Method for powering a module incorporated within a system-on-a-chip and corresponding electronic device
AssigneeSTMicroelectronics (Grand Ouest) SAS
InventorChristophe Belet
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A module incorporated within a system-on-a-chip operating in a steady-state power supply phase is powered by supplying to the module a regulated power supply voltage obtained from a feedback control loop. The receives a main power supply voltage and a negative feedback voltage. The negative feedback voltage is generated inside the system-on-a-chip starting from an effective supply voltage of the module and from a setpoint signal corresponding to a desired regulated power supply voltage.
Claims13
A method for powering a module incorporated within a system-on-a-chip, comprising, in a steady-state power supply phase:
- supplying to the module a regulated power supply voltage obtained from a feedback control loop receiving a main power supply voltage and a negative feedback voltage, and
- generating the negative feedback voltage inside the system-on-a-chip starting from an effective supply voltage of the module and from a setpoint signal corresponding to a desired regulated power supply voltage,
- wherein generating the negative feedback voltage comprises:
- converting a setpoint digital word taken from the setpoint signal into a voltage offset analog signal;
- and
- adding the voltage offset analog signal to the effective supply voltage to produce the negative feedback voltage.
An electronic device, comprising:
- a system-on-a-chip, comprising:
- a power supply input configured to receive a regulated power supply voltage,
- a circuit module configured to be powered by the regulated power supply voltage,
- a controller configured to generate a setpoint signal corresponding to a desired regulated power supply voltage for the circuit module,
- a voltage adaptation circuit configured to generate a negative feedback voltage starting from an effective supply voltage of the module and from the setpoint signal, and
- a setpoint output configured to deliver the negative feedback voltage,
- a voltage regulator, comprising:
- a regulation output coupled to the power supply input, and
- a negative feedback input coupled to the setpoint output,
- wherein the voltage regulator is configured to deliver the regulated power supply voltage to the regulation output starting from a main power supply voltage and from the negative feedback voltage;
- and
- wherein the voltage adaptation circuit comprises:
- a digital-analog converter configured to deliver, in the presence of a setpoint digital word taken from the setpoint signal, a voltage offset analog signal;
- and
- an adder circuit configured to add the voltage offset analog signal to the effective supply voltage to generate the negative feedback voltage.
A device, comprising:
- a voltage regulator circuit having a regulated voltage output and an input configured to receive a feedback control voltage, the voltage regulator circuit generating a regulated voltage at the regulated voltage output in response to the feedback control voltage;
- an application circuit powered by the regulated voltage, said application circuit including:
- a processor executing an application configured to output a setpoint signal indicative of a desired supply voltage for the processor;
- a sense circuit configured to sense an actual supply voltage for the processor;
- and
- a conversion circuit configured to generate said feedback control voltage in response to the sensed actual supply voltage and the setpoint signal;
- wherein said conversion circuit comprises:
- an analog to digital converter configured to convert the setpoint signal to an offset voltage;
- and
- an adder circuit configured to add the offset voltage to the sensed actual supply voltage to generate said feedback control voltage.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.