Memory Module Voltage Regulation for External Power Supply Precision
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Generating tightly-controlled power supply potentials for memory devices and other devices connected to a motherboard is costly for host device manufacturers, as they need to provide these potentials with narrow voltage tolerances.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a voltage regulator or power management integrated circuit (PMIC) within memory modules to generate and regulate power supply potentials, allowing these modules to provide tightly-controlled voltages to both memory devices and other external components, thereby reducing the need for tight voltage regulation on the motherboard.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If the host device (motherboard) provides tightly-controlled power supply potentials to memory devices and other connected devices, then the voltage regulation precision is improved, but the manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The memory device is equipped with its own voltage regulator that receives a relatively loosely-regulated power supply potential from the host device and internally generates the tightly-controlled power supply potentials needed for memory operation. This self-service approach allows the memory device to independently regulate its own voltage without requiring the host device to provide precision voltage regulation, thereby reducing manufacturing costs while maintaining voltage precision.
2Stability of the object's composition
If the host device provides tightly-controlled power supply potentials to multiple connected devices, then the voltage stability is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The voltage regulation function is segmented from the host device and transferred to individual memory devices. Each memory device contains its own voltage regulator, creating independent voltage regulation units. This segmentation allows each device to independently maintain stable voltages without requiring the host device to complexly regulate multiple devices simultaneously, thereby reducing host device complexity while maintaining voltage stability.
3Reliability
If the motherboard provides tight voltage regulation for all connected devices, then the power supply quality is improved, but the manufacturing cost and device complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
Each memory device independently regulates its own power supply through an integrated voltage regulator, eliminating the need for the motherboard to provide tight voltage regulation. This self-service mechanism ensures reliable power supply quality at the device level while keeping the motherboard design simple and cost-effective.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach reduces manufacturing costs for host devices by allowing memory modules to generate and supply regulated voltages to other components, freeing the motherboard from the need to provide tight voltage regulation for connected devices.
Implementation Method 1
a voltage regulator for converting a supply voltage to a different output voltage
Data Source
AI summary
Memory devices, systems including memory devices, and methods of operating memory devices and systems in which a memory device can include a voltage regulator for adjusting a supply voltage to an output voltage and providing the output voltage to other devices external to the memory device (e.g., other memory devices in the same memory system, processors, graphics chipsets, other logic circuits, expansion cards, etc.). A memory device may comprise one or more external inputs configured to receive a supply voltage having a first voltage level; a voltage regulator configured to receive the supply voltage from the one or more external inputs and to output an output voltage having a second voltage level different from the first voltage level; one or more memories configured to receive the output voltage from the voltage regulator; and one or more external outputs configured to supply the output voltage to one or more connected devices.