Configurable Power Switch Cells for Low-Noise Power Gating
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Solution Overview
Problem
Power management in integrated circuits faces challenges with leakage currents leading to static power consumption and noise on power supply connections, especially in mobile devices, where clock gating and power gating techniques have limitations in reducing power consumption and managing current flow variations.
Innovation Solution
A configurable power switch cell methodology is introduced, allowing for the design of multiple power switch cells that can be assembled into power switch segments, enabling easy replacement and automatic interconnects without disturbing surrounding circuitry, which helps in reducing leakage currents and managing current flow variations by staggering the enablement of power switches.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If power gating is implemented to reduce leakage current, then static power consumption is reduced, but noise on power supply connections increases and delay to enable power gated blocks increases
Solution Approach 1:
The power supply network is segmented into multiple distributed local power supply grids rather than a single centralized grid. Each power gated block connects to its own local grid, allowing independent power management. This segmentation enables reduced noise propagation while maintaining effective power gating for leakage current reduction.
Solution Approach 2:
Local power supply grids act as intermediary elements between the centralized power supply and individual power gated blocks. These local grids buffer and isolate power transitions, reducing noise propagation to the global power supply while enabling effective power gating at the block level.
2Loss of energy
If power gating is implemented to reduce leakage current, then static power consumption is reduced, but delay to enable power gated blocks increases
Solution Approach 1:
The power supply system is divided into multiple local grids that can be independently managed. This segmentation allows for distributed power management where each local grid can be enabled or disabled independently, reducing the overall delay to enable power gated blocks while maintaining leakage current reduction benefits.
3Loss of energy
If multiple power switch cells are designed with different configurations to optimize power management, then power consumption is reduced, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple power switch cell configurations are designed to occupy the same physical footprint, allowing a single standardized location to accommodate different cell types based on power management requirements. This universal approach enables flexible power optimization without increasing device complexity, as the same physical space can serve multiple functional configurations.
Data Source
AI summary
In one embodiment, a configurable power switch cell methodology may include designing multiple power switch cells which may be assembled to form a set of power switches such as a power switch segment. The power switch cells may all be designed to occupy the same amount of integrated circuit area, in an embodiment. Accordingly, one cell may be readily replaced by another, even late in the design process, without disturbing the placement of surrounding circuitry. In an embodiment, the power switch cells may include the interconnect layers that connect between cells, and abutting the power switch cells may automatically connect the interconnect between cells. Accordingly, swapping one power switch cell for another may be accomplished by placing the cell. No routing work may be required.