Location-Mapped PMIC Chiplets for Consistent SoC Power Rails
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing Power Management Integrated Circuits (PMICs) face challenges with consistency among different power rails and stability within a single power rail, leading to performance variations or malfunctions in System on Chip (SoC) devices.
Innovation Solution
A configurable PMIC with an array of micro-integrated voltage regulator cells that operate with location-based parameter settings, using a shared consolidated reference circuit to ensure consistent output voltages and balanced load current among voltage regulator cells.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If each voltage regulator cell uses its own independent reference voltage source, then each cell can operate independently, but output voltages of different cells have inconsistencies causing load current imbalance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the reference voltage sources by providing a single shared reference voltage to multiple voltage regulator cells. This consolidation ensures that all cells operate from the same reference potential, eliminating output voltage inconsistencies and load current imbalance while maintaining independent regulation control for each cell.
2Ease of operation
If multiple power rails are driven by different voltage regulator cells with individual reference circuits, then each power rail can be independently controlled, but consistency among different power rails deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent provides a shared reference voltage to multiple voltage regulator cells that drive different power rails. This ensures consistent reference potential across all power rails while allowing independent control of each regulator cell's output, thereby maintaining both ease of operation and reliability.
3Adaptability or versatility
If voltage regulator cells use different reference voltage sources, then configuration flexibility is improved, but stability within a single power rail deteriorates due to voltage fluctuations and oscillations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent consolidates reference voltage sources into a single shared reference that supplies multiple voltage regulator cells. This unified reference potential stabilizes the power rails by eliminating differential drift and oscillations between cells, while configuration flexibility is maintained through individual control of each regulator cell's operation.
Data Source
AI summary
This application is directed to an electronic device having a configurable group of voltage regulator cells. The electronic device includes a group of voltage regulator cells operating based on parameter settings of individual voltage regulator cells, output a rail voltage, and provide the rail voltage to multiple power rails. The electronic device includes a memory component coupled to the group of voltage regulator cells. The memory component stores an encoding table including multiple register files, and a register file defines parameter settings for the individual voltage regulator cells of the group of voltage regulator cells. The electronic device includes a setting interface for receiving a parameter setting signal applied to select the register file among the multiple register files for defining the parameter settings for the group of voltage regulator cells. The electronic device includes a substrate where the group of voltage regulator cells and the setting interface are integrated.