Circuits, systems and methods to detect and accommodate power supply voltage droop

• US 9,483,098 B2
• Filed: 04/01/2010
• Issued: 11/01/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/01/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Bridges, Jeffrey Todd, Patel, Sanjay B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Barnie, Rexford
• Assistant Examiner(s): INGE, JOSEPH N
• Application Number:
  US12/752,515
• Publication Number:
  US 20110241423A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,406 Days
• Field of Search: 307/31
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/305 in the event of power-supply fluctuations

Abstract

Circuits, systems, and methods for monitoring a power supply voltage and determining if the power supply voltage has drooped are disclosed. In one embodiment, a voltage monitoring circuit is provided and configured to determine if the power supply voltage supplied to a functional circuit has drooped. When no droop of the power supply voltage is detected, the voltage monitoring circuit is configured to provide an indication to the functional circuit to operate in a first mode. When droop of the power supply voltage is detected, the voltage monitoring circuit is configured to provide an indication to the functional circuit to operate in a second mode. In this manner, operating margin in the power supply may be reduced since the functional circuit may be configured to properly operate when a voltage droop of the power supply voltage occurs.

Claims

1. A voltage monitoring circuit, comprising:

droop detection circuitry configured to;

receive a power supply signal from a power supply configured to supply power to a functional circuit, wherein the power supply signal is indicative of a power supply voltage supplied by the power supply to the functional circuit;

detect if the power supply voltage of the power supply signal from the power supply has drooped; and

generate droop status information indicating if droop was detected in the power supply signal; and

control circuitry configured to;

receive the droop status information;

provide mode status information indicating a first voltage level performance mode to the functional circuit to cause the functional circuit to operate at a first minimum operating voltage, based on the received droop status information indicating no droop in the power supply signal; and

provide mode status information indicating a second voltage level performance mode to the functional circuit to cause the functional circuit to operate at a second minimum operating voltage lower than the first minimum operating voltage level, based on the received droop status information indicating droop in the power supply signal.

2. The voltage monitoring circuit of claim 1, wherein the control circuitry is configured to:

provide the mode status information indicating the second voltage level performance mode to the functional circuit to cause the functional circuit to operate at the second minimum operating voltage lower than the first minimum operating voltage that allows operation of the functional circuit, based on the received droop status information indicating droop in the power supply signal.

3. The voltage monitoring circuit of claim 1, wherein the droop detection circuitry comprises a ring oscillator circuit, the ring oscillator circuit configured to detect if the power supply voltage of the power supply signal from the power supply has drooped based on at least one oscillation frequency of the ring oscillator circuit.

4. The voltage monitoring circuit of claim 1, wherein the droop detection circuitry is configured to detect if the power supply voltage of the power supply signal has drooped based on a magnitude of the power supply voltage.

5. The voltage monitoring circuit of claim 4, wherein the droop detection circuitry is configured to detect if the power supply voltage of the power supply signal has drooped based on the magnitude of the power supply voltage being less than the magnitude of the power supply voltage during no droop of the power supply voltage.

6. The voltage monitoring circuit of claim 1 integrated in at least one semiconductor die.

7. The voltage monitoring circuit of claim 1, integrated into a device selected from the group consisting of a set top box, an entertainment unit, a navigation device, a communications device, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a fixed location data unit, a mobile location data unit, a mobile phone, a cellular phone, a computer, a portable computer, a desktop computer, a monitor, a computer monitor, a television, a tuner, a radio, a satellite radio, a music player, a digital music player, a portable music player, a video player, a digital video player, a digital video disc (DVD) player, and a portable digital video player.

8. The voltage monitoring circuit of claim 1, comprising the functional circuit comprising current limiting circuitry configured to limit a current demand of the functional circuit in the second voltage level performance mode.

9. The voltage monitoring circuit of claim 3 further configured to:

estimate a first frequency of the ring oscillator circuit over a first known sample period; and

determine if the power supply voltage has drooped based on comparing the estimated first frequency to a first frequency threshold.

10. The voltage monitoring circuit of claim 3 further configured to:

determine a plurality of estimated frequencies of the ring oscillator circuit of one or more additional known sample periods;

determine an average estimated frequency of the plurality of estimated frequencies; and

determine if the power supply voltage has drooped based on comparing the estimated first frequency to a respective plurality of frequency thresholds.

11. The voltage monitoring circuit of claim 10, further configured to:

determine the average estimated frequency of the ring oscillator circuit based on averaging the plurality of estimated frequencies; and

determine if the power supply voltage has drooped based on comparing a difference between the average estimated frequency and a frequency threshold.

12. A voltage monitoring circuit, comprising:

a means for receiving a power supply signal from a power supply configured to supply power to a functional circuit, wherein the power supply signal is indicative of a power supply voltage supplied by the power supply to the functional circuit;

a means for detecting if the power supply voltage of the power supply signal from the power supply has drooped;

a means for generating droop status information indicating if droop was detected in the power supply signal by the means for detecting;

a means for providing mode status information indicating a first voltage level performance mode to the functional circuit to cause the functional circuit to operate at a first minimum operating voltage, based on the received droop status information indicating no droop in the power supply signal; and

a means for providing mode status information indicating a second voltage level performance mode to the functional circuit to cause the functional circuit to operate at a second minimum operating voltage lower than the first minimum operating voltage, based on the received droop status information indicating droop in the power supply signal.

13. A method for limiting power supply voltage droop, comprising:

receiving a power supply signal from a power supply configured to supply power to a functional circuit, wherein the power supply signal is indicative of a power supply voltage supplied by the power supply to the functional circuit;

detecting if the power supply voltage of the power supply signal from the power supply has drooped;

generating droop status information indicating if droop was detected in the power supply signal by the detecting;

providing mode status information indicating a first voltage level performance mode to the functional circuit to cause the functional circuit to operate at a first minimum operating voltage, based on the received droop status information indicating no droop in the power supply signal; and

providing mode status information indicating a second voltage level performance mode to the functional circuit to cause the functional circuit to operate at a second minimum operating voltage lower than the first minimum operating voltage, based on the received droop status information indicating droop in the power supply signal.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein providing the mode status information indicating the first voltage level performance mode comprises providing the mode status information indicating the first voltage level performance mode to the functional circuit to cause the functional circuit to operate at the first minimum operating voltage without a reduction in a minimum voltage level for the functional circuit, based on the received droop status information indicating no droop in the power supply signal.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein detecting if the power supply voltage has drooped comprises:

operating a ring oscillator powered by the power supply;

estimating a frequency of the ring oscillator to provide a first estimated frequency; and

estimating droop of the power supply voltage based on the first estimated frequency.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising detecting if the power supply voltage of the power supply signal has drooped based on a magnitude of the power supply voltage.

17. The method of claim 16, comprising detecting if the power supply voltage of the power supply signal has drooped based on the magnitude of the power supply voltage being less than the magnitude of the power supply voltage during no droop of the power supply voltage.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein detecting if the power supply voltage has drooped comprises:

operating a ring oscillator powered by the power supply;

determine a plurality of estimated frequencies of the ring oscillator;

determine an average estimated frequency of the plurality of estimated frequencies; and

determine if the power supply voltage has drooped based on comparing the average estimated frequency to a frequency threshold.

19. A system for detecting power supply voltage droop, comprising:

a functional circuit configured to;

operate at a first minimum operating voltage, based on a received droop status information indicating no droop in a power supply signal; and

operate at a second minimum operating voltage lower than the first minimum operating voltage, based on the received droop status information indicating droop in the power supply signal, wherein the power supply signal is indicative of a power supply voltage supplied by a power supply to the functional circuit; and

a voltage monitoring circuit comprising;

droop detection circuitry configured to;

receive the power supply signal from the power supply configured to supply power to the functional circuit;

detect if the power supply voltage of the power supply signal from the power supply has drooped; and

generate the droop status information indicating if droop was detected in the power supply signal; and

control circuitry configured to;

receive the droop status information;

provide mode status information indicating a first voltage level performance mode to the functional circuit to cause the functional circuit to operate at the first minimum operating voltage, based on the received droop status information indicating no droop in the power supply signal; and

provide mode status information indicating a second voltage level performance mode to the functional circuit to cause the functional circuit to operate at the second minimum operating voltage lower than the first minimum operating voltage, based on the received droop status information indicating droop in the power supply signal.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the voltage monitoring circuit is integrated into at least one semiconductor die.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the functional circuit is integrated into the at least one semiconductor die.

22. The system of claim 19, wherein the control circuitry is configured to:

provide the mode status information indicating the second voltage level performance mode to the functional circuit to cause the functional circuit to operate at the second minimum operating voltage lower than the first minimum operating voltage that allows operation of the functional circuit, based on the received droop status information indicating droop in the power supply signal.

23. The system of claim 19, further comprising the power supply configured to supply the power supply signal to the functional circuit.

24. The system of claim 19, wherein the functional circuit comprises a current limiting circuitry configured to limit a current demand of the functional circuit in the second voltage level performance mode.

25. The system of claim 19, wherein the droop detection circuitry comprises a ring oscillator circuit, the ring oscillator circuit configured to detect if the power supply voltage of the power supply signal from the power supply has drooped based on at least one oscillation frequency of the ring oscillator circuit.

26. The system of claim 19, wherein the droop detection circuitry is configured to detect if the power supply voltage of the power supply signal has drooped based on a magnitude of the power supply voltage.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein the droop detection circuitry is configured to detect if the power supply voltage of the power supply signal has drooped based on the magnitude of the power supply voltage being less than the magnitude of the power supply voltage during no droop of the power supply voltage.

28. The system of claim 19 integrated in at least one semiconductor die.

29. The system of claim 19, integrated into a device selected from the group consisting of a set top box, an entertainment unit, a navigation device, a communications device, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a fixed location data unit, a mobile location data unit, a mobile phone, a cellular phone, a computer, a portable computer, a desktop computer, a monitor, a computer monitor, a television, a tuner, a radio, a satellite radio, a music player, a digital music player, a portable music player, a video player, a digital video player, a digital video disc (DVD) player, and a portable digital video player.