Programmable Power Management Unit for Selective Wake-Up Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Integrated circuits in mobile devices face challenges in power management, particularly in reducing power consumption and heat generation, as the number of transistors increases, leading to the need for efficient methods to power down unused circuits without unintended wake-ups.
Innovation Solution
The integration of a power management unit that configures circuits to enter a power-managed state and includes a programmable setting to control whether communications can exit this state, preventing inadvertent wake-ups through a fabric that checks the setting before facilitating communications.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If circuits are powered down to reduce power consumption, then energy efficiency is improved, but the risk of inadvertent wake-ups increases
Solution Approach 1:
A programmable setting is introduced as an intermediary mechanism between the power management unit and the fabric. This setting acts as a mediator that controls whether communications can trigger wake-ups, allowing the system to selectively permit or block wake-up events based on configured conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the state of a programmable setting parameter to control wake-up behavior. By modifying this parameter's value (e.g., enabling or disabling wake-up permission), the system can dynamically adjust the threshold for allowing communications to exit power-managed state, thereby preventing inadvertent wake-ups while maintaining power savings.
2Reliability
If a programmable setting is added to control wake-ups, then reliability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The programmable setting is integrated into the existing power management unit, allowing it to serve multiple functions: controlling wake-up permission, managing power states, and interfacing with the fabric. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate dedicated components, thereby limiting the increase in device complexity.
3Duration of action of moving object
If circuits remain in low-power state to prolong battery life, then energy efficiency is improved, but responsiveness to communications deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts the wake-up permission state based on programmable settings. When wake-ups are permitted, the circuit can quickly respond to communications; when restricted, the circuit remains in low-power state to conserve battery life. This dynamic control allows the system to optimize between battery life and responsiveness based on operational conditions.
Data Source
AI summary
Techniques are disclosed relating to power management within an integrated circuits. In one embodiment an apparatus is disclosed that includes a circuit and a power management unit. The power management unit is configured to provide, based on a programmable setting, an indication of whether an attempted communication to the circuit is permitted to cause the circuit to exit from a power-managed state. In some embodiments, the apparatus includes a fabric configured to transmit the attempted communication to the circuit from a device. In such an embodiment, the circuit is configured to exit the power-managed state in response to receiving the attempted communication. The fabric is configured to determine whether to transmit the attempted communication based on the indication provided by the power management unit.