Power Manager Tile For Multi-Tile Power Management Integrated Circuit

• US 20130151875A1
• Filed: 12/08/2011
• Published: 06/13/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Active-Semi, Inc. (Qorvo, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Active-Semi, Inc. (Qorvo, Inc.)
• Inventors: Huynh, Steven
• Granted Patent: US 8,886,970 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/310
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/26 Power supply means, e.g. regulation thereof for memories G11C

Abstract

A Multi-Tile Power Management Integrated Circuit (MTPMIC) includes tiles including an MCU/ADC tile and a power manager tile. The power manager tile includes a set of Configurable Switching Power Supply Pulse Width Modulator (CSPSPWM) components. These components, in combination with other circuitry external to the integrated circuit, are configurable to form a selected one of a number of different switching power supply circuits. Upon power up, an internal regulator supplies power to the CSPSPWM. The CSPSPWM then controls the power supply to begin switching in a low frequency start-up mode. The CSPSPWM determines during start-up the current sensing method based on circuitry external to the integrated circuit. A supply voltage generated is then supplied via a conductor of a standardized bus to a processor in the MCU/ADC tile. The processor begins executing instructions, and as a result writes across the standardized bus to configure the various tiles of the MTPMIC.

Claims

1. An integrated circuit comprising:

a first tile comprising a Configurable Switching Power Supply Pulse Width Modulator (CSPSPWM), a driver output terminal, a driver coupled to receive a driver input signal from the CSPSPWM and coupled to drive a driver output signal onto the driver output terminal, a supply voltage terminal VP couplable to an error amplifier of the CSPSPWM, and a configuration register, wherein configuration information stored in the configuration register determines a configuration of the CSPSPWM;

a second tile comprising a terminal, circuitry coupled to the terminal of the second tile, and a configuration register, wherein configuration information stored in the configuration register determines a configuration of the circuitry, wherein the circuitry is taken from a group consisting of;

a driver output circuit that outputs a signal onto the terminal of the second tile, and an amplifier circuit that receives a signal from the terminal of the second tile;

a memory; and

a processor adapted to access the memory and to execute instructions stored in the memory, wherein the processor is powered substantially entirely by power received from the first tile as a result of an operation of the CSPSPWM, wherein the processor is configured to write across a standardized bus to the configuration register in the first tile thereby configuring the CSPSPWM, and wherein the processor is configured to write across the standardized bus to the configuration register in the second tile thereby configuring the circuitry of the second tile.

2. The integrated circuit of claim 1, wherein the driver output circuit of the second tile is a high-side driver output circuit.

3. The integrated circuit of claim 1, wherein the second tile further comprises a second terminal, and wherein the amplifier circuit of the second tile is a differential amplifier circuit coupled to receive a signal from the second terminal.

4. The integrated circuit of claim 1, wherein the circuitry in the second tile is powered substantially entirely by power received from the first tile.

5. The integrated circuit of claim 1, wherein the first tile supplies a supply voltage onto a conductor, and wherein the processor is powered substantially entirely by power received from the first tile via the conductor.

6. The integrated circuit of claim 1, wherein the driver of the first tile is configurable to operate in a pulse pull-down mode.

7. The integrated circuit of claim 1, wherein the first tile further comprises a current sense terminal, and wherein the CSPSPWM comprises current sense detect circuitry that detects whether the current sense terminal is coupled in a low-side current sense configuration.

8. The integrated circuit of claim 1, wherein the CSPSPWM is operable in a constant switching frequency and constant pulse width mode, wherein in the constant switching frequency and constant pulse width mode the driver output terminal is driven with pulses of a constant frequency and of a constant pulse width.

9. The integrated circuit of claim 1, wherein the first tile further comprises a high voltage terminal, wherein the driver is operable to drive the driver output terminal to a high voltage by coupling the driver output terminal to the high voltage terminal.

10. The integrated circuit of claim 1, wherein the CSPSPWM has a programmable switching frequency, and wherein the programmable switching frequency is determined by configuration information stored in the configuration register of the first tile.

11. The integrated circuit of claim 1, wherein the CSPSPWM comprises a programmable voltage divider, wherein an input of the programmable voltage divider is coupled to the supply voltage terminal VP, wherein an output of the programmable voltage divider is coupled to an error amplifier of the CSPSPWN, and wherein the programmable voltage divider is controlled by configuration information stored in the configuration register of the first tile.

12. The integrated circuit of claim 1, wherein the first tile has a side of a first length, wherein the second tile has a side of a second length, wherein the side of the first tile abuts the side of the second tile, and wherein the first length and the second length are equal.

13. The integrated circuit of claim 1, wherein the CSPSPWM further comprises a linear regulator circuit, wherein an input of the linear regulator circuit is coupled to the supply voltage terminal.

14. The integrated circuit of claim 1, wherein the CSPSPWM comprises an error amplifier output node and a Digital-to-Analog Converter (DAC), wherein the processor is operable to control a voltage on the error amplifier output node by writing a digital value such that the digital value is present on input leads of the DAC.

15. The integrated circuit of claim 1, wherein the first tile includes no digital processor that executes instructions.

16. The integrated circuit of claim 1, wherein the driver output terminal is coupled to base of an NPN transistor, and wherein the NPN transistor and the SCSPSCPWM form a step down buck converter.

17. The integrated circuit of claim 1, wherein the driver output terminal is coupled to a gate of a field effect transistor, and wherein the field effect transistor and the SCSPSCPWM form a boost converter.

18. The integrated circuit of claim 1, wherein the driver output terminal is coupled to a gate of a field effect transistor, and wherein the field effect transistor and the SCSPSCPWM form a flyback converter.

19. A method comprising:

(a) applying power to an integrated circuit, wherein the integrated circuit comprises a first tile and a second tile, wherein the first tile comprises a Configurable Switching Power Supply Pulse Width Modulator (CSPSPWM), wherein the CSPSPWM is coupled together with circuitry external to the integrated circuit to form a switching power supply circuit, and wherein the external circuitry comprises a component of a group consisting of;

an inductor and a transformer;

(b) powering up a processor using power supplied by the switching power supply circuit, and wherein the processor is a part of the second tile; and

(c) configuring the CSPSPWM by writing configuration information into a configuration register, wherein the configuration register is a part of the first tile and wherein the processor writes the configuration information into the configuration register.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the processor writes the configuration information in (c) across a standardized bus into the configuration register.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the first tile supplies a supply voltage onto a conductor, and wherein the processor is powered up substantially entirely by power received from the first tile via the conductor.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein the CSPSPWM operates in a constant switching frequency and constant pulse width mode after power is applied in (a) and before the processor writes the configuration information into the configuration register in (c).

24. The integrated circuit of claim 22, wherein a supply voltage bus conductor extends on the integrated circuit from the second tile to the first tile, wherein the means supplies power to the processor by driving a supply voltage onto the supply voltage bus conductor.

23. An integrated circuit comprising:

a first tile comprising a processor; and

a second tile comprising a means for pulse width modulating a switch in a switching power supply and thereby generating an output supply voltage, wherein the switch is external to the integrated circuit, wherein the means is also for supplying power to the processor, and wherein the means is also for receiving configuration information written by the processor.