Power supply optimization for electrical circuits designed over the internet

• US 8,332,789 B2
• Filed: 05/10/2011
• Issued: 12/11/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/26/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: National Semiconductor Corporation (Texas Instruments, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: National Semiconductor Corporation (Texas Instruments, Inc.)
• Inventors: Perry, Jeffrey Robert, Humphrey, Malcolm, Davidson, Mark, Mac, Dien, Petkov, Denislav D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rossoshek, Helen
• Application Number:
  US13/104,552
• Publication Number:
  US 20110276938A1
• Time in Patent Office: 581 Days
• Field of Search: 716/100, 716/101, 716/102, 716/106, 716/111, 716/118, 716/119, 716/132, 716/138, 716/139, 716/123, 703/2, 703/14, 703/18
• US Class Current: 716/106
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2111/06 Multi-objective optimisation, e.g. Pareto optimisation using simulated annealing [SA], ant colony algorithms or genetic algorithms [GA]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/36 Circuit design at the analogue level
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/367 Design verification, e.g. using simulation, simulation program with integrated circuit emphasis [SPICE], direct methods or relaxation methods
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/156 with automatic control of output voltage or current, e.g. switching regulators

Abstract

A method may include receiving an input from an optimization control that indicates a value along a scale, wherein the value is indicative of a design tradeoff between at least optimization for a first parameter of an electrical design and an optimization for a second parameter of the electrical design, wherein the value places an emphasis on the first parameter and an emphasis on the second parameter such that when the value on the scale is closer to the first parameter a larger emphasis is placed on the first parameter of the electrical design and when the value on the scale is closer to the second parameter a larger emphasis is placed on the second parameter of the electrical design. The method may further include choosing components for the electrical design based on the value indicated using the optimization control, the emphases affecting the components selected for the electrical design.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a computing device, an input from an optimization control that indicates a value along a scale, the scale indicating preference for a first parameter of an electrical design on one end of the scale and preference for a second parameter of the electrical design on the other end of the scale,

wherein the value is indicative of a design tradeoff between at least an optimization for the first parameter of the electrical design and an optimization for the second parameter of the electrical design,

wherein the value places an emphasis on the first parameter and an emphasis on the second parameter such that when the value on the scale is closer to the first parameter a larger emphasis is placed on the first parameter of the electrical design and when the value on the scale is closer to the second parameter a larger emphasis is placed on the second parameter of the electrical design,

wherein the first parameter is one of a set of parameters including footprint, cost, efficiency, thermal value, and power, and the second parameter is one of the set of parameters other than the first parameter; and

choosing, by the computing device, components for the electrical design based on the value indicated using the optimization control, the emphases affecting the components selected for the electrical design.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising presenting the optimization control before an initial version of the electrical design is created.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining the electrical design in response to receiving an input indicating that an initial version of the electrical design is to be optimized according to the value indicated by the optimization control.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising presenting components for the electrical design which have been optimized according to the value chosen using the optimization control.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying operating values for the electrical design.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the optimization control is a knob control that includes at least three discrete values.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising presenting the optimization control as part of a web-based user interface.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

assigning a target value for a parameter of a component to include in the electrical design;

determining how close the parameter of each component of a plurality of components is to the target value; and

determining a score for each component wherein the closer the parameter of each component is to the target value, the higher the score for that component.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

assigning a second target value for a second parameter of a component to include in the electrical design;

determining how close the second parameter of each component of a plurality of components is to the second target value; and

determining a second score for each component wherein the closer the second parameter of each component is to the second target value, the higher the second score for that component.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

assigning a first weight to the parameter corresponding to the first parameter of the electrical design; and

assigning a second weight to the second parameter corresponding to the second parameter of the electrical design.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

determining a final score for each of the components, the final score being determined based on the score modified according to the first weight and the second score modified according to the second weight; and

selecting the component having the highest score for use in the electrical design.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising basing at least one of the first weight and the second weight on the value indicated by the optimization control.

13. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing a software program, the software program being executable to provide operations comprising:

receiving an input from an optimization control that indicates a value along a scale, the scale indicating preference for a first parameter of an electrical design on one end of the scale and preference for a second parameter of the electrical design on the other end of the scale,

wherein the value is indicative of a design tradeoff between at least an optimization for the first parameter of the electrical design and an optimization for the second parameter of the electrical design,

wherein the value places an emphasis on the first parameter and an emphasis on the second parameter such that when the value on the scale is closer to the first parameter a larger emphasis is placed on the first parameter of the electrical design and when the value on the scale is closer to the second parameter a larger emphasis is placed on the second parameter of the electrical design,

wherein the first parameter is one of a set of parameters including footprint, cost, efficiency, thermal value, and power, and the second parameter is one of the set of parameters other than the first parameter; and

choosing components for the electrical design based on the value indicated using the optimization control, the emphases affecting the components selected for the electrical design.

14. The computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein the operations further comprise presenting the optimization control before an initial version of the electrical design is created.

15. The computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein the operations further comprise determining the electrical design in response to receiving an input indicating that an initial version of the electrical design is to be optimized according to the value indicated by the optimization control.

16. The computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein the operations further comprise presenting components for the electrical design which have been optimized according to the value chosen using the optimization control.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein the operations further comprise displaying operating values for the electrical design.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein the operations further comprise presenting the optimization control as a knob control that includes at least three discrete values.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein the operations further comprise:

assigning a target value for a parameter of a component to include in the electrical design;

determining how close the parameter of each component of a plurality of components is to the target value; and

determining a score for each component wherein the closer the parameter of each component is to the target value, the higher the score for that component.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 19, wherein the operations further comprise:

assigning a second target value for a second parameter of a component to include in the electrical design;

determining how close the second parameter of each component of a plurality of components is to the second target value; and

determining a second score for each component wherein the closer the second parameter of each component is to the second target value, the higher the second score for that component.

21. The computer readable medium of claim 20, wherein the operations further comprise:

assigning a first weight to the parameter corresponding to the first parameter of the electrical design; and

assigning a second weight to the second parameter corresponding to the second parameter of the electrical design.

22. The computer readable medium of claim 21, wherein the operations further comprise:

determining a final score for each of the components, the final score being determined based on the score modified according to the first weight and the second score modified according to the second weight; and

selecting the component having the highest score for use in the electrical design.

23. The computer readable medium of claim 21, wherein the operations further comprise basing at least one of the first weight and the second weight on the value indicated by the optimization control.

24. A system, comprising:

a server having a server network connection device, the server network connection device operative to connect the server to the network, the server being configured to;

receive an input from an optimization control that indicates a value along a scale, the scale indicating preference for a first parameter of an electrical design on one end of the scale and preference for a second parameter of the electrical design on the other end of the scale,

wherein the value is indicative of a design tradeoff between at least an optimization for the first parameter of the electrical design and an optimization for the second parameter of the electrical design,

wherein the value places an emphasis on the first parameter and an emphasis on the second parameter such that when the value on the scale is closer to the first parameter a larger emphasis is placed on the first parameter of the electrical design and when the value on the scale is closer to the second parameter a larger emphasis is placed on the second parameter of the electrical design,

wherein the first parameter is one of a set of parameters including footprint, cost, efficiency, thermal value, and power, and the second parameter is one of the set of parameters other than the first parameter; and

choose components for the electrical design based on the value indicated using the optimization control, the emphases affecting the components selected for the electrical design.

25. The system of claim 24, further comprising a client in selective communication with the server over the network, the client being configured to:

send the input from the optimization control to the server; and

receive the electrical design from the server responsive to the input.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein the client is further configured to present the optimization control before an initial version of the electrical design is created.

27. The system of claim 25, wherein the server is further configured to determine the electrical design in response to receiving an input from the client indicating that an initial version of the electrical design is to be optimized according to the value indicated by the optimization control.

28. The system of claim 25, wherein the client is further configured to present components for the electrical design which have been optimized by the server according to the value chosen using the optimization control.

29. The system of claim 25, wherein the server is further configured to determine operating values for the electrical design, and the client is further configured to display the operating values for the electrical design.

30. The system of claim 25, wherein the client is further configured to present the optimization control as a knob control that includes at least three discrete values.

31. The system of claim 24, wherein the server is further configured to:

assign a target value for a parameter of a component to include in the electrical design;

determine how close the parameter of each component of a plurality of components is to the target value; and

determine a score for each component wherein the closer the parameter of each component is to the target value, the higher the score for that component.

32. The system of claim 31, wherein the server is further configured to:

assign a second target value for a second parameter of a component to include in the electrical design;

determine how close the second parameter of each component of a plurality of components is to the second target value; and

determine a second score for each component wherein the closer the second parameter of each component is to the second target value, the higher the second score for that component.

33. The system of claim 32, wherein the server is further configured to:

assign a first weight to the parameter corresponding to the first parameter of the electrical design; and

assign a second weight to the second parameter corresponding to the second parameter of the electrical design.

34. The system of claim 33, wherein the server is further configured to:

determine a final score for each of the components, the final score being determined based on the score modified according to the first weight and the second score modified according to the second weight; and

select the component having the highest score for use in the electrical design.

35. The system of claim 33, wherein the server is further configured to base at least one of the first weight and the second weight on the on the value indicated by the optimization control.