System and method for determining the desired decoupling components for a power distribution system having a voltage regulator module
First Claim
1. A system for determining decoupling components for a power distribution system, said power distribution system including a voltage regulator module, the system comprising:
- a database of characteristic values for a plurality of decoupling components; and
a computer system configured to;
access said database of characteristic values for said plurality of decoupling components;
accept known system parameters for said power distribution system;
simulate the operation of said power distribution system, wherein said power distribution system includes a voltage regulator circuit coupled to a load, and wherein said simulation comprises;
simulating a voltage regulator circuit using a mathematical model of said voltage regulator circuit, wherein simulating said voltage regulator circuit includes;
simulating a voltage with a voltage source model;
simulating ramping up or ramping down of current in said voltage regulator circuit with a model of a slew inductor; and
simulating effects of output inductance on said voltage regulator circuit with a model of an output inductor;
obtain an estimate of a bulk capacitance value for said power distribution system;
perform a cyclical simulation of said power distribution system, wherein said cyclical simulation comprises simulating the operation of said power distribution system over a plurality of clock cycles;
refine said bulk capacitance value based on results obtained during said cyclical simulation;
select one or more different decoupling components based on said bulk capacitance obtained during said simulating the operation of said power distribution system and said known system parameters for said power distribution system and entries in said database;
calculate a specific quantity for selected decoupling components, said selected decoupling components selected from said database based on known system parameters; and
determine a location of placement within said power distribution system for each of said selected decoupling components based on said known system parameters and said entries in said database.
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Abstract
A system and method for determining the desired decoupling components for a power distribution system having a voltage regulator module. The system may employ a mathematical model of a voltage regulator circuit, such as a switching voltage regulator. The mathematical model may be a SPICE model, or a circuit model in another format. The method may include simulating the operation of the power distribution system to obtain a estimate of the bulk capacitance required for effective decoupling. For digital systems, the method may include a cycle-by-cycle simulation of the power distribution system, wherein the simulation occurs over a number of clock cycles. The performance of the power distribution system may then be analyzed for each simulated clock cycle. The simulation may also include analyzing the transient responses and loop stability of the power distribution. Based on the results of these various simulations, the bulk capacitance value may be refined, thus allowing the system to begin the selection of specific decoupling components from the database in order to satisfy the bulk capacitance requirements.
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Citations
34 Claims
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1. A system for determining decoupling components for a power distribution system, said power distribution system including a voltage regulator module, the system comprising:
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a database of characteristic values for a plurality of decoupling components; and a computer system configured to; access said database of characteristic values for said plurality of decoupling components; accept known system parameters for said power distribution system; simulate the operation of said power distribution system, wherein said power distribution system includes a voltage regulator circuit coupled to a load, and wherein said simulation comprises; simulating a voltage regulator circuit using a mathematical model of said voltage regulator circuit, wherein simulating said voltage regulator circuit includes; simulating a voltage with a voltage source model; simulating ramping up or ramping down of current in said voltage regulator circuit with a model of a slew inductor; and simulating effects of output inductance on said voltage regulator circuit with a model of an output inductor; obtain an estimate of a bulk capacitance value for said power distribution system; perform a cyclical simulation of said power distribution system, wherein said cyclical simulation comprises simulating the operation of said power distribution system over a plurality of clock cycles; refine said bulk capacitance value based on results obtained during said cyclical simulation; select one or more different decoupling components based on said bulk capacitance obtained during said simulating the operation of said power distribution system and said known system parameters for said power distribution system and entries in said database; calculate a specific quantity for selected decoupling components, said selected decoupling components selected from said database based on known system parameters; and determine a location of placement within said power distribution system for each of said selected decoupling components based on said known system parameters and said entries in said database. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A method for determining a specific quantity and physical location of decoupling components within a power distribution system, the method comprising:
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selecting decoupling components from a database, wherein said database includes characteristic values for a plurality of different decoupling components; determining a target impedance for said power distribution system; simulating the operation of said power distribution system, wherein said power distribution system includes a voltage regulator circuit coupled to a load, and wherein said simulation comprises; simulating the operation of said voltage regulator circuit using a model of said voltage regulator circuit, wherein simulating said voltage regulator circuit includes; simulating a voltage with a voltage source model; simulating ramping up or ramping down of current in said voltage regulator circuit with a model of a slew inductor; and simulating effects of output inductance on said voltage regulator circuit with a model of an output inductor; obtaining an estimate of a bulk capacitance value for said power distribution system; performing a cyclical simulation of said power distribution system, wherein said cyclical simulation includes simulating the operation of said power distribution system for a plurality of clock cycles; refining said bulk capacitance value based on results obtained during said cyclical simulation; selecting one or more of said different decoupling components based on said bulk capacitance obtained during said simulating the operation of said power distribution system and one or more electrical characteristic values for each of said decoupling components. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. A system for determining decoupling components for a power distribution system, said power distribution system including a voltage regulator module, the system comprising:
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a database of characteristic values for a plurality of decoupling components; and a computer system configured to; access said database of characteristic values for said plurality of decoupling components; accept known system parameters for said power distribution system; simulate the operation of said power distribution system, wherein said power distribution system includes a voltage regulator circuit coupled to a load, and wherein said simulation comprises; simulating a voltage regulator circuit using a SPICE model of said voltage regulator circuit, wherein simulating said voltage regulator circuit includes; simulating a voltage with a SPICE model of a voltage source; simulating ramping up or ramping down of current in said voltage regulator circuit with a SPICE model of a slew inductor; and simulating effects of output inductance on said voltage regulator circuit with a SPICE model of an output inductor; obtain an estimate of a bulk capacitance value for said power distribution system; perform a cyclical simulation of said power distribution system, wherein said cyclical simulation comprises simulating the operation of said power distribution system over a plurality of clock cycles; refine said bulk capacitance value based on results obtained during said cyclical simulation; select one or more different decoupling components based on said bulk capacitance obtained during said simulating the operation of said power distribution system and said known system parameters for said power distribution system and entries in said database; calculate a specific quantity for selected decoupling components, said selected decoupling components selected from said database based on known system parameters; and determine a location of placement within said power distribution system for each of said selected decoupling components based on said known system parameters and said entries in said database. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34)
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Specification