DATA PROCESSING SYSTEM WITH PROTOCOL DETERMINATION CIRCUITRY

• US 20150039916A1
• Filed: 07/31/2013
• Published: 02/05/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NXP USA, Inc. (NXP Semiconductors NV)
• Original Assignee: NXP USA, Inc. (NXP Semiconductors NV)
• Inventors: Case, Lawrence L., Brocker, Matthew W., Tkacik, Thomas E., Sun, Mingle
• Granted Patent: US 9,436,248 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/310
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/263 Arrangements for using multiple switchable power supplies, e.g. battery and AC G06F1/30 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/32 Means for saving power

Abstract

A semiconductor device includes a processing system including a section of power domain circuitry and a section of coin cell power domain circuitry. The coin cell power domain circuitry is configured to, when power is initially provided to the coin cell power domain circuitry, using power provided by a power management circuit as feedback to determine that the power management circuit provides the power in response to a power request signal being a toggle signal, and determine that the power management circuit provides the power in response to the power request signal being a pulse signal.

Claims

1. A semiconductor device comprising:

a processing system including a section of power domain circuitry and a section of coin cell power domain circuitry, wherein the coin cell power domain circuitry is configured to;

when power is initially provided to the coin cell power domain circuitry, using power provided by a power management circuit as feedback to

determine that the power management circuit provides the power in response to a power request signal being a toggle signal, and

determine that the power management circuit provides the power in response to the power request signal being a pulse signal.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein to determine that the power management circuit provides the power in response to the toggle signal, the coin cell power domain circuitry is configured to:

from a reset state,

detect the power goes high to enter a second state;

from the second state, detect that the power stays high and configure a protocol to use the toggle signal, wherein a single cycle of the toggle signal transitions from low to high to enter a final state.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein to determine that the power management circuit provides the power in response to the toggle signal, the coin cell power domain circuitry is configured to:

from a reset state,

detect the power is low and set the power request signal low to enter a third state;

from the third state, detect when the power goes high to enter a fifth state;

from the fifth state, detect that the power stays high and configure a protocol to use the toggle signal, wherein a single cycle of the toggle signal transitions from high to low to enter a final state.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein to determine that the power management circuit provides the power in response to the pulse signal, the coin cell power domain circuitry is configured to:

from a reset state,

detect the power is low and set the power request signal low to enter a third state;

from the third state, detect when the power goes high to enter a fifth state;

from the fifth state, detect that the power goes low to enter a seventh state;

from the seventh state, set the power request signal high to enter an eighth state;

from the eighth state, detect when the power stays high and configure a protocol to use the pulse signal, wherein a single cycle of the pulse signal transitions from high to low and back to high to enter a final state.

5. The device of claim 4 wherein the coin cell power domain circuitry is further configured to:

from the seventh state, detect when the power stays low to enter a tenth state;

from the eighth state, detect when the power goes low and set the power request signal low to enter the tenth state;

from the tenth state, when an initial number of attempts is not exhausted and a specified period of time has expired, return to the reset state.

6. The device of claim 1 wherein to determine that the power management circuit provides the power in response to the pulse signal, the coin cell power domain circuitry is configured to:

from a reset state,

detect the power goes high to enter a second state;

from the second state, detect that the power goes low and set the power request signal low and then high to enter a fourth state;

from the fourth state, detect when the power goes high and set the power request signal low to enter a sixth state;

from the sixth state, detect that the power stays high and configure a protocol to use the pulse signal, wherein a single cycle of the pulse signal transitions from low to high and back to low to enter a final state.

7. The device of claim 6 wherein the coin cell power domain circuitry is further configured to:

from the fourth state, detect when the power stays low and the power request signal is low to enter a tenth state;

from the sixth state, detect when the power goes low to enter the tenth state;

from the tenth state, when an initial number of attempts is not exhausted and a specified period of time has expired, return to the reset state.

8. The device of claim 1 wherein the coin cell power domain circuitry is further configured to:

enter a twelfth state when a user presses a power button and set the power request signal high;

from the twelfth state, detect when the power is high and configure a protocol to use the trigger signal, wherein a single cycle of the trigger signal transitions from low to high to enter a final state.

9. The device of claim 1 wherein the coin cell power domain circuitry is further configured to:

enter a twelfth state when a user presses a power button and set the power request signal high;

from the twelfth state, detect when the user presses the power button longer than a specified time to enter a fourteenth state;

from the fourteenth state, detect when power is high and configure a protocol to use the pulse signal, wherein a single cycle of the pulse signal transitions from low to high and back to low to enter a final state.

10. The device of claim 1 wherein the coin cell power domain circuitry is further configured to:

enter a twelfth state when a user presses a power button and set the power request signal high;

from the twelfth state, detect when the user presses the power button longer than a specified time to enter a fourteenth state;

from the fourteenth state, detect when the power is low and set the power request signal low to enter a fifteenth state;

from the fifteenth state, detect the power is high and configure a protocol to use the trigger signal, wherein a single cycle of the trigger signal transitions from high to low to enter a final state.

11. The device of claim 1 wherein the coin cell power domain circuitry is further configured to:

enter a twelfth state when a user presses a power button and set the power request signal high;

from the twelfth state, detect when the user presses the power button at least a minimum specified time and set the power request signal to low to enter a thirteenth state;

from the thirteenth state, detect when power is high and configure a protocol to use the pulse signal, wherein a single cycle of the pulse signal transitions from high to low and back to high to enter a final state.

12. A semiconductor device comprising:

coin cell power domain circuitry configured to;

receive power provided by a power management circuit;

use the power as feedback to determine whether the power management circuit uses a toggle signal or a pulse signal to supply the power;

provide the toggle signal at an output pad when the power management circuit uses the toggle signal; and

provide the pulse signal at the output pad when the power management circuit uses the pulse signal.

13. The semiconductor device of claim 12 wherein:

the coin cell power domain circuitry is further configured to provide a power gate signal to power gated circuitry coupled to the coin cell power domain circuitry, wherein the power gated signal is used to remove power from the power gated circuitry while determining whether the power management circuit uses a toggle signal or a pulse signal.

14. The semiconductor device of claim 12 wherein:

the coin cell power domain circuitry is further configured to provide the toggle signal or the pulse signal for subsequent power request signals to the power management circuit.

15. The device of claim 12 wherein to determine that the power management circuit uses the toggle signal, the coin cell power domain circuitry is configured to:

detect the power transitions from a first state to a second state;

from the second state, detect that the power returns to the first state.

16. The device of claim 12, wherein to determine that the power management circuit uses the pulse signal, the coin cell power domain circuitry is configured to:

from a reset state,

detect power is low and a power request signal is low to enter a first state;

from the first state, detect the power request signal goes high while the power is low to enter a third state;

from the third state, detect when the power goes high to enter a fifth state;

from the fifth state, detect that the power request signal goes high to enter a seventh state;

from the seventh state, detect the power request signal goes low to enter a ninth state;

from the ninth state, configure a protocol to use the pulse signal, wherein a single cycle of the pulse signal transitions from low to high and back to low to enter the ninth state.

17. The device of claim 12, wherein to determine that the power management circuit uses the pulse signal, the coin cell power domain circuitry is configured to:

from a reset state,

detect when a power request signal goes high to enter a first state;

from the first state, detect the power goes high to enter a second state;

from the second state, detect that the power stays high and the power request signal goes low to enter a fourth state;

from the fourth state, detect when the power goes low and the power request signal goes high to enter a ninth state;

from the ninth state, configure a protocol to use the pulse signal, wherein a single cycle of the pulse signal transitions from high to low and back to high to enter the ninth state.

18. The device of claim 12 wherein the coin cell power domain circuitry is further configured to:

enter a twelfth state when a user presses a power button and set the power request signal high;

from the twelfth state, detect when the power is high and configure a protocol to use the trigger signal, wherein a single cycle of the trigger signal transitions from low to high to enter a final state;

from the twelfth state, detect when the user presses the power button longer than a specified time to enter a fourteenth state, and from the fourteenth state,

detect when power is high and configure a protocol to use the pulse signal, wherein a single cycle of the pulse signal transitions from low to high and back to low to enter a final state;

detect when the power is low and set the power request signal low to enter a fifteenth state, and from the fifteenth state, detect the power is high and configure a protocol to use the trigger signal, wherein a single cycle of the trigger signal transitions from high to low to enter a final state;

from the twelfth state, detect when the user presses the power button at least a minimum specified time and set the power request signal to low to enter a thirteenth state;

from the thirteenth state, detect when power is high and configure a protocol to use the pulse signal, wherein a single cycle of the pulse signal transitions from high to low and back to high to enter a final state.

19. A method comprising:

receiving, in coin cell power domain circuitry, power provided by a power management circuit;

testing, in the coin cell power domain circuitry, different combinations of the power and a power request signal to determine a signaling protocol used by the power management circuit to supply the power; and

providing the power request signal based on the signaling protocol at an output pad coupled to the coin cell power domain circuitry.

20. The method of claim 19 further comprising:

configuring pull resistors coupled to the output pad to a supply voltage or ground based on whether the signaling protocol is active high or active low.