pad configurations. By detecting the architectural state in advance and pre-configuring the appropriate pad states, the system avoids time-consuming manual programming while ensuring correct configuration.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system proactively prevents electrical pad contention by autonomously configuring I/O pads to appropriate states during standby, thereby eliminating the root cause of increased leakage current and battery drain before they can occur.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #9Preliminary anti-action

Data Source

PatentUS10241556B2Autonomously controlling a buffer of a processor

Publication Date: 2019.03.26 TAHOE RES LTD

AI summary

In an embodiment, an apparatus includes an input/output (I/O) buffer to couple a logic unit to another device coupled via a pad, and a logic coupled to the I/O buffer to detect a value on the pad and to control the I/O buffer to provide the value to the pad, responsive to entry into an architectural state. Other embodiments are described and claimed.