Current management circuit, system and method with current clamping for improving performance, reducing power delivery network investment and providing protection

A current management system comprising:

• a power management integrated circuit configured to provide an output voltage and an output current;
• a processing circuit;
• and
• a voltage-controlled oscillator comprising:
• a first terminal coupled to the power management integrated circuit to receive the output voltage;
• and
• a second terminal coupled to the processing circuit and configured to output a signal to adjust a frequency of the processing circuit;
• wherein the voltage-controlled oscillator senses the output voltage through the first terminal;
• when a load current of the processing circuit exceeds a current threshold, the power management integrated circuit clamps the output current substantially to a maximum output current of the power management integrated circuit, reducing the output voltage, and causing the voltage-controlled oscillator to sense a drop in the output voltage to reduce the frequency;
• and
• the current threshold is less than or equal to the maximum output current.

A current management method for controlling a current management circuit, the current management circuit comprising a processing circuit and a voltage-controlled oscillator, the processing circuit consuming a load current, the voltage-controlled oscillator comprising a first terminal and a second terminal, the first terminal being coupled to a power management integrated circuit to receive an output voltage, the second terminal being coupled to the processing circuit to output an output signal to adjust a frequency to the processing circuit, the current management method comprising:

• detecting, by the power management integrated circuit, whether the load current exceeds a current threshold;
• clamping, by the power management integrated circuit, an output current to substantially a maximum output current of the power management integrated circuit in response to detecting that the load current exceeds the current threshold;
• sensing, by the voltage-controlled oscillator, a drop in the output voltage;
• and
• adjusting, by the voltage-controlled oscillator, the output signal to reduce the frequency;
• wherein the current threshold is less than or equal to the maximum output current.