Synchronized power-up for multiple voltage system
First Claim
1. A power-up control circuit for controlling the initial application of power to a system having multiple loads and multiple load voltage requirements, comprising:
- a feedback regulator associated with each load, connected between the load and its voltage supply signal, each regulator operable to deliver an output voltage signal to the associated load and to control the voltage of that output signal by limiting the voltage to the level of a setpoint signal;
a voltage finder operable to receive output voltage signals from the feedback regulators, to determine the setpoint signal by finding the minimum voltage level of these signals, and to deliver the setpoint signal to each feedback regulator circuit; and
a cutout circuit interposed between the output of each feedback regulator and the voltage finder, operable to compare the associated output voltage signal to a reference endpoint representing the voltage required by the associated load, and to cut out the associated voltage output signal from the voltage finder when the voltage delivered to the associated load reaches the reference endpoint.
14 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A power-up control circuit controls the initial application of power to a system having multiple loads and multiple voltage supply levels. The control circuit causes the power to each load to rise equally, and limits the voltage levels to all loads to the lowest voltage being controlled by the control circuit. As each load reaches its target voltage, its voltage no longer limits the control circuit. The voltages to the remaining loads continue to rise, and loads whose target voltages are reached continue to drop out of the control circuit, until each load is receiving its target voltage.
-
Citations
20 Claims
-
1. A power-up control circuit for controlling the initial application of power to a system having multiple loads and multiple load voltage requirements, comprising:
-
a feedback regulator associated with each load, connected between the load and its voltage supply signal, each regulator operable to deliver an output voltage signal to the associated load and to control the voltage of that output signal by limiting the voltage to the level of a setpoint signal;
a voltage finder operable to receive output voltage signals from the feedback regulators, to determine the setpoint signal by finding the minimum voltage level of these signals, and to deliver the setpoint signal to each feedback regulator circuit; and
a cutout circuit interposed between the output of each feedback regulator and the voltage finder, operable to compare the associated output voltage signal to a reference endpoint representing the voltage required by the associated load, and to cut out the associated voltage output signal from the voltage finder when the voltage delivered to the associated load reaches the reference endpoint. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
-
-
9. A method of powering-up a system having multiple loads and multiple load voltage requirements, comprising:
-
connecting a feedback regulator between each load and its input voltage supply;
applying power to the voltage supplies;
generating a setpoint signal by receiving outputs from the feedback regulators and finding the minimum voltage level of these outputs;
delivering the setpoint signal to each feedback regulator;
limiting the voltage delivered to each load, by delivering the voltage delivered to each load back to the feedback regulator as a feedback signal and using the setpoint signal to limit the output of the feedback regulators;
determining when any feedback regulator is delivering a voltage equal to an endpoint voltage for the associated load;
removing, from the set of feedback regulator outputs being used to find the setpoint, the feedback regulator output of any load receiving its endpoint voltage; and
repeating the generating, delivering, limiting, determining, and removing steps until each load is receiving its endpoint voltage. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
-
-
18. A power-up control circuit for controlling the initial application of power to a system having multiple loads and multiple load voltage requirements, comprising:
-
a feedback regulator associated with each load, connected between the load and its voltage supply signal, each regulator operable to deliver an output signal to the associated load, and to control the voltage of the output signal by limiting the voltage to the level of a setpoint signal;
a voltage finder operable to receive output voltage signals from the regulators, to determine the setpoint signal by finding the minimum voltage level of these signals, and to deliver the setpoint signal to each feedback regulator circuit; and
a cutout circuit associated interposed between the output of each feedback regulator and the voltage finder, operable to compare the associated output voltage signal to a reference endpoint representing the voltage required by the associated load, and to cut out the associated voltage output signal from the voltage finder when the voltage delivered to the associated load reaches the reference endpoint;
wherein at least the voltage finder and cutout circuit are implemented as analog circuits. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20)
-
Specification