Reconfigurable Power Management for Multi-Domain Circuits
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing power management systems for electronic circuitry with multiple domains face challenges in flexibility and efficiency, as once a chip design is finalized, changes are costly and time-consuming, limiting the ability to optimize power control strategies.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a power management system that uses timestamp or counter-type values to issue commands, allowing for programmable and reprogrammable control sequences for each circuit domain, enabling dynamic operation under different power conditions and optimizing power on/off, clock, and firewall functions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a chip design is finalized with fixed power management control, then manufacturing cost is reduced, but flexibility to optimize power control strategies is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a reconfigurable power management system where control parameters can be dynamically adjusted after manufacturing. The system uses a configuration interface that allows modification of power domain settings, enabling the chip to adapt its power control strategy based on different operational requirements while maintaining a fixed manufacturing process.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention enables changing of power management parameters (such as power domain configurations, voltage levels, clock frequencies) after the chip has been manufactured. This is achieved through a configuration mechanism that allows post-manufacturing adjustment of control parameters, resolving the contradiction between fixed manufacturing and flexible optimization.
2Adaptability or versatility
If new chip designs are developed to improve power control flexibility, then adaptability is improved, but development time and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a universal power management architecture that can handle multiple power control scenarios within a single chip design. The reconfigurable control mechanism allows the same hardware to perform different power management functions, eliminating the need for multiple specialized chip designs and reducing development time while maintaining flexibility.
Solution Approach 2:
By implementing dynamic reconfigurability in the power management system, the patent allows a single chip design to adapt to different power control requirements through software or configuration changes, rather than requiring multiple hardware redesigns. This significantly reduces development time and cost while maintaining high adaptability.
3Loss of energy
If complex power management control sequences are implemented, then power optimization is improved, but control complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the power management system into multiple independent power domains, each with its own control parameters. This segmentation allows for granular power optimization where each domain can be independently configured and controlled, achieving better power efficiency without requiring overly complex centralized control sequences.
Solution Approach 2:
The reconfigurable control mechanism allows the system to dynamically adjust power management parameters based on operational needs. This enables complex power optimization strategies to be implemented through flexible configuration rather than hard-coded complex control sequences, reducing the apparent complexity while maintaining optimization effectiveness.
Data Source
AI summary
Aspects of the disclosure are directed to apparatuses and methods involving a plurality of circuit domains and power management circuitry. Each domain includes logic circuitry to perform one or more tasks in response to command inputs and to operate under power conditions that are different than power conditions under which another one of the domains operates. The power management circuitry outputs respective commands for operating the circuit domains, including controlling the sequence of respective operations carried out by each of the plurality of circuit domains by issuing each of the commands in a sequence corresponding to both a programmed counter value assigned to each command and a counter circuit output value.