Merged power delivery

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12170478-B2
Application number	US-202217820168-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 16, 2022
Priority date	Aug 16, 2022
Publication date	Dec 17, 2024
Grant date	Dec 17, 2024

Abstract

A power delivery sub-system included in a computer system employs a primary voltage regulator circuit that generates a primary supply voltage on a primary power supply node. The power delivery sub-system also includes multiple bypass voltage regulator circuits that source corresponding bypass currents to a local power supply nodes in an integrated circuit. The integrated circuit includes multiple circuit blocks coupled to corresponding ones of the local power supply nodes, and multiple local voltage regulator circuits coupled to the primary power supply node. When a voltage level of a given local power supply node drops below a threshold value, a corresponding local voltage regulator circuit sources a supply current to the given local power supply node.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus, comprising:
a primary voltage regulator circuit configured to generate a primary supply voltage on a primary power supply node;
an integrated circuit including a plurality of functional blocks coupled to a plurality of local supply nodes; and
a plurality of bypass regulator circuits configured to source a plurality of bypass currents to the plurality of local supply nodes, wherein:
the integrated circuit further includes a plurality of local voltage regulator circuits including a particular local voltage regulator circuit configured to source, using the primary supply voltage, a supply current to a corresponding local supply node of the plurality of local supply nodes in response to a determination that a voltage level of the corresponding local supply node is less than a threshold value, and
the particular local voltage regulator circuit includes a low-dropout regulator circuit coupled between the primary power supply node and a given functional block of the plurality of functional blocks.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the low-dropout regulator circuit is configured to adjust a conductance between the primary power supply node and a particular local supply node based on a comparison of a voltage level of the particular local supply node and a reference voltage.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a second particular local voltage regulator circuit configured to source, using the primary supply voltage, a second supply current to a second corresponding local supply node of the plurality of local supply nodes in response to a second determination that a second voltage level of the second corresponding local supply node is less than the threshold value, wherein the second particular local voltage regulator circuit includes a capacitor, and wherein the second particular local voltage regulator circuit is configured to:
charge, during a first time period, the capacitor using the primary voltage level; and
discharge, during a second time period subsequent to the first time period, the capacitor into a second particular power supply node of the plurality of local supply nodes.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a particular bypass regulator circuit of the plurality of bypass regulator circuits includes a resistor coupled to a corresponding local supply node of the plurality of local supply nodes, and wherein the particular bypass regulator circuit further includes a switching circuit configured to source, using a voltage level of an input power node, a corresponding bypass current of the plurality of bypass currents to the corresponding local supply node via the resistor.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the particular bypass regulator circuit further includes a control circuit configured to:
measure a voltage drop across the resistor to determine a value of the corresponding bypass current; and
adjust operation of the switching circuit based on the value of the corresponding bypass current.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein, while the supply current is sourced, a bypass current of the plurality of bypass currents is sourced.

7. A method, comprising:
generating, by a plurality of bypass regulator circuits, a plurality of local supply voltages on a plurality of local power supply nodes coupled to corresponding ones of a plurality of functional blocks included in a first integrated circuit;
generating, by a primary voltage regulator circuit, a primary supply voltage on a primary power supply node; and
clamping, by a plurality of local voltage regulator circuits included on the first integrated circuit and using the primary supply voltage, respective voltage levels on the plurality of local power supply nodes, wherein:
clamping the respective voltage levels on the plurality of local power supply nodes includes sourcing, by a particular local voltage regulator circuit using the primary supply voltage, a supply current to a corresponding local power supply node of the plurality of local power supply nodes in response to a determination that a voltage level of the corresponding local power supply node is less than a threshold value, and
the particular local voltage regulator circuit includes a low-dropout regulator circuit coupled between the primary power supply node and a given functional block of the plurality of functional blocks.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein clamping the respective voltage levels on the plurality of local power supply nodes includes modifying a conductance between the primary power supply node and a particular local power supply node of the plurality of local power supply nodes based on a comparison of a voltage level of the particular local power supply node and a reference voltage.

9. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:
sourcing, by a second particular local voltage regulator circuit using the primary supply voltage, a second supply current to a second corresponding local power supply node of the plurality of local power supply nodes in response to a second determination that a second voltage level of the corresponding local power supply node is less than the threshold value, wherein sourcing the the second supply current includes:
charging, by the second particular local voltage regulator circuit of the plurality of local voltage regulator circuits, at least one capacitor using the primary supply voltage; and
discharging, by the second particular local voltage regulator circuit, the at least one capacitor into a second particular local power supply node of the plurality of local power supply nodes coupled to the second particular local voltage regulator circuit, the second particular local power supply node corresponding to the second particular local voltage regulator circuit.

10. The method of claim 7 , further comprising decoupling, in response to detecting a power gating operation, a particular local voltage regulator circuit of the plurality of local voltage regulator circuits and a corresponding one of the plurality of bypass regulator circuits from a corresponding one of the plurality of local power supply nodes.

11. The method of claim 7 , wherein the first integrated circuit, the primary voltage regulator circuit, and the plurality of bypass regulator circuits are coupled to a common circuit board.

12. The method of claim 7 , wherein the primary voltage regulator circuit and the plurality of bypass regulator circuits are included in a second integrated circuit that is coupled to a common circuit board along with the first integrated circuit.

13. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:
sourcing a plurality of bypass currents to the plurality of local power supply nodes, and
sourcing a bypass current of the plurality of bypass currents while the supply current is sourced.

14. An apparatus, comprising:
a primary power converter circuit configured to generate a primary supply voltage on a primary power supply node;
an auxiliary power converter circuit configured to generate an auxiliary supply voltage on an auxiliary power supply node; and
an integrated circuit including:
a first plurality of wiring networks coupled between the primary power supply node and a corresponding plurality of local power supply nodes;
a second plurality of wiring networks coupled between the auxiliary power supply node and a corresponding plurality of local auxiliary nodes;
a plurality of local voltage regulator circuits configured to source, using corresponding ones of the plurality of local auxiliary nodes, a plurality of currents to the plurality of local power supply nodes;
a plurality of functional circuit blocks coupled to

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Uan-Zo-Li Alexander B
• Jiang Shuai
• Langlinais Jamie L
• Hammarlund Per H
• Yeager Hans L
• Zyuban Victor
• Kim Sung J
• Xu Wei
• Mandrekar Rohan U
• Narayan Sambasivan
• Abu-Rahma Mohamed H
• Raszka Jaroslav
• Bruckner Robert O

Classifications

• H02M3/1566

  with means for compensating against rapid load changes, e.g. with auxiliary current source, with dual mode control or with inductance variation · CPC title

• H02M1/008 Primary

  Plural converter units for generating at two or more independent and non-parallel outputs, e.g. systems with plural point of load switching regulators · CPC title