Time-shared Digital Power Controller for Multi-rail Efficiency
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Solution Overview
Problem
Digitally controlled power converters face inefficiencies due to the need for dedicated resources per power rail, increasing silicon area, cost, and power consumption, especially in applications requiring multiple power rails.
Innovation Solution
A shared pulse width modulator (SPWM) using time division multiplexing to control multiple power rails, allocating time slots for dedicated and shared processing to achieve precise and coarse duty cycle control, reducing resource usage and enhancing efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If dedicated resources are allocated per power rail, then control precision and reliability are improved, but silicon area, cost, and power consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple PWM controllers into a single shared resource that serves multiple power rails. The PWM controller is time-multiplexed across different power rails, allowing one controller to handle multiple rails sequentially rather than requiring dedicated controllers for each rail. This consolidation reduces silicon area while maintaining control precision through careful time-slicing and duty cycle management.
Solution Approach 2:
The PWM controller is designed to perform multiple functions by serving different power rails at different time slots. A single PWM controller instance can control multiple power rails by switching between them, making the resource universal rather than dedicated. This multi-functionality approach reduces the total number of controllers needed while maintaining the ability to precisely control each power rail when needed.
2Reliability
If dedicated resources are allocated per power rail, then control precision and reliability are improved, but cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
By merging multiple PWM controllers into a single shared resource, the patent reduces the total component count and silicon real estate required. This consolidation directly lowers manufacturing costs while maintaining control precision through time-multiplexing techniques that ensure each power rail receives dedicated attention during its allocated time slots.
3Reliability
If dedicated resources are allocated per power rail, then control precision and reliability are improved, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple PWM controller instances into a single shared controller that is activated only when needed for each power rail. This merging reduces the total power consumption because fewer controller circuits are actively running simultaneously, yet control precision is maintained through time-multiplexed operation where each power rail receives precise control during its designated time slots.
4Measurement precision
If multiple PWM controllers are used for multiple power rails, then control precision is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple PWM controllers into a single shared controller with time-multiplexed operation. This reduces device complexity by eliminating redundant controller instances and their associated infrastructure. The shared controller uses time-slicing to provide precise duty cycle control to multiple power rails, maintaining measurement precision while simplifying the overall architecture through resource consolidation.
Solution Approach 2:
The shared PWM controller operates using periodic time slots allocated to different power rails. This periodic action allows a single controller to sequentially serve multiple rails with precise timing, reducing architectural complexity while maintaining control precision through structured, repeating cycles of dedicated control for each rail.
5Productivity
If a shared PWM is used for multiple power rails, then resource efficiency is improved, but control precision may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The shared PWM controller uses periodic time slots to dedicate specific time periods to each power rail. This periodic structure ensures that each rail receives focused, precise control during its allocated slot, preventing the sharing arrangement from compromising duty cycle precision. The rhythmic, structured approach to resource sharing maintains measurement accuracy while improving overall resource efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The shared PWM controller dynamically switches between different power rails based on time slot allocations. This dynamic operation allows the single controller to adaptively provide precise control to different rails at different times, maintaining measurement precision despite the shared resource arrangement. The dynamic time-multiplexing ensures that precision is preserved for each rail when it is being actively controlled.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and systems for providing electrical power, including determining a plurality of fine power duty cycles according to a respective plurality of power values, and generating the respective plurality of power values using a time-shared pulse-width modulator (PWM), the time-shared PWM being configured to be modulated at the respective plurality of fine duty power cycles during a respective plurality of time slots.