Voltage-Sensitive Delay Chain for Power Supply Droop Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing voltage-insensitive delay circuits in electronic devices, such as microprocessors, fail to detect voltage droops or drops in the power supply effectively, as they are not designed to be sensitive to changes in voltage, which can lead to inefficiencies in power management and task execution.
Innovation Solution
A voltage sensitive delay circuit is developed, comprising voltage sensitive current mode logic circuits and current starved inverters, coupled with a voltage sensitive current reference module that adjusts current sources based on power supply voltage changes, making the delay sensitive to voltage variations, allowing for detection of voltage droops or drops.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If voltage-insensitive delay circuits are used in electronic devices, then the circuits provide stable delay performance under varying voltage conditions, but the circuits fail to detect voltage droops or drops in the power supply
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the conventional approach by designing a delay circuit that is intentionally sensitive to voltage changes rather than insensitive. The voltage-sensitive delay circuit uses transistors and current sources configured to amplify voltage variations, allowing the circuit delay to change predictably with voltage droops, thereby enabling detection of power supply anomalies.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the key parameter of delay circuit sensitivity from voltage-insensitive to voltage-sensitive. By adjusting the circuit configuration and transistor operating points, the delay time becomes a function of supply voltage, creating a measurable response to voltage droops that can be used for detection purposes.
2Productivity
If voltage-sensitive delay circuits are designed to detect voltage droops, then the circuits can improve power management and task execution, but the circuits become more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The voltage-sensitive delay circuit serves multiple functions: it provides the primary delay function for clock signal generation while simultaneously acting as a voltage droop detector. The same circuit elements that create the delay also produce the voltage-sensitive response, eliminating the need for separate detection circuits and reducing overall system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The delay circuit itself generates the detection signal through its inherent voltage sensitivity. The change in delay time directly reflects the voltage droop condition, allowing the circuit to self-report power supply anomalies without requiring external sensing components or additional complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
Aspects of the invention include a first voltage sensitive circuit including first transistors, the first transistors being coupled together so as to be operatively coupled to a first current source. A second voltage sensitive circuit includes second transistors, the second transistors being coupled together so as to be operatively coupled to a second current source, the first voltage sensitive circuit being coupled to the second voltage sensitive circuit to form a delay chain, the first and second current sources being responsive to changes in voltage of a power supply according to a voltage reference. A voltage sensitive current reference module is coupled to the first and second current sources and configured to supply the voltage reference to the first and second current sources, the voltage sensitive current reference module being responsive to changes in the voltage of the power supply.