Why is power management IP so critical for chip design engineers?
by Chris Morrison, VP Product Marketing at Agile Analog
Power management IP plays a pivotal role in chip design. It is key for achieving the energy efficiency today’s electronic devices demand, but its function extends far beyond this to maintaining high-performance, thermal efficiency, and signal integrity. That’s why chip design engineers are so keen to learn more about power management IP.
Power management IP overview
Power management IP refers to specialized blocks or circuits that help manage the power consumption, voltage levels, and energy efficiency of a system. Common components used in power management include low drop-out (LDO) linear voltage regulators, voltage references, and power-on-reset (POR) circuits. These can be combined into a dedicated power management unit (PMU) that supplies all the sub-blocks.
LDOs are generally used to provide an accurate, low noise, regulated voltage level from a power source such as a battery. This is at the expense of a minimum voltage drop (or drop-out voltage). In a standard LDO, a drop-out of 200mV is enough to filter the incoming supply for line and load regulation, generating a low noise and steady output voltage against power supply and load variations.
Voltage references are stable references used by other components within the system. These are crucial for the precise measurement and control of any analog circuit, including LDOs. The primary objective of a voltage reference is to provide a constant known value over process, voltage, and temperature (PVT) variation. Low power consumption and good power supply rejection ratio (PSRR) are essential for a reliable reference voltage. Typically, the voltage references take advantage of the inherent bandgap energy of silicon. The bandgap utilizes two voltages with opposite temperature coefficients (the base-emitter voltage and the voltage across a resistor) to produce a temperature independent reference.
Power-on-reset circuits are a vital part of many ASIC/SoC designs. They can delay the start-up of logic circuits until the power supply voltages have reached the required level to achieve valid logic states in the system. The aim is to prevent unforeseen system problems and stop sensitive elements from being damaged during power-up or power-down sequences.
Power management blocks do not usually work independently. To control the different power management blocks, a logic state machine can be added to ensure the right timing and sequencing of power supply bring-up and shut-down, as well as to establish the various low-power states.
How power management IP helps chip designers
Power management circuits are developed to minimize power consumption while maintaining the functionality of the system. In chip design, this is especially important because analog circuits tend to consume more power than digital circuits. In battery-powered devices, such as wearables or smartphones, the efficient use of power is critical to prolong battery life. This IP includes features like power mode switching, sleep modes, and energy harvesting so that the system consumes minimal power when it is not in active use.
Power management IP also helps reduce power loss by, for example, providing efficient voltage regulation. Accurate voltage regulation is needed for the effective operation of sensitive circuits like ADCs (analog-to-digital converters) and DACs (digital-to-analog converters). Power management IP can provide stable voltage sources to these circuits, thereby maintaining consistent performance across various load conditions and input voltages.
Power consumption directly relates to thermal management in chip design. High power consumption can result in thermal issues that diminish the performance and reliability of components. Power management IP addresses thermal concerns by reducing overall power dissipation. This leads to greater thermal efficiency and prevents overheating.
Power management IP ensures the reliability and longevity of electronic chips. Voltage fluctuations and power surges may cause system failures and vulnerabilities, but these IPs provide voltage regulation and protection, maintaining the stability of the whole system.
This IP also impacts the signal integrity of analog circuits. Noise introduced by power supply fluctuations can negatively impact the performance of sensitive analog components, such as ADCs. High-quality power management IP blocks can provide clean, low-noise power, which is required for the accurate operation of these circuits.
Why power management IP can be daunting
There are many different obstacles that chip design engineers need to overcome when designing and implementing conventional power management IP solutions. If there is a lack of understanding of mixed-signal and analog design techniques, then the task is likely to be a daunting experience. The consequence of balancing power efficiency with performance and functionality may be compromised, as optimizations in one area can impact negatively on others. Furthermore, integrating these IPs into existing systems or designs could create challenges with compatibility and interface protocols.
Validating and testing traditional power management IPs often consumes significant time and resources. It’s essential to consider the complete picture in terms of costs, performance, and features when selecting and implementing power management IP solutions, especially when it involves more complex designs on advanced process nodes.
The outlook is bright for power management IP
Power management IP is becoming progressively more important as the demand grows for energy-efficient and high-performance electronic devices. The global focus on sustainability and the launch of next-generation applications means that there is now even greater interest. This is driving forward innovation in power management IP.
Agile Analog offers an extensive range of highly configurable power management IP, providing functions such as voltage regulation, power-on-reset, and thermal management. Available on any process, for any foundry, this unique digitally wrapped and verified IP can be integrated seamlessly by chip design engineers into any SoC, drastically cutting the time, cost, and complexity involved.
With the ever-increasing need for energy-efficient and compact systems, it’s clear that power management IP will continue to play a pivotal role.