SoC Power Management for External Regulators and Startup Overcurrent
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing SoC designs face challenges in efficiently managing power distribution between internal and external voltage regulators, particularly during start-up, leading to potential excessive current flow and inefficiencies, and there is a need for a flexible power management system that can accommodate various applications without additional pins or connections.
Innovation Solution
A power management system that includes internal voltage regulators with current limiters and an external module, allowing dynamic switching between internal and external power sources, with a non-volatile memory to store configuration information and control access to subsystems and peripherals, ensuring stable power distribution and efficient power usage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If external voltage regulators are used to power internal subsystems, then power flexibility and manufacturing cost reduction are improved, but excessive current flow during start-up may occur
Solution Approach 1:
The power management system performs preliminary actions by detecting external regulator presence during start-up and pre-configuring current limiter states before full power delivery begins. This prevents excessive current flow by having the system ready with appropriate current limiting measures in place before the harmful condition can occur.
Solution Approach 2:
The current limiters serve as intermediary components between the external voltage regulators and the internal subsystems. During start-up, these intermediaries control and limit the current flow from external regulators, preventing excessive current from reaching the subsystems while still allowing the flexible external power configuration to function.
2Loss of energy
If internal voltage regulators are disabled during external power operation, then power consumption is reduced, but current limiters may restrict full regulator capability
Solution Approach 1:
The power management system dynamically adjusts the state of current limiters based on operational phase and power configuration. During external regulator operation, current limiters are disabled to allow full regulator capability when needed, while during start-up they are enabled to prevent excessive current. This dynamic adaptation resolves the contradiction between power saving and full capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the operational parameter of current limiters from enabled to disabled state based on the power configuration and operational phase. This parameter change allows the system to optimize between power consumption reduction (by disabling internal regulators) and maintaining full regulator capability (by disabling current limiters) when external power is used.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
An electronic device (2) comprising a system on chip (6) and an external module. The system on chip (6) includes a plurality of internal subsystems (10, 12) and a power management system (24) including a plurality of internal voltage regulators (14, 16) which supply power to the plurality of internal subsystems (10, 12). Each of the internal voltage regulators (14, 16) has an associated current limiter (30, 32). The external module includes at least one external voltage regulator (8) which can provide power to at least one of the internal subsystems (10, 12). The power management system (24) during a start-up phase enables the internal voltage regulators (14, 16) and the current limiters (30, 32) and in a subsequent phase determines an externally powered set of the internal subsystems (10, 12), disables the corresponding internal voltage regulators (14, 16), and disables the current limiters (30, 32) associated with the internal subsystems (10,12) not externally powered.