POWER SUPPLY FOR PROCESSOR AND CONTROL METHOD THEREOF

• US 20130086396A1
• Filed: 09/30/2011
• Published: 04/04/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Monolithic Power Systems Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Monolithic Power Systems Incorporated
• Inventors: Liu, Chao
• Granted Patent: US 8,791,676 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/300
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/26 Power supply means, e.g. regulation thereof for memories G11C
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/266 Arrangements to supply power to external peripherals either directly from the computer or under computer control, e.g. supply of power through the communication port, computer controlled power-strips
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/0025 Arrangements for modifying reference values, feedback values or error values in the control loop of a converter

Abstract

The present invention provides a power supply for processor and control method thereof. The power supply comprises a reference adjusting circuit and a voltage regulator. The reference adjusting circuit is configured to receive a VID code from a processor, and adjust a reference voltage based on the VID code. The voltage regulator is coupled to the reference adjusting circuit and converts an input voltage into an output voltage in accordance to the reference voltage. The reference adjusting circuit adjusts the reference voltage in a plurality of steps until the reference voltage reaches a target value corresponding to the VID code. The reference adjusting circuit adjusts the reference voltage by a preset value during each step, and proceeds to adjust the reference voltage by a next step only after the output voltage reaches a predetermined scope of the reference voltage.

Claims

1. A power supply, comprising:

a reference adjusting circuit configured to receive a VID code from a processor, and based on the VID code, a reference voltage is adjusted by the reference adjusting circuit; and

a voltage regulator coupled to the reference adjusting circuit, wherein the voltage regulator converts an input voltage into an output voltage in accordance to the reference voltage;

wherein

the reference adjusting circuit adjusts the reference voltage in a plurality of steps until the reference voltage reaches a target value corresponding to the VID code, and wherein the reference adjusting circuit adjusts the reference voltage by a preset value during each of the plurality of steps, and the reference adjusting circuit is configured to proceed to adjust the reference voltage by a next step of the plurality of steps only after the output voltage reaches a predetermined scope of the reference voltage.

2. The power supply of claim 1, wherein the reference adjusting circuit adjusts the reference voltage by reducing it.

3. The power supply of claim 1, wherein the reference adjusting circuit comprises:

a voltage regulation settled detection circuit coupled to the voltage regulator, wherein the voltage regulation settled detection circuit is configured to generate a voltage regulation settled signal when the output voltage reaches a predetermined scope of the reference voltage; and

a reference descending circuit coupled to the voltage regulation settled detection circuit, wherein the reference descending circuit is configured, based on the voltage regulation settled signal, to adjust the reference voltage in the plurality of steps until the reference voltage reaches the target value.

4. The power supply of claim 3, wherein the reference adjusting circuit further comprises:

a digital to analog converter configured to convert a digital input signal into the reference voltage;

wherein

the reference descending circuit is coupled to the digital to analog converter, and the reference descending circuit is configured to adjust the digital input signal in the plurality of steps based on the voltage regulation settled signal until the digital input signal becomes equal to the VID code.

5. The power supply of claim 1, wherein the output voltage is compared with a first threshold voltage and a second threshold voltage, wherein the output voltage is deemed as reaching the predetermined scope of the reference voltage if the output voltage is larger than the second threshold voltage and smaller than the first threshold voltage, wherein the first threshold voltage is larger than the second threshold voltage.

6. The power supply of claim 5, wherein the first threshold voltage is a sum of the reference voltage and a settle value voltage, and the second threshold voltage is a difference between the reference voltage and the settle value voltage.

7. The power supply of claim 1, wherein the voltage regulator comprises:

a switching converter, having at least one switch, wherein the switching converter is configured to convert the input voltage into the output voltage through the ON and OFF switching of the at least one switch; and

a controller coupled to the reference adjusting circuit, wherein the controller is configured to generate a control signal to control the ON and OFF of the at least one switch in accordance to the reference voltage.

8. The power supply of claim 1, wherein the reference adjusting circuit further receives a slew rate command from the processor, when a first slew rate command is received together with the VID code, the reference adjusting circuit reduces the reference voltage step by step until the reference voltage reaches the target value corresponding to the VID code;

when a second slew rate command is received together with the VID code, the reference adjusting circuit changes the reference voltage into the target value in a controlled rate.

9. A reference adjusting circuit, configured to receive a VID code from a processor, and based on the VID code, a reference voltage of a voltage regulator is adjusted by the reference adjusting circuit, wherein

the reference adjusting circuit adjusts the reference voltage in a plurality of steps until the reference voltage reaches a target value corresponding to the VID code, and wherein the reference adjusting circuit adjusts the reference voltage by a preset value during each of the plurality of steps, and the reference adjusting circuit is configured to proceed to adjust the reference voltage by a next step of the plurality of steps only after the output voltage of the voltage regulator reaches a predetermined scope of the reference voltage.

10. The reference adjusting circuit of claim 9, wherein the reference adjusting circuit adjusts the reference voltage by reducing it.

11. The reference adjusting circuit of claim 9, comprising:

a voltage regulation settled detection circuit coupled to the voltage regulator, wherein the voltage regulation settled detection circuit is configured to generate a voltage regulation settled signal when the output voltage reaches a predetermined scope of the reference voltage; and

a reference descending circuit coupled to the voltage regulation settled detection circuit, wherein the reference descending circuit is configured, based on the voltage regulation settled signal, to adjust the reference voltage in the plurality of steps until the reference voltage reaches the target value.

12. The reference adjusting circuit of claim 11, further comprising:

a digital to analog converter configured to convert a digital input signal into the reference voltage;

wherein

the reference descending circuit is coupled to the digital to analog converter, and the reference descending circuit is configured to adjust the digital input signal in the plurality of steps based on the voltage regulation settled signal until the digital input signal becomes equal to the VID code.

13. The reference adjusting circuit of claim 9, wherein the output voltage is compared with a first threshold voltage and a second threshold voltage, wherein the output voltage is deemed as reaching the predetermined scope of the reference voltage if the output voltage is larger than the second threshold voltage and smaller than the first threshold voltage, wherein the first threshold voltage is larger than the second threshold voltage.

14. The reference adjusting circuit of claim 13, wherein the first threshold voltage is a sum of the reference voltage and a settle value voltage, and the second threshold voltage is a difference between the reference voltage and the settle value voltage.

15. The reference adjusting circuit of claim 9, further receiving a slew rate command from the processor, wherein

when a first slew rate command is received together with the VID code, the reference adjusting circuit reduces the reference voltage step by step until the reference voltage reaches the target value corresponding to the VID code;

and

when a second slew rate command is received together with the VID code, the reference adjusting circuit changes the reference voltage into the target value in a controlled rate.

16. A control method used in a power supply, wherein the power supply comprises a voltage regulator which converts an input voltage into an output voltage in accordance to a reference voltage, the control method comprising:

receiving a VID code from a processor;

adjusting the reference voltage in a plurality of steps until the reference voltage reaches a target value corresponding to the VID code;

wherein

the reference voltage is adjusted by a preset value during each of the plurality of steps, and the reference voltage is adjusted by a next step of the plurality of steps only after the output voltage reaches a predetermined scope of the reference voltage

17. The control method of claim 16, wherein the reference voltage is generated by a digital to analog converter in accordance to a digital input signal, the control method further comprising:

adjusting the digital input signal in the plurality of steps until the digital input signal becomes equal to the VID code.

18. The control method of claim 16, wherein the output voltage is compared with a first threshold voltage and a second threshold voltage, wherein the output voltage is deemed as reaching the predetermined scope of the reference voltage if the output voltage is larger than the second threshold voltage and smaller than the first threshold voltage, wherein the first threshold voltage is larger then the second threshold voltage.

19. The control method of claim 18, wherein the first threshold voltage is a sum of the reference voltage and a settle value voltage, and the second threshold voltage is a difference between the reference voltage and the settle value voltage

20. The control method of claim 16, further comprising:

receiving a slew rate command from the processor;

when a first slew rate command is received together the VID code, reducing the reference voltage step by step until the reference voltage reaches the target value corresponding to the VID code; and

when a second slew rate command is received together with the VID code, changing the reference voltage into the target value in a controlled rate.