I/O Power Pad Switching for Low-Area IC Power Gating
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing power gating techniques for integrated circuits face challenges in optimizing power consumption due to the need for additional area and complex sizing of switching devices, especially when a majority of the design needs to be part of the switched portion.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a switch arrangement at the I/O power pads to control power signal transfer, which includes a built-in power switch in the redesigned power pad, allowing for efficient power gating without requiring significant changes to the IC design or floorplanning, and enabling power-off of IO power to reduce consumption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If switching devices are placed in a ring configuration around the switchable portion, then power gating control is achieved, but additional silicon core area is required and switch cell sizing becomes complex
Solution Approach 1:
The power gating control function is extracted from the silicon core and relocated to the I/O pad structure. The switch arrangement is integrated into the power pad itself, separating the control mechanism from the core processing area, thereby eliminating the need for additional ring configuration area around switchable portions.
Solution Approach 2:
The power gating control is moved from the two-dimensional plane of the silicon core to the boundary dimension at the I/O pads. By placing switch arrangements at the periphery where power enters the chip, the solution utilizes a different spatial dimension (the pad interface) rather than consuming core area.
2Loss of energy
If switching devices are placed in a ring configuration, then power gating is achieved, but complex sizing of switching devices is required
Solution Approach 1:
The I/O pad structure inherently provides the switching capability through its integrated switch arrangement. The power pad design itself serves the dual function of power delivery and power gating control, eliminating the need for separate complex switch cell sizing calculations that would be required in a ring configuration.
3Loss of energy
If a majority of the design needs to be part of the switched portion, then power consumption can be reduced, but the ring configuration approach becomes impractical
Solution Approach 1:
The IC is segmented into switchable and non-switchable portions based on functional requirements, with power gating control applied at the I/O pad level. This allows selective powering of different functional blocks without requiring a rigid ring configuration, providing flexibility when majority of the design needs to be switched.
4Loss of energy
If power gating is implemented using traditional techniques, then power control is achieved, but floorplanning constraints are imposed
Solution Approach 1:
The power gating control mechanism is extracted from the floorplanning process by integrating it into the standard I/O pad structure. This eliminates the need for special floorplanning considerations for switch placement, as the control is automatically provided at the power entry points regardless of internal core layout.
Data Source
AI summary
Apparatus and method aspects for power gating of an integrated circuit (IC) include providing at least one I/O power pad of an IC with a switch arrangement. The at least one I/O power pad is utilized to control a power signal transfer to at least a portion of the IC.