Distributed Power Management

• US 20090115384A1
• Filed: 10/29/2008
• Published: 05/07/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies General IP PTE Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: VENES, Ardie, Wu, Jiangfeng, Vorenkamp, Pieter, Li, Tianwei
• Application Number:
  US12/260,866
• Publication Number:
  US 20090115384A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 323/280
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/26 Power supply means, e.g. regulation thereof for memories G11C
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/266 Arrangements to supply power to external peripherals either directly from the computer or under computer control, e.g. supply of power through the communication port, computer controlled power-strips
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/0045 Converters combining the concepts of switch-mode regulation and linear regulation, e.g. linear pre-regulator to switching converter, linear and switching converter in parallel, same converter or same transistor operating either in linear or switching mode
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/007 Plural converter units in cascade push-pull DC/DC converters with pre-regulator H02M3/3374; DC-AC converters following a DC-DC stage including a high frequency transformer H02M7/4807; DC-AC converters following a DC-DC conversion stage generating periodically varying voltages H02M7/4826
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/158 including plural semiconductor devices as final control devices for a single load
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/33561 having more than one ouput with independent control

Abstract

Apparatuses, methods, and systems for effective power management distribution are provided. In an embodiment, a system for providing power to a circuit block comprises a power management unit (PMU) configured on a first substrate and an integrated circuit (IC) configured on a second substrate. The PMU includes a first regulator configured to step down an input voltage and output a first regulated voltage. The IC includes the circuit block and a second regulator configured to receive the first regulated voltage and output a second regulated voltage. The second power regulated voltage provides power to the circuit block. The first regulator is more efficient than the second regulator.

Claims

1. A system for providing power to a circuit block, comprising:

a power management unit (PMU) configured on a first substrate, comprising;

a first regulator configured to receive an input voltage and output a first regulated voltage based on the received input voltage;

an integrated circuit (IC) configured on a second substrate, comprising;

the circuit block; and

a second regulator configured to receive the first regulated voltage and output a second regulated voltage;

wherein the second regulated voltage provides power to the circuit block.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the PMU and the IC are implemented in separate device packages.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the second regulator comprises a linear regulator.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the linear regulator is a low-dropout linear regulator.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the first and second substrates are mounted on a common printed circuit board.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the second regulator further comprises:

a capacitor having a capacitance customized based on a load of the circuit block.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the first regulator comprises a switching regulator.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the second regulated voltage has a higher signal to noise ratio than the first regulated voltage.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the circuit block is a phase-locked loop or an analog to digital converter.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the IC comprises at least one of a multimedia device, a baseband device, or a radio frequency communications device.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the input voltage is provided by a battery.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the first regulator is more efficient than the second regulator.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the first regulator is configured to step up the received input voltage.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the first regulator is configured to step down the received input voltage.

25. The system of claim 1, wherein the first regulator is configured to step up the received input voltage.

26. The system of claim 1, wherein the first regulator is configured to step down the received input voltage.

15. A system for providing power, comprising:

a power management unit (PMU) configured on a first substrate, comprising;

a first regulator configured to receive an input voltage and output a first regulated voltage based on the received input voltage;

an integrated circuit (IC) configured on a second substrate, comprising;

a plurality of second regulators coupled to the first regulator, wherein each of the second regulators is configured to receive the first regulated voltage and output a respective second regulated voltage;

a plurality of circuit blocks, wherein each circuit block is coupled to a respective second regulator and is configured to receive a respective second regulated voltage from the respective second regulator;

wherein the first regulator is more efficient than each second regulator.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the PMU and the IC are implemented in separate device packages.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein at least one of the second regulators comprises a linear regulator.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the linear regulator is a low-dropout linear regulator.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein at least one of the second regulators comprises:

a capacitor having a capacitance customized based on a load of a respective circuit block.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein the first regulator comprises a switching regulator.

21. The system of claim 15, wherein at least one of the second regulated voltages has a higher signal to noise ratio than the first regulated voltage.

22. The system of claim 15, wherein at least one of the circuit blocks comprises a phase-locked loop or an analog to digital converter.

23. The system of claim 15, wherein the IC comprises at least one of a multimedia device, a baseband device, or a radio frequency communications device.

24. The system of claim 15, wherein the first regulator is more efficient than each second regulator.