Adaptive power supply arrangement

• US 6,504,350 B2
• Filed: 05/02/2001
• Issued: 01/07/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/02/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Agere Systems Incorporated (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Leonowich, Robert H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Rajnikant B.
• Application Number:
  US09/847,807
• Publication Number:
  US 20020171404A1
• Time in Patent Office: 615 Days
• Field of Search: 323/281, 323/282, 323/285, 323/273, 323/280, 323/284, 365/189, 365/226
• US Class Current: 323/281
• CPC Class Codes: G05F 1/565 sensing a condition of the system or its load in addition to means responsive to deviations in the output of the system, e.g. current, voltage, power factor G05F1/563 takes precedence

Abstract

An arrangement for adjusting a fixed power supply voltage level to a different level that may be required by a connected circuit module comprises a differential amplifier and resistor divider network. A reference voltage is applied to the positive input of the differential amplifier and an internal node voltage within the resistor divider network is fed back as the negative input. The values of the resistors in the network are specifically chosen to provide for the desired voltage level. Each such arrangement of the present invention may then be individually tailored for the particular circumstance.

Claims

1. An adaptive power supply module disposed as an interface between a fixed supply voltage source and an associated integrated circuit to be powered, said adaptive power supply module for converting a fixed supply voltage (V_fixed) from said fixed supply voltage source to a predetermined input voltage (V_prog) required to power said associated integrated circuit, said adaptive power supply module comprising

an arrangement for generating a defined reference voltage (V_ref) from said fixed, known voltage;

a differential amplifier including a first, positive input and a second, negative input and an output, the differential amplifier powered by said fixed, known voltage and the defined reference voltage is applied as an input to the first, positive input; and

a resistor divider network, including an internal divided voltage node, coupled between the differential amplifier output and ground potential, wherein said internal node in the divider network is tapped and applied as the second, negative input to said differential amplifier, said differential amplifier output defining the predetermined input voltage to the associated integrated circuit.

2. An adaptive power supply module as defined in claim 1 wherein the resistor divider network comprises a first resistance R₁ and a second resistance R₂ connected in series, with the internal node defined therebetween, so as to define the relationship between V_ref and V_prog as follows:

$V_{\mathrm{prog}}=\left(\frac{R_1+R_2}{R_2}\right)*V_{\mathrm{ref}}.$

3. An adaptive power supply module as defined in claim 1 wherein the arrangement further comprises a bypass capacitor disposed in parallel with the resistor divider network.

4. An adaptive power supply module as defined in claim 1 wherein at least one resistance in the resistor divider network comprises an adjustable resistor, wherein the predetermined input voltage to the associated integrated circuit is adjusted as a function of the resistor adjustment.

5. An adaptive power supply module as defined in claim 2 wherein at least one resistance in the resistor divider network comprises an adjustable resistor.

6. An adaptive power supply module as defined in claim 5 wherein the first resistance is adjustable.

7. An adaptive supply module as defined in claim 5 wherein the second resistance is adjustable.

8. An adaptive supply module as defined in claim 1 wherein the predetermined input voltage V_prog is less than the defined reference voltage.

9. An arrangement for providing a plurality of different input voltages to a plurality of N different integrated circuits associated with a single fixed supply voltage (V_fixed), said arrangement comprising a plurality of N adaptive power supply modules with each module for converting said fixed supply voltage to a predetermined input voltage (V_prog) required to power an associated integrated circuit and each adaptive power supply module comprising

an arrangement for generating a defined reference voltage (V_ref) from said fixed, known voltage;

a differential amplifier including a first, positive input and a second, negative input and an output, the differential amplifier powered by said fixed, known voltage and the defined reference voltage is applied as an input to the first, positive input; and

a resistor divider network, including an internal divided voltage node, coupled between the differential amplifier output and ground potential, wherein said internal node in the divider network is tapped and applied as the second, negative input to said differential amplifier, said differential amplifier output defining the predetermined input voltage to the associated integrated circuit.

10. An arrangement as defined in claim 9, wherein the resistor divider network in at least one adaptive power supply module comprises a first resistance R₁ and a second resistance R₂ connected in series, with the internal node defined therebetween, so as to define the relationship between V_ref and V_prog as follows:

$V_{\mathrm{prog}}=\left(\frac{R_1+R_2}{R_2}\right)*V_{\mathrm{ref}}.$

11. An arrangement as defined in claim 9 wherein at least one adaptive power supply module further comprises a bypass capacitor disposed in parallel with the resistor divider network.

12. An arrangement as defined in claim 9 wherein at least one resistance in a resistor divider network in at least one adaptive power supply module comprises an adjustable resistor, wherein the predetermined input voltage to the associated integrated circuit is adjusted as a function of the resistor adjustment.

13. An arrangement as defined in claim 10 wherein, in at least one adaptive power supply module, at least one resistance in the resistor divider network comprises an adjustable resistor.

14. An arrangement as defined in claim 13 wherein the first resistance is adjustable.

15. An arrangement as defined in claim 13 wherein the second resistance is adjustable.

16. An arrangement as defined in claim 9 wherein in at least one adaptive power supply module the predetermined input voltage V_prog is less than the defined reference voltage.