Optimized power supply for an electronic system

• US 8,610,307 B2
• Filed: 01/22/2013
• Issued: 12/17/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/01/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rambus Inc.
• Original Assignee: Rambus Inc.
• Inventors: Zerbe, Jared LeVan, Kim, Jaeha, Frans, Yohan U., Nguyen, Huy M.
• Primary Examiner(s): KAPLAN, HAL IRA
• Application Number:
  US13/747,417
• Publication Number:
  US 20130264871A1
• Time in Patent Office: 329 Days
• Field of Search: 307/43
• US Class Current: 307/43
• CPC Class Codes: G05F 1/10 Regulating voltage or current G05F1/02 takes precedence; for electric railways B60M3/02
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/26 Power supply means, e.g. regulation thereof for memories G11C

Abstract

A method of adjusting a voltage supply to an electronic device coupled to a wired communication link in accordance with a performance metric associated with the wired communication link. A voltage adjust signal is generated based on the performance metric. The voltage adjustment signal is then used for updating the voltage supply to the electronic device.

Claims

1. A method of adjusting a voltage supplied to a first circuit block, said first circuit block coupled to a second circuit block via a conductive communication link, comprising:

determining a performance metric of the first circuit block in accordance with signals received by the first circuit block from the second circuit block via the conductive communication link;

comparing the performance metric with a first threshold value and comparing the performance metric with a second threshold value;

increasing the voltage if the performance metric differs from the first threshold value in a first direction; and

decreasing the voltage if the performance metric differs from the second threshold value in a second direction that is opposite to the first direction.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising

repeating said comparing and increasing until the performance metric matches the first threshold value.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising

repeating said comparing and decreasing until the performance metric matches the second threshold value.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the performance metric is selected from a group consisting of voltage margin, timing margin, bit error rate, and one or more functions thereof.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the voltage is adjusted in accordance with the performance metric when the first circuit block operates in an initialization mode.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the voltage is adjusted in accordance with a temperature of the first circuit block when the first circuit block operates in a post-initialization mode.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said comparing is performed in one of the first circuit block or the second circuit block.

8. An apparatus, comprising:

a first circuit block;

a second circuit block;

one or more conductive communication links coupling the first circuit block to the second circuit block; and

a voltage regulator operative to provide a voltage to the first circuit block, wherein the voltage regulator is configured to;

determine a performance metric in accordance with signals received by the first circuit block from the second circuit block via the one or more conductive communication links;

compare the performance metric with a first threshold value and compare the performance metric with a second threshold value;

increase the voltage if the performance metric differs from the first threshold value in a first direction; and

decrease the voltage if the performance metric differs from the second threshold value in a second direction that is opposite to the first direction.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the voltage regulator is configured to repeat said compare and increase operations until the performance metric matches the first threshold value.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the voltage regulator is further configured to repeat said compare and decrease operations until the performance metric matches the second threshold value.

11. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the performance metric is selected from a group consisting of voltage margin, timing margin, bit error rate, and one or more functions thereof.

12. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the voltage is adjusted in accordance with the performance metric when the first or second circuit block operates in an initialization mode.

13. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the voltage is adjusted in accordance with a temperature of the first or second circuit block when the first or second circuit block operates in a post-initialization mode.

14. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the voltage regulator is integrated into one of the first circuit block or the second circuit block.