Power network reconfiguration using MEM switches
AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation
InventorsHayden C. Cranford, Jr., Louis Lu-Chen Hsu, James S. Mason
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A structure and method for power distribution to a network for an integrated circuit chip complex are provided. The chip complex has at least two sectors, each having at least one power providing connection with at least one of said connections beings individually addressable by, and isolatable from, a given power source. At least one MEMS is positioned to selectively connect and disconnect said at least one connection to and from said given power source.
Claims19
A power distribution network of an integrated circuit chip comprising:
- a first group of parallel power lines and a second group of parallel power lines, wherein said first group of power lines transverses orthogonal to said second group of power lines, and wherein each line of each group crosses a line of the other group;
- an array of MEM (microelectricalmechanical) switches operable at less than 3 V, each MEM switch having an “on” position and an “off” position between each line of said two groups of power lines having one MEM switch located at each cross-point of said two transverse power lines;
- and
- a plurality of voltage monitor devices each located at a vicinity of an each one of the MEM switches and configured to monitor a local power level and provide a MEM switch control signal to each said vicinity MEM switch to control an on/off position of the vicinity MEM switch as a function of a comparison of the monitored local power level to a preset level.
A power distribution network, comprising:
- a first supply system powered with a first power supply level;
- a second supply system powered with a second power supply level;
- a set of MEM switches operable at less than 3 V connected between said first and second supply systems;
- wherein said MEM switches are configured to be turned “on” so that devices attached to either of the first and the second supply systems can be tested during a test mode while one of the first power supply and the second power supply is not available;
- and
- wherein said MEM switches axe configured to be turned “off”, so that devices attached to respective of the first and the second supply systems can be operated with its respective power supply level dining a normal mode while both supplies are available.
A power distribution network for an IC comprising at least one power supply level and plurality of MEM switches operable at less than 3 V which are hierarchically grouped together and used for a system-on-chip;
- wherein when a portion of the IC is not active, said corresponding MEM switches can be turned “off” to save power;
- wherein when the whole IC is not active, all said MEM switches can be turned “off”;
- and
- when power is on, said plurality of MEM switches can be turned “on” in a predetermined sequence so that IC will be powered “on” properly to avoid latch up.
A method for distributing power to an integrated circuit, comprising:
- providing a set of microelectricalmechanical switches operable at less than 3 V connected between a first supply system powered with a first power supply level and a second supply system powered with a second power supply level;
- turning “on” the set of miciroelectricalmechanical switches said so that devices attached to either of the first and the second supply systems can be tested during a test mode while one of the first power supply and the second power supply is not available;
- and turning “off” the set of microeleetricalmechanical switches so that devices attached to respective of the first and the second supply systems can be operated with its respective power supply level during a normal mode while both supplies are available.
A method of calibrating power supply uniformity on an integrated circuit, comprising:
- sensing a voltage level for a plurality of circuit blocks for a first operating mode, each of the plurality of circuit blocks comprising a microelectricalmechanical switch operable at less than 3 V connecting each of said plurality of circuit blocks to at least one power supply;
- performing a uniform power calibration for the plurality of circuit blocks for the first operating mode by setting each of the microelectricalmechanical switches on or off relative to the at least one power supply;
- scanning the settings of each of the microelectricalmechanical switches for the first operating mode to a look up table;
- repeating the sensing the voltage level for the plurality of circuit blocks, the performing the uniform power calibration and the scanning the microelectricalmechanical switch settings for each of at least one additional operating mode;
- and
- storing a switch pattern for each of the first operating mode and the at least one additional operating mode into the look-up table, wherein the switch pattern may be fetched from the look-up table and scanned into each of the microelectricalmechanical switches as a function of a mode address to provide a uniform power distribution from the at least one power supply for each of the first operating mode and the at least one additional operating mode.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.