Adaptive voltage scaling power supply for use in a digital processing component and method of operating the same
AssigneeNational Semiconductor Corporation
InventorsDragan Maksimovic, Sandeep Dhar, Ravindra Ambatipudi, Bruno Kranzen
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Abstract
There is disclosed an adaptive voltage power supply that finely adjusts VDD to an optimum level. The adaptive voltage power supply comprises: 1) a first charging circuit capable of increasing a reference voltage on a charge capacitor in response to receipt of a first VDD control signal; 2) a second charging circuit capable of decreasing the reference voltage on the charge capacitor in response to receipt of a second VDD control signal; and 3) a power supply capable of receiving the reference voltage on the charge capacitor and generating an output power level, VDD, determined by a level of the reference voltage.
Claims20
An adaptive voltage power supply comprising:
- a first charging circuit capable of increasing a reference voltage on a charge capacitor in response to receipt of a first VDD control signal;
- a second charging circuit capable of decreasing said reference voltage on said charge capacitor in response to receipt of a second VDD control signal;
- and
- a power supply capable of receiving said reference voltage on said charge capacitor and generating an output power level, VDD, determined by a level of said reference voltage.
An adaptive voltage power supply comprising:
- a first charging circuit capable of increasing a reference voltage on a charge capacitor in response to receipt of a first VDD control signal;
- a second charging circuit capable of increasing said reference voltage on said charge capacitor in response to receipt of a second VDD control signal;
- a third charging circuit capable of decreasing said reference voltage on said charge capacitor in response to receipt of a third VDD control signal;
- a fourth charging circuit capable of decreasing said reference voltage on said charge capacitor in response to receipt of a fourth VDD control signal;
- and
- a power supply capable of receiving said reference voltage on said charge capacitor and generating an output power level, VDD, determined by a level of said reference voltage.
A digital circuit comprising:
- a digital processing component capable of operating at different clock frequencies;
- an adjustable clock source capable of supplying variable clock frequencies to said digital processing component;
- and
- an adaptive voltage power supply capable of supplying a variable power supply level, VDD, to said digital processing component comprising:
- a first charging circuit capable of increasing a reference voltage on a charge capacitor in response to receipt of a first VDD control signal;
- a second charging circuit capable of decreasing said reference voltage on said charge capacitor in response to receipt of a second VDD control signal;
- and
- a power supply capable of receiving said reference voltage on said charge capacitor and generating said variable power supply level, VDD, determined by a level of said reference voltage.
A method of adjusting a power supply level, VDD, of a digital processing component having varying operating frequencies, the method of comprising the steps of:
- increasing a reference voltage on a charge capacitor using a first charging circuit in response to receipt of a first VDD control signal;
- decreasing the reference voltage on the charge capacitor using a second charging circuit in response to receipt of a second VDD control signal;
- and
- applying the reference voltage to the reference input of a power supply and generating an output power level, VDD, determined by a level of the reference voltage.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.