Field-Programmable Voltage Regulators for Adaptive SoC Power Rails
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing power management systems in electronic devices require custom design for each type of System on a Chip (SoC), leading to inefficiencies and increased costs due to the need for custom PMICs and conductive wires, which can result in performance degradation and electrical noise.
Innovation Solution
A generic Power Management Integrated Circuit (PMIC) with a field programmable array of voltage regulators that can adaptively support various SoCs by dynamically configuring voltage regulators based on load information and power state policies, allowing for redundant or standby voltage regulators to be decoupled and reconfigured as needed.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If custom PMICs and conductive wires are designed for each SoC type, then power delivery can be tailored to specific processor requirements, but device complexity and manufacturing costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a universal PMIC design with a field-programmable array of voltage regulators that can be configured to support multiple different SoC types. Instead of creating custom PMICs for each processor, a single PMIC platform is designed that can be programmed and configured through software to deliver power according to the specific requirements of different processor clusters, thereby reducing hardware complexity while maintaining adaptability.
Solution Approach 2:
The voltage regulators in the PMIC are designed to be dynamically reconfigurable, allowing their output characteristics to be adjusted in real-time based on the operational requirements of different processor clusters. This dynamic configuration capability enables the same hardware to adapt to varying power delivery needs without physical reconfiguration or custom design.
2Reliability
If custom conductive wires are designed for each SoC type, then electrical noise and performance degradation are reduced, but manufacturing costs and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a universal PMIC design that can be configured via software to support different SoC architectures, eliminating the need for custom wire designs for each processor type. The same physical conductive pathways are used across different configurations, reducing manufacturing complexity while maintaining reliable electrical connections through optimized power delivery algorithms.
3Use of energy by moving object
If voltage regulators are kept powered down in standby mode, then power consumption is reduced, but response time to become operational increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a bypass unit that is pre-configured and ready to activate voltage regulators when needed. Instead of fully powering down standby regulators, the bypass unit maintains a ready state that allows for rapid activation by temporarily bypassing the feedback path during the transition from standby to operational mode, thereby reducing the response time while still maintaining low standby power consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The bypass unit acts as an intermediary mechanism between the standby voltage regulator and the feedback control circuitry. During activation, it temporarily decouples the feedback path to allow the regulator to quickly reach operational status without waiting for the full feedback loop to stabilize, thus accelerating the activation response while maintaining energy efficiency in standby state.
Data Source
AI summary
An electronic device has a power rail that is driven by voltage regulators and provides a rail voltage. Each voltage regulator has an output interface electrically coupled to the power rail to deliver up to a predefined regulator current to the power rail. In each voltage regulator, a voltage regulator controller has an input coupled to the output interface by a feedback path and controls a drive path coupled to the output interface. A bypass unit is coupled to the drive path and voltage regulator controller and operates in a standby mode or an operational mode. In the standby mode, the bypass unit bypasses the feedback path and the respective voltage regulator does not deliver current to the power rail, while in the operational mode, the bypass unit does not bypass the feedback path and the respective voltage regulator delivers up to the predefined regulator current to the power rail.