Method for powering a module incorporated within a system-on-a-chip and corresponding electronic device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9891637-B2
Application number	US-201715696459-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 6, 2017
Priority date	May 5, 2015
Publication date	Feb 13, 2018
Grant date	Feb 13, 2018

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.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. 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.

2. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising, in a power-up phase of the system-on-a-chip, avoiding making the regulation operate in open loop mode.

3. The method according to claim 2 , wherein avoiding comprises:
placing into high impedance a setpoint output of the system-on-a-chip configured to deliver the negative feedback voltage in steady-state mode, and
establishing a temporary feedback control loop using a resistor connected between a power supply input of the system-on-a-chip receiving the regulated power supply voltage and the setpoint output.

4. The method according to claim 3 , further comprising placing the setpoint output into low impedance during the transition between the power-up phase and the steady-state power supply phase so as to re-establish the feedback control loop going via the system-on-a-chip.

5. The method according to claim 2 , further comprising, in the power-up phase, directly delivering the effective supply voltage to a setpoint output of the system-on-a-chip configured to deliver the negative feedback voltage in steady-state mode.

6. 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.

7. The device according to claim 6 , wherein the voltage regulator is a switch-mode regulator comprising:
a switching circuit connected between a main input for receiving the main power supply voltage and the regulation output, and
a comparator generating a control signal for controlling the switching circuit using a comparator having a first comparator input designed to be connected to a reference voltage and a second comparator input coupled to the negative feedback input via a divider circuit.

8. The device according to claim 6 , further comprising a protection circuit configured to avoid, when the system-on-a-chip is powered up, an operation of the voltage regulator in an open loop mode.

9. The device according to claim 8 , wherein the protection circuit comprises a controllable switch configured for shunting the adder circuit in such a manner as to deliver the effective supply voltage to the setpoint output as long as the voltage adaptation circuit is not powered.

10. The device according to claim 6 , further comprising an auto-power supply for the voltage adaptation circuit.

11. The device according to claim 10 , further comprising a controllable switch configured for shunting the adder circuit so as to deliver the effective supply voltage to the setpoint output when the conversion circuit is not powered.

12. 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.

13. The device of claim 12 , wherein the voltage regulator circuit comprises:
a comparator configured to compare a voltage derived from the feedback control voltage to a reference voltage;
control logic configured to generate a switch control signal from an output of the comparator; and
a switch coupled between a supply source and the regulated voltage output, said switch selectively actuated in response to said switch control signal.

Assignees

• Stmicroelectronics Grand Ouest Sas

Inventors

• Belet Christophe

Classifications

• G06F1/26

  Power supply means, e.g. regulation thereof (for memories G11C) · CPC title

• G05F1/46 Primary

  wherein the variable actually regulated by the final control device is DC (G05F1/625 takes precedence) · CPC title