Reconfigurable PMIC Fabric for Multi-Platform Power Supply
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Solution Overview
Problem
Designing Power Management Integrated Circuits (PMICs) is time-consuming due to varying current drive capabilities and power supply voltage levels across different System-on-Chips (SoCs) and platforms, requiring significant redesigns and leading to delayed time-to-market, as well as customized PMICs often failing to meet specifications for unintended platforms.
Innovation Solution
A reconfigurable PMIC with a main controller that assigns bridges to controllers based on load specifications, using asynchronous communication protocols and configuration buses to dynamically adjust power supply settings, allowing the PMIC to support multiple SoCs and platforms without separate designs, and enabling configuration as an Intellectual Property (IP) block.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If customized PMIC solutions are designed for each platform, then power supply requirements are met, but development time and redesign effort increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The PMIC is designed with a reconfigurable fabric that allows a single device to serve multiple platforms and power supply requirements. The fabric includes configurable voltage regulators, power switches, and interconnection networks that can be programmed via control registers to meet different platform specifications, eliminating the need for customized designs for each platform.
Solution Approach 2:
The PMIC incorporates dynamically reconfigurable elements including voltage regulators that can adjust output voltages, power switches that can be enabled/disabled based on load requirements, and control logic that can be programmed through control registers. This dynamic reconfigurability allows the same hardware to adapt to different power supply requirements across various platforms.
2Productivity
If PMICs are designed in parallel with platform development, then design iterations can occur, but late changes in power supply requirements cause delays in time to market
Solution Approach 1:
The reconfigurable fabric allows the PMIC design to be completed once and then programmed to support multiple platform configurations. Control registers store configuration data that defines voltage levels, power delivery capabilities, and operational parameters, enabling the same hardware design to serve different platforms without requiring redesign iterations.
Solution Approach 2:
The PMIC uses control registers to store and modify operational parameters such as voltage levels, current limits, and power switch configurations. These parameters can be changed through software programming rather than hardware redesign, allowing rapid adaptation to late platform changes without extending the development timeline.
3Ease of manufacture
If a single PMIC design is used across multiple platforms, then development costs are reduced, but the ability to meet diverse power supply specifications is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The PMIC incorporates a reconfigurable fabric with multiple voltage regulators, power switches, and control logic that can be programmed to match different platform requirements. Control registers store configuration data that defines the operational characteristics, enabling a single design to meet diverse power supply specifications across multiple platforms.
Solution Approach 2:
The PMIC is divided into modular functional blocks including voltage regulators, power switches, and control logic, each with configurable parameters stored in control registers. This segmentation allows independent configuration of each block to meet specific platform requirements while maintaining a unified hardware design.
Data Source
AI summary
Described is an apparatus which comprises: a plurality of bridges which are operable to drive respective signals for one or more power supply rails; a plurality of controllers; and a main controller to couple one or more controllers from the plurality of controllers to one or more bridges from the plurality of bridges.