SoC Rail Power Telemetry Using Averaged Voltage Sensing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current rail power telemetry systems in SoCs face issues with bandwidth constraints and interface latencies in common-interface configurations, and increased costs and pin/logic requirements in dedicated-interface configurations, impacting power management efficiency and performance.
Innovation Solution
Implementing subsystems with output voltage sensing and averaging circuitry to calculate load current using a one-to-one arrangement with voltage regulators, eliminating the need for dedicated interfaces by calculating load current based on averaged output voltage and known relationships.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a common interface is used between PMIC and SoC for all voltage regulators, then the number of pins and logic is reduced, but interface bandwidth is constrained and latencies increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the interface architecture by providing dedicated interfaces for each voltage regulator subsystem rather than using a single common interface. This segmentation allows each subsystem to communicate independently with the PMIC, eliminating the bandwidth constraints and latency issues of shared interfaces while maintaining reasonable pin and logic complexity through systematic organization.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a universal interface architecture where each dedicated interface follows the same standardized protocol and structure. This universality allows the system to scale efficiently - each additional voltage regulator subsystem uses the same interface pattern, making the system multi-functional and adaptable without proportionally increasing complexity.
2Loss of time
If dedicated interfaces are used for each voltage regulator, then interface latencies are reduced, but the number of pins and logic increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the power management architecture into segmented independent interface channels, one for each voltage regulator. This segmentation provides dedicated communication paths that eliminate latency while the modular nature of the segmentation keeps pin and logic requirements manageable through systematic organization.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the interface architecture parameter from shared to dedicated, and simultaneously optimizes the protocol parameters to ensure that the increased number of interfaces does not proportionally increase complexity. The standardized protocol parameters allow for efficient scaling.
3Adaptability or versatility
If periodic telemetry readings are transmitted over a common interface, then all subsystems can be monitored, but the interface bandwidth is constrained
Solution Approach 1:
The telemetry monitoring system is segmented into dedicated interface channels for each subsystem. This allows each subsystem to transmit its telemetry data independently without competing for bandwidth, maintaining comprehensive monitoring capability while eliminating the bandwidth constraints of shared interfaces.
Solution Approach 2:
The dedicated interfaces enable continuous, uninterrupted telemetry readings for each subsystem without the periodic interruptions and bandwidth contention that occur with shared interfaces. This continuity maintains monitoring versatility while maximizing effective bandwidth utilization.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods are provided for performing rail power telemetry in an SoC by providing subsystems of the SoC with circuitry that senses an average of the respective output voltage delivered by a voltage regulator to the respective subsystem over a predetermined time period and uses the respective sensed average output voltage to calculate a load current on the respective load line.