Programmable power supply and brownout detector for electronic equipment
AssigneeMicrochip Technology Incorporated
InventorsWillem Smit, Theodor Johannes Dippenaar, Pieter Schieke
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A programmable power supply and brownout detector for electronic equipment features independent, but coordinated, control of operating voltage and brownout reference voltage. Improper programming of the operating voltage and the brownout reference voltage levels is prevented. The threshold of the programmable power supply and brownout detector can also be controlled to provide an optimum threshold over a range of operating voltages.
Claims37
An electronic equipment power supply system comprising:
- a programmable power supply for supplying power to electronic circuits of electronic equipment;
- a programmable brownout detector coupled to said programmable power supply for detecting when a operating voltage drops below a brownout reference voltage and for further providing a brownout signal output;
- and a control unit coupled to said programmable power supply and further coupled to said programmable brownout detector for setting said operating voltage and further setting said brownout reference voltage.
A method for controlling an electronic equipment power supply, said method comprising the steps of:
- providing a programmable power supply for supplying an operating voltage to electronic circuits of electronic equipment;
- detecting when the operating voltage drops below a brownout reference voltage with a programmable brownout detector, the programmable brownout detector being coupled to the programmable power supply;
- providing a brownout signal output from the programmable brownout detector;
- setting the operating voltage with a control unit, the control unit being coupled to the programmable power supply;
- and
- setting the brownout reference voltage with the control unit, the control unit being coupled to the programmable brownout detector.
A method for controlling an electronic equipment power supply, said method comprising the steps of:
- supplying an operating voltage to a microprocessor from a programmable power supply;
- and
- controlling the operating voltage with a control unit coupled to the programmable power supply, wherein the operating voltage is reduced when the microprocessor enters a sleep mode.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.