WO2021249267A1 - Dvfs power supply system and dvfs power supply control method - Google Patents

Abstract

Disclosed is a DVFS power supply system, which can be applied in the field of integrated circuit control. The system comprises: a chip, a power management unit PMU, a power supply, and a first load module, wherein the PMU comprises a first switched-mode power supply, a first transformer circuit, and a controller. The power supply is connected to an input terminal of the first transformer circuit, an output terminal of the first transformer circuit is connected to an input terminal of the first switched-mode power supply, and an output terminal of the first switched-mode power supply is connected to the first load module. The first transformer circuit is used for lowering a voltage for the input terminal of the first switched-mode power supply. The controller is used for changing a state of the first switched-mode power supply according to a first voltage adjustment instruction of the chip, so as to change an output voltage of the first switched-mode power supply to the first load module. The present invention can increase power supply efficiency by means of lowering the voltage for the input terminal of the first switched-mode power supply.

Description

DVFS power supply system and DVFS power control method

This application claims the priority of a Chinese patent application filed with the Chinese Patent Office on June 12, 2020, the application number is 202010537033.5, and the invention title is "DVFS power supply system and DVFS power control method", the entire content of which is incorporated into this application by reference middle.

Technical field

This application relates to the field of integrated circuit control, and in particular to a dynamic voltage and frequency scaling (DVFS) power supply system and a DVFS power supply control method.

Background technique

For the same chip, the higher the operating frequency, the higher the voltage required. DVFS dynamically adjusts the operating frequency and voltage of the chip according to the different needs of the computing power of the applications running on the chip, so as to achieve the purpose of energy saving.

In the power supply system using DVFS, the output voltage of the switching power supply to the chip is adjusted by specifically changing the state of the MOS tube in the switching power supply. The switching power supply includes an inductor. The inductor is used to form a low-pass filter with the capacitor. In practical applications, according to the switching frequency of the MOS tube in the switching power supply, the switching power supply can be divided into a low-frequency switching power supply and a high-frequency switching power supply. The low-frequency switching power supply includes a low-frequency inductance, and the high-frequency switching power supply includes a high-frequency inductance. As the demand for optimization of integration becomes more and more intense, because high-frequency inductors have a smaller volume, high-frequency power supplies corresponding to high-frequency switching power supplies have been extensively studied because of their better integration.

In the case of high-frequency power supply, the current power efficiency of the whole machine is about 80%, that is, 20% is the power efficiency conversion loss. Therefore, although the use of high-frequency inductors can increase the degree of integration, it also brings problems with power supply efficiency.

Summary of the invention

This application provides a DVFS power supply system and a DVFS power supply control method, which can reduce power conversion loss.

The first aspect of this application provides a DVFS power supply system.

The system includes a chip, a power management unit (PMU), a power supply, and a first load module. Among them, the PMU includes a first switching power supply, a first transformer circuit and a controller. The first load module may be a chip, or a part of the functional modules in the chip, such as a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), or other loads that do not belong to the chip. The output terminal of the power supply is connected with the input terminal of the first transformer circuit. The output terminal of the first transformer circuit is connected with the input terminal of the first switching power supply. The first transformer circuit is used to reduce the voltage at the input terminal of the first switching power supply, so that the voltage at the input terminal of the first transformer circuit is greater than the voltage at the input terminal of the first switching power supply. The output terminal of the first switching power supply is connected with the first load module. The chip determines whether the voltage needs to be adjusted according to the power demand of the first load module. If the voltage needs to be adjusted, the chip is used to send the first voltage adjustment command to the controller. The controller changes the state of the first switching power supply according to the first voltage regulation instruction to change the output voltage of the first switching power supply to the first load module.

The lower the voltage at the input terminal of the first switching power supply, the smaller the power conversion loss. By adding the first transformer circuit and reducing the voltage at the input terminal of the first switching power supply, the power conversion loss in the first switching power supply can be reduced, and the power efficiency can be improved.

Based on the first aspect of the present application, in the first implementation manner of the first aspect of the present application, the first transformer circuit is an SC. Among them, SC has a higher power conversion efficiency. Although the application reduces the voltage of the input terminal of the first switching power supply, the power conversion loss in the first switching power supply is reduced. However, the first transformer circuit is also added, that is, the power conversion loss on the first transformer circuit is increased. Therefore, in order to reduce the power conversion loss in the entire DVFS power supply system, the first transformer circuit is defined as SC, so that the sum of the power conversion loss on the first transformer circuit and the power conversion loss in the first switching power supply is less than the original first. The power conversion loss in a switching power supply improves power efficiency. The original power conversion loss in the first switching power supply increases the power conversion loss in the first switching power supply before the first transformer circuit.

Based on the first implementation manner of the first aspect of the present application, in the second implementation manner of the first aspect of the present application, the PMU further includes a first switch, the control terminal of the first switch is connected to the controller, and the input of the first switch The terminal is connected with the power supply, the first output terminal of the first switch is connected with the input terminal of the SC, and the second output terminal of the first switch is connected with the first switching power supply. If the current through SC is greater than the first threshold, the controller is used to turn on the connection between the input terminal of the first switch and the first output terminal of the first switch, and turn off the connection between the input terminal of the first switch and the second output terminal of the first switch. connect. If the current through SC is less than or equal to the first threshold, the controller is used to turn off the connection between the input terminal of the first switch and the first output terminal of the first switch, and turn on the input terminal of the first switch and the second output terminal of the first switch. Connection of the output terminal. Among them, the SC has high conversion efficiency in the case of a large current, and low conversion efficiency in the case of a small current. Through the magnitude of the current passing through the SC, it is controlled whether the first switching power supply is connected to the power supply through the SC, and the power efficiency of the DVFS power supply system is improved in the case of small current. Because SC has a step-down ratio, whether the first switching power supply is connected to the power supply through SC will affect the output voltage of the first switching power supply. Therefore, the controller is not only used to change the on and off of the first switch, but also to change the first switch. The transformation ratio of the power supply is such that the output voltage of the first switching power supply does not change.

Based on the second implementation manner of the first aspect of the present application, in the third implementation manner of the first aspect of the present application, the PMU further includes a measurement module. The measurement module is connected to the SC and is used to measure the current passing through the SC. The measurement module is also connected to the controller and used to feed back the current passing through the SC to the controller. Among them, one SC can be connected to multiple switching power supplies. In the PMU, the current of each switching power supply can be monitored through a monitor. Obtain the sum of the currents of all the switching power supplies connected to the SC through the monitor, and then obtain the current passing through the SC. In different terminals, the number of switching power supplies connected to one SC is uncertain, that is, the amount of current obtained through the monitor is uncertain. Therefore, in order to reduce the difficulty of configuration, a measurement module is added to directly measure the current passing through the SC.

Based on the second implementation manner of the first aspect of the present application, in the fourth implementation manner of the first aspect of the present application, the controller is also used to change the state of the first switching power supply so that the mode of the first switching power supply changes from DCM Enter CCM. If the mode of the first switching power supply is CCM, the controller is used to turn on the connection between the input terminal of the first switch and the first output terminal of the first switch, and turn off the connection between the input terminal of the first switch and the second output terminal of the first switch. connect. If the mode of the first switching power supply is DCM, the controller is used to turn off the connection between the input terminal of the first switch and the first output terminal of the first switch, and turn on the connection between the input terminal of the first switch and the second output terminal of the first switch. connect. Among them, DCM and CCM are different output modes of the first switching power supply. Under CCM, the output current of the first switching power supply is relatively large. Under DCM, the output current of the first switching power supply is relatively small. The current through SC is relatively large, and under DCM, the current through SC is relatively small. The mode of the first switching power supply is used to control whether the first switching power supply is connected to the power supply through the SC, which can reduce the modification of the DVFS power supply system and reduce the cost.

Based on the first aspect of the present application, or any one of the first implementation to the fourth implementation of the first aspect, in the fifth implementation of the first aspect of the present application, the system further includes: Two load modules. The PMU also includes a second switching power supply, the input end of the second switching power supply is connected to the output end of the first transformer circuit, and the output end of the second switching power supply is connected to the second load module. The controller is also used to change the state of the second switching power supply according to the second voltage regulation instruction of the chip, so as to change the output voltage of the second switching power supply to the second load module. Among them, the greater the current passing through the first transformer circuit, the higher the conversion efficiency of the first transformer circuit. By adding a second switching power supply connected in parallel with the first switching power supply, the current passing through the first transformer circuit is increased, and the power supply efficiency is improved.

Based on the first aspect of the present application, or any one of the first to fifth implementation manners of the first aspect, in the sixth implementation manner of the first aspect of the present application, the system further includes: Three load modules. The PMU also includes a third switching power supply and a second transformer circuit. The power supply is connected to the input terminal of the second transformer circuit. The output terminal of the second transformer circuit is connected to the input terminal of the third switching power supply. To reduce the voltage of the input terminal of the third switching power supply, the output terminal of the third switching power supply is connected to the third load module, and the step-down ratio of the second transformer circuit is different from that of the first transformer circuit. The controller is also used to change the state of the third switching power supply according to the third voltage regulation instruction of the chip to change the output voltage of the third switching power supply to the third load module. Wherein, the output voltage of the power supply is the same, and the step-down ratio of the second transformer circuit is different from the step-down ratio of the first transformer circuit. In the DVFS power supply system, the power supply needs to provide multiple levels of voltage output to the load module. By adding a second transformer circuit connected in parallel with the first transformer circuit, different voltage inputs are provided for the switching power supply, which reduces the transformer burden of the switching power supply and prepares for further improvement of power supply efficiency.

The second aspect of the present application provides a DVFS power control method.

If the current passing through the first transformer circuit is greater than the first threshold, the controller of the PMU turns on the connection between the input terminal of the first switch and the first output terminal of the first switch, and turns off the input terminal of the first switch and the first switch Connection of the second output terminal. Wherein, the output terminal of the first transformer circuit is connected with the input terminal of the first switching power supply, the output terminal of the first switching power supply is connected with the first load module, the control terminal of the first switch is connected with the controller, and the input of the first switch The terminal is connected with the power supply, the first output terminal of the first switch is connected with the input terminal of the first transformer circuit, and the second output terminal of the first switch is connected with the first switching power supply. The controller receives the first voltage regulation instruction of the chip. The controller changes the state of the first switching power supply according to the first voltage regulation instruction to change the output voltage of the first switching power supply to the first load module.

Wherein, the first transformer circuit is a step-down circuit, and the lower the voltage at the input end of the first switching power supply, the lower the power conversion loss. By adding the first transformer circuit and reducing the voltage at the input terminal of the first switching power supply, the power conversion loss in the first switching power supply can be reduced, and the power supply efficiency can be improved.

Based on the second aspect of the present application, in the first implementation manner of the second aspect of the present application, the first transformer circuit is an SC.

Based on the second aspect of the present application, or the first implementation manner of the second aspect, in the second implementation manner of the second aspect, the controller changes the state of the first switching power supply so that the mode of the first switching power supply is changed from non- The continuous conduction mode DCM enters the continuous conduction mode CCM.

If the mode of the first switching power supply is CCM, the controller turns on the connection between the input terminal of the first switch and the first output terminal of the first switch, and turns off the connection between the input terminal of the first switch and the second output terminal of the first switch .

If the mode of the first switching power supply is DCM, the controller turns off the connection between the input terminal of the first switch and the first output terminal of the first switch, and turns on the connection between the input terminal of the first switch and the second output terminal of the first switch .

Based on the second aspect of the present application, or any one of the first implementation to the second implementation of the second aspect, in the third implementation of the second aspect of the present application, the PMU further includes a measurement module .

The method further includes: the controller receives the current passing through the first transformer circuit fed back by the measuring module.

Based on the second aspect of the present application, or any one of the first implementation to the third implementation of the second aspect, in the fourth implementation of the second aspect of the present application, the PMU also includes a second In the switching power supply, the input terminal of the second switching power supply is connected with the output terminal of the first transformer circuit, and the output terminal of the second switching power supply is connected with the second load module.

The method further includes: the controller receives a second voltage regulation instruction from the chip. The controller changes the state of the second switching power supply according to the second voltage regulation command to change the output voltage of the second switching power supply to the second load module.

Based on the second aspect of the present application, or any one of the first implementation to the fourth implementation of the second aspect, in the fifth implementation of the second aspect of the present application, the PMU also includes a third The switching power supply and the second transformer circuit, the power supply is connected with the input terminal of the second transformer circuit, the output terminal of the second transformer circuit is connected with the input terminal of the third switching power supply, and the output terminal of the third switching power supply is connected with the third load The modules are connected, and the step-down ratio of the second transformer circuit is different from that of the first transformer circuit.

The method further includes: the controller receives a third voltage regulation instruction from the chip. The controller changes the state of the second switching power supply according to the three voltage adjustment instructions to change the output voltage of the second switching power supply to the second load module.

Regarding the description of the beneficial effects of the second aspect of the present application, reference may be made to the description of the beneficial effects of the aforementioned first aspect of the DVFS power supply system.

A third aspect of the present application provides a terminal, which is characterized in that the terminal includes the foregoing first aspect or the DVFS power supply system described in any one of the implementation manners in the first aspect.

Description of the drawings

Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the DVFS power supply system;

Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the BUCK circuit;

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of a structure of a DVFS power supply system in an embodiment of the application;

FIG. 4 is another schematic diagram of the structure of the DVFS power supply system in an embodiment of the application;

5 is a schematic diagram of the circuit structure of the first phase power supply of the DVFS power supply system in an embodiment of the application;

FIG. 6 is a schematic structural diagram of a DVFS power supply system including a low-frequency switching power supply in an embodiment of the application;

Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of the power consumption of the terminal under different currents;

FIG. 8 is a schematic flowchart of a DVFS power control method in an embodiment of the application;

FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram of a structure of a terminal in an embodiment of the application.

detailed description

The embodiments of the present application provide a DVFS power supply system and a DVFS power control method, which are applied in the field of integrated circuit control and can improve power supply efficiency.

In order to facilitate the understanding of the technical solutions in the present application, the related background technology in the technical solutions will be described below.

DVFS. At present, because the terminal chip has strict requirements on the life and power consumption of the power supply battery, it is necessary to use DVFS technology to dynamically adjust the working frequency and working voltage of the chip according to the real-time load demand of the chip, so as to effectively reduce the chip's The purpose of power consumption. Please refer to Figure 1, which is a schematic diagram of the DVFS power supply system of the terminal. The DVFS power supply system includes a chip 105, a PMU 102, a load module 106, and a power supply 101. Among them, the PMU 102 includes a controller 103 and a switching power supply 104. The load module 106 may be the chip 105, or some functional modules in the chip 105, such as CPU and GPU, or other loads that do not belong to the chip 105. When the load module 106 is the chip 101, the system flow of the DVFS is as follows: the chip 105 collects signals related to the chip 105. According to related signals, the chip 105 predicts the performance required by the chip 105 in the next time period. The chip 105 converts the predicted performance into the required frequency, thereby adjusting the clock setting of the chip 105, changing the operating frequency of the chip 105, and calculating the corresponding voltage according to the new operating frequency. The chip 105 informs the PMU 102 about the voltage required by the chip 105. The PMU 102 controls the state of the switching power supply 104 to adjust the output voltage to the chip 105.

PMU102 is a highly integrated power management solution for portable applications, which integrates several types of traditional discrete power management devices into a single package, which can achieve higher power conversion efficiency and lower power consumption, and more The number of components is small to accommodate the reduced board space. In this application, the PMU 102 is a relatively broad concept, that is, whether the PMU 102 includes a certain circuit or structure does not require a very clear definition. For example, in Figure 1, it can also be considered that the power supply belongs to the structure of the PMU102.

Power efficiency optimization and integration optimization are the two most important directions in the DVFS power system. As the demand for optimization of integration becomes more and more intense, high-frequency power supplies have been more extensively studied because of their better integration. It has become an inevitable trend to use high-frequency power supplies in the terminal field. But compared to low-frequency power supplies, high-frequency power supplies have lower power efficiency. If a high-frequency power supply is used, the efficiency of the power supply will deteriorate. When a high-frequency power supply is used, the power efficiency of the complete terminal is about 80%, that is, 20% is the power efficiency conversion loss.

In order to reduce the power efficiency conversion loss in the DVFS power system, it is necessary to determine the source of the loss. It can be determined through experiments that the main source of loss is the switching power supply 104. The switching power supply 104 can be a BUCK circuit (also called a step-down circuit), a BOOST circuit (also called a boost circuit), or a BUCK-BOOST circuit (also called a buck-boost circuit). As shown in Figure 2, Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the BUCK circuit. The BUCK circuit includes a switch 201, a switch 202, an inductor 203, a capacitor 204, and a load L205. The inductor 203 and the capacitor 204 form a low-pass filter. Among them, the load L205 can be understood as the aforementioned load module 106. The switch 201 and the switch 202 may be high-frequency switch tubes, and the switch 202 may also be a diode. The switch 201 and the switch 202 are turned on and turned off in the opposite state. By turning on or turning off the switch 201, the magnitude and direction of the current in the inductor 203 are changed. When the switching power supply is a BUCK circuit, the voltage U _L on the load L is less than the input voltage Vin of the switching power supply. When the switching power supply is a BOOST circuit, the voltage U _L on the load L is greater than the input voltage Vin of the switching power supply. The voltage input end of the switching power supply 104 is connected to the power supply of the terminal.

According to the conduction frequency of the switch 201, it can be determined that the switch 201 is a high-frequency switch or a low-frequency switch. The distinction between low frequency and high frequency is not very clear. Generally, switches with a conduction frequency greater than 5MHz are called high-frequency switches, and switches with conduction frequencies less than 5MHz are called high-frequency switches. The switching power supply with high frequency switch is called high frequency switching power supply, and the switching power supply with low frequency switch is called low frequency switching power supply. Each switching power supply corresponds to a phase power output. If the switching power supply corresponding to the phase power output is a high-frequency switching power supply, the phase power output is called a high-frequency power supply.

Next, in conjunction with Figure 2, take the BUCK circuit as an example to illustrate the specific source of power efficiency conversion loss. The losses in the BUCK circuit include conduction losses, switching losses, reverse freewheeling losses, IV alternating losses and Gate drive losses. Among them, the conduction loss is the loss caused by the impedance of the switch 201 and the switch 202 during the work conduction process.

The conduction loss S1=I _b ×(D×R1+(1-D)×R2), and I _b is the average current flowing through the inductor 203. D is the duty cycle, that is, the on-time duration of the switch 201 in one switching period. R1 is the resistance of the switch 201, and R2 is the resistance of the switch 202.

The switching loss S2=Qoss×Vin×Fsw, Qoss is the equivalent charge brought about by the switching actions of the switch 201 and the switch 202, Vin is the input voltage of the power supply to the BUCK circuit, and Fs is the switching frequency of the switch 201.

The reverse freewheeling loss S3=Qrr×Vin×Fsw, Qrr is the equivalent charge of the switch 202, Vin is the input voltage of the power supply to the BUCK circuit, and Fs is the switching frequency of the switch 202.

The IV alternate loss refers to the alternating voltage and current process of switch 201 and switch 2020 during the switching process, and the IV alternate loss

Tr is the on-time of switch 201, Tf is the off-time of switch 201, ΔV is the input voltage Vin and voltage U _L , U _L is the voltage on module L, L is the inductance value of inductor 203, DT is D×T, D is the duty cycle, and T is the duration of one switching cycle of the switch 201.

Gate driving loss S5=Qp×Vin×Fsw+Qn×Vin×Fsw, Qp is the charging charge of the Gate terminal when the switch 201 is turned on, and Qn is the charging charge of the Gate terminal when the switch 202 is turned on.

From the above loss formula, we can see that the conduction loss S1, switching loss S2, reverse freewheeling loss S3, IV alternate loss S4 and Gate drive loss S5 are all related to the input voltage Vin of the BUCK circuit, and the greater the input voltage Vin, the various The greater the loss. Therefore, this application proposes a DVFS power supply system in which a transformer circuit is added before the switching power supply. The input voltage Vin of the switching power supply is reduced by the transformer circuit, thereby reducing the power efficiency conversion loss in the switching power supply. The DVFS power supply system in this application will be described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. For the convenience of explanation, in this application, the switching power supply is a BUCK circuit as an example.

Please refer to FIG. 3, which is a schematic structural diagram of a DVFS power supply system in an embodiment of the application.

The DVFS power supply system includes a chip 305, a PMU 302, a first load module 306, and a power supply 301. Among them, the PMU 302 includes a controller 303, a first switching power supply 304, and a first transformer circuit 307. The output terminal of the power supply 301 is connected to the input terminal of the first transformer circuit 307. The output terminal of the first transformer circuit 307 is connected to the input terminal of the first switching power supply 304. The first transformer circuit 307 is used to reduce the voltage at the input terminal of the first switching power supply 304 so that the voltage at the input terminal of the first transformer circuit 307 is greater than the voltage at the input terminal of the first switching power supply 304. The output terminal of the first switching power supply 304 is connected to the first load module 306. The chip 305 is used to determine whether the voltage needs to be adjusted according to the power demand of the first load module 306. If the voltage needs to be adjusted, the chip 305 is also used to send a first voltage adjustment instruction to the controller 303. The controller 303 changes the state of the first switching power supply 304 according to the first voltage regulation instruction to change the output voltage of the first switching power supply 304 to the first load module.

On the basis of Figure 3, the DVFS power supply system can also include other structures or other functions, which will be described below. Please refer to FIG. 4, which is another schematic diagram of the structure of the DVFS power supply system in the embodiment of the application.

Optionally, the PMU 602 further includes a first switch 408, the control terminal of the first switch 408 is connected to the controller 403, the input terminal of the first switch 408 is connected to the power supply 401, and the first output terminal of the first switch 408 is connected to the first transformer. The input terminal of the voltage circuit 407 is connected, and the second output terminal of the first switch 408 is connected to the first switching power supply 404. If the current passing through the first transformer circuit 407 is greater than the first threshold, the controller 403 is used to turn on the connection between the input terminal of the first switch 408 and the first output terminal of the first switch 408, and turn off the input of the first switch 408 Terminal and the second output terminal of the first switch 408. If the current passing through the first transformer circuit 407 is less than or equal to the first threshold, the controller 403 is used to turn off the connection between the input terminal of the first switch 408 and the first output terminal of the first switch 408, and turn on the first switch 408 The input terminal of is connected to the second output terminal of the first switch 408. Wherein, when the first transformer circuit 407 is an SC, the SC has a high conversion efficiency in the case of a large current, and low conversion efficiency in the case of a small current. The magnitude of the current passing through the first transformer circuit 407 is used to control whether the first switching power supply 404 is connected to the power source through the first transformer circuit 407, so as to improve the power efficiency of the DVFS power supply system in the case of low current.

At larger currents, the efficiency of SC can reach 98%, and because the input voltage of the first switching power supply 404 becomes lower, the efficiency of the first switching power supply 404 is significantly improved to 90%, and the product of the two efficiency reaches 88%. , And in the DVFS power system that only uses high-frequency power, the power efficiency of the DVFS power system is about 80%.

The following is an explanation of the magnitude of the current passing through the first transformer circuit 407. The magnitude of the current passing through the first transformation circuit 407 should be understood as the magnitude of the current passing through the first transformation circuit 407 or the magnitude of the current expected to pass through the first transformation circuit 407. It is expected that the amount of current passing through the first transformation circuit 407 refers to the amount of current that does not pass through the first transformation circuit 407 but if it passes through the first transformation circuit 407. According to the above description, the first switching power supply 404 may be connected to the power supply 401 without passing through the first transformer circuit 407. In this state, the current passing through the first transformer circuit 407 should be zero, which satisfies the aforementioned condition that the current through the first transformer circuit 407 is less than or equal to the first threshold, so that the first switching power supply 404 passes through the first transformer. The circuit 407 is connected to the power supply 401. However, if it is measured at this time that the current 1 passing through the first transformer circuit 407 is less than or equal to the first threshold, the loop is trapped and the first switch 408 loses its meaning. Therefore, before changing the state of the first switch 408, the current 1 should be used as a judgment condition, and the current 1 is the magnitude of the current expected to pass through the first transformer circuit 407. For ease of understanding, the resistance of the first transformer circuit 407 is omitted here.

In particular, because the first transformer circuit 407 has a step-down ratio, whether the first switching power supply 404 is connected to the power supply 401 through the first transformer circuit 407 will affect the output voltage of the first switching power supply 404, so the controller 403 is not only used to change The on and off of the first switch 408 is also used to change the transformation ratio of the first switching power supply 404 so that the output voltage of the first switching power supply 404 remains unchanged. For example, the output voltage of the power supply 401 is 6V, the step-down ratio of the first transformer circuit 407 is 2, and the step-down ratio of the first switching power supply 404 is 2. If the first switching power supply 404 is connected to the power supply 401 through the first transformation circuit 407, the output voltage of the first switching power supply 404 is 1.5V. If the first switching power supply 404 is not connected to the power supply 401 through the first transformation circuit 407, the output voltage of the first switching power supply 404 is 3V. Therefore, the controller 403 is also used to change the transformation ratio of the first switching power supply 404 so that its step-down ratio becomes 4, so that the output voltage of the first switching power supply 404 is 1.5V. It should be determined that the output voltage described here does not include the voltage regulation caused by the chip's voltage regulation command.

Optionally, the controller 403 is also used to change the state of the first switching power supply 404, so that the mode of the first switching power supply 404 changes from DCM to CCM. If the mode of the first switching power supply 404 is CCM, the controller 403 is used to turn on the connection between the input terminal of the first switch 408 and the first output terminal of the first switch 408, and turn off the input terminal of the first switch 408 and the first output terminal of the first switch 408. Connection of the second output terminal of the switch 408. If the mode of the first switching power supply 404 is DCM, the controller 403 is used to turn off the connection between the input terminal of the first switch 408 and the first output terminal of the first switch 408, and turn on the input terminal of the first switch 408 and the first output terminal of the first switch 408. Connection of the second output terminal of the switch 408.

Optionally, the PMU 402 further includes a measurement module 409. The measurement module 409 is connected to the first transformer circuit 407 and is used to measure the current passing through the first transformer circuit 407. The measurement module 409 is also connected to the controller 403 for feeding back the current passing through the first transformer circuit 407 to the controller 403. Among them, the first transformer circuit 407 can be connected to multiple switching power supplies. In the PMU 602, the current of each switching power supply can be monitored through a monitor. The sum of the currents of all the switching power supplies connected to the first transformer circuit 407 is acquired through the monitor, and the current passing through the first transformer circuit 407 is acquired. In different terminals, the number of switching power supplies connected to the first transformer circuit 407 is uncertain, that is, the amount of current obtained through the monitor is uncertain. Therefore, in order to reduce the difficulty of configuration, a measuring module 409 is added to directly measure the current that will pass through the first transformer circuit 407.

By adding the first switch 408 and/or the measurement module 409, corresponding effects can be produced on the basis of FIG. 3. The first phase power supply 410 including the first switch 408 and the measurement module 409 will be described in detail below in conjunction with the circuit diagram. Please refer to FIG. 5, which is a schematic diagram of the circuit structure of the first phase power supply of the DVFS power supply system in the embodiment of the application.

Optionally, the first switch 408 includes a switch 502 and a switch 510. The on or off state of the switch 502 is opposite to the on or off state of the switch 510. By controlling the on or off of the switch 502, it is controlled whether the first switching power supply 504 is connected to the power supply 501 through the first transformer circuit 507.

Optionally, the first transformer circuit 507 is an SC. SC includes switch 511, switch 512, switch 513, switch 514, capacitor C1 and capacitor C2. The control ends of the four switches such as the switch 511 and the switch 512 are connected to the controller 503. The input terminal of the switch 511 is connected to the switch 510 of the first switch 508. The output terminal of the first transformer circuit 507, that is, the output terminal of the switch 512, is connected to the measurement module 509. The capacitor C2 is connected to the output terminal of the switch 512 and the negative electrode of the power supply 501. The capacitor C1 is connected to the output terminal of the switch 511 and the output terminal of the switch 514. When the switch 511 and the switch 513 are closed, the switch 512 and the switch 514 are turned off at this time, the power supply 501 charges the capacitor C1, and the capacitor C1 charges the capacitor C2 at the same time. When the switch 512 and the switch 514 are closed, the switch 511 and the switch 513 are open, and the capacitor C1 charges the capacitor C2 at this time. Repeat the operation of opening and closing the switch at a certain frequency, so as to maintain a stable voltage and current output on the capacitor C2.

The first switching power supply 504 is a BUCK circuit, and the principle of the BUCK circuit has been described above. The following describes the connection relationship between the BUCK circuit and other structures or circuits. The control end of the switch 515 and the switch 516 is connected to the controller 503, and the input end of the switch 515 is connected to the measurement module 509.

Please refer to FIG. 4, the first phase power supply 410 in the DVFS power supply system is introduced above. The DVFS power supply system may include multiple switching power supplies, corresponding to multi-phase power supplies. In addition to the first switching power supply 404, other switching power supplies may be connected to the first transformation circuit 407, and may also be connected to other transformation circuits. They are described separately below.

Other switching power supplies are connected to the first transformer circuit 407. The DVFS power supply system further includes: a second load module 412. The PMU 402 also includes a second switching power supply 411, the input terminal of the second switching power supply 411 is connected to the output terminal of the first transformer circuit 407, and the output terminal of the second switching power supply 411 is connected to the second load module 412. The controller 403 is also used to change the state of the second switching power supply 411 according to the second voltage regulation instruction of the chip 405 to change the output voltage of the second switching power supply 411 to the second load module 412. Wherein, when the first transformer circuit 407 is SC, the greater the current passing through the first transformer circuit 407, the higher the conversion efficiency of the first transformer circuit 407. By adding the second switching power supply 411 connected in parallel with the first switching power supply 404, the current passing through the first transformer circuit 407 is increased, and the power supply efficiency is improved. Wherein, the second load module 412 and the first load module 406 may be the same load. Multiple switching power supplies provide a load module with multi-phase power output, which can provide a stronger power supply capacity. For example, the second load module 412 and the first load module 406 are GPUs in the chip 405.

Other switching power supplies are connected to other transformer circuits. The DVFS power supply system further includes: a third load module 414. The PMU 402 also includes a third switching power supply 413 and a second transformation circuit 415. The power supply 401 is connected to the input terminal of the second transformation circuit 415, and the output terminal of the second transformation circuit 415 is connected to the input terminal of the third switching power supply 413. The second transformer circuit 415 is used to reduce the voltage of the input terminal of the third switching power supply 413. The output terminal of the third switching power supply 413 is connected to the third load module 414. The step-down ratio of the second transformer circuit 415 is the same as that of the first transformer. The step-down ratio of the circuit 407 is different. The controller 403 is also used to change the state of the third switching power supply 413 according to the third voltage regulation instruction of the chip 405 to change the output voltage of the third switching power supply 413 to the third load module 414. Wherein, the output voltage of the power supply 401 is the same, and the step-down ratio of the second transformer circuit 415 is different from the step-down ratio of the first transformer circuit 407. In the DVFS power supply system, the power supply 401 needs to provide multiple gears of voltage output to the load module. By adding a second transformer circuit 415 connected in parallel with the first transformer circuit 407, different voltage inputs are provided for the switching power supply, which reduces the burden of the switching power supply and prepares for further improvement of power supply efficiency. Reducing the burden of transformation of switching power supplies means that the transformation range of the transformation circuit can be reduced. Preparing to further improve the efficiency of the power supply means that, compared with the output voltage of Vn by a single transformer circuit, two transformer circuits with different reduction ratios can output the voltages of Vn and Vm. In order to meet the voltage output requirements of the DVFS power supply system, Vn is greater than Vm. Therefore, the input voltage of one of the switching power supplies is further reduced, and the power efficiency is further improved. The third load module 414 and the first load module 406 or the second load module 412 may be the same load, or the third load module 414, and the first load module 406 and the second load module 412 may be the same load.

In the embodiment of the present application, optionally, the first switching power supply, the second switching power supply and other switching power supplies belong to the high-frequency switching power supply. The DVFS power supply system including high-frequency switching power supply is described above. In practical applications, high-frequency switching power supplies and low-frequency switching power supplies can be used in combination, as described below.

Please refer to FIG. 6. FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the DVFS power supply system including the low-frequency switching power supply in the embodiment of the application.

On the basis of Figure 3, the DVFS power supply system also includes a low-frequency switching power supply 608. The low-frequency switching power supply 608 is not connected to the power supply 601 through a transformer circuit because of its high power conversion efficiency. The control end of the low-frequency switching power supply 608 is connected to the controller 603. The output terminal of the low-frequency switching power supply 608 is connected to the first load module 606. The controller 603 is further configured to change the state of the low-frequency switching power supply 608 according to the fourth voltage regulation instruction of the chip 605 to change the output voltage of the low-frequency switching power supply 608 to the first load module 606.

The DVFS power supply system can provide multi-phase power output. The more phases that provide the output power, the stronger the power supply capability, that is, the greater the output current. Assume that the DVFS power supply system includes two-phase power output, the first phase power supply and the fourth phase power supply respectively. The fourth phase power supply corresponds to the low-frequency switching power supply 608 in FIG. 6, and the first phase power supply corresponds to the first switching power supply 604. Through the research on the terminal model, it is found that more than 90% of the power consumption of the terminal's daily use is concentrated in medium and light loads. As shown in Figure 7, Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of the power consumption of the terminal under different currents. It can be seen from Figure 7 that more than 90% of the power consumption of the terminal is concentrated in the medium and light load (current less than 2.0A). In the DVFS power supply system of Figure 6, in the case of light load in the terminal, the DVFS power supply system uses the fourth phase power supply, and in the case of heavy load (current 2.0A or more), the first phase power supply and the fourth phase are used at the same time. Power supply.

Because more than 90% of the power consumption of the terminal's daily use is concentrated in medium and light loads, power is supplied through the fourth-phase power supply in the case of medium and light loads, which ensures the power efficiency in the case of medium and light loads. In the case of heavy load, power is supplied through the first phase power supply and the fourth phase power supply, because the first power supply includes the first transformer circuit, which can also ensure the power supply efficiency under heavy load conditions. Therefore, the combination scheme of low-frequency switching power supply and high-frequency switching power supply provided by the embodiments of the present application has the advantage of integration compared with the scheme using only low-frequency switching power supply; compared with the scheme using only high-frequency switching power supply, because The cost of low-frequency switching power supply is lower than that of high-frequency switching power supply, and it has a cost advantage.

The DVFS power supply system in the embodiment of the present application is described above, and the DVFS power control method in the embodiment of the present application is described below.

Please refer to FIG. 8, which is a schematic flowchart of a DVFS power control method in an embodiment of the application.

In step 801, if the current passing through the first transformer circuit is greater than the first threshold, the controller of the PMU turns on the connection between the input terminal of the first switch and the first output terminal of the first switch, and turns off the input of the first switch Terminal and the second output terminal of the first switch.

In step 802, the controller receives the first voltage regulation instruction of the chip.

In step 803, the controller changes the state of the first switching power supply according to the first voltage regulation instruction to change the output voltage of the first switching power supply to the first load module.

Wherein, the first transformer circuit is a step-down circuit, and the lower the voltage at the input end of the first switching power supply, the lower the power conversion loss. By adding the first transformer circuit and reducing the voltage at the input terminal of the first switching power supply, the power conversion loss in the first switching power supply can be reduced, and the power supply efficiency can be improved.

Optionally, the first transformer circuit is SC.

Optionally, the controller changes the state of the first switching power supply, so that the mode of the first switching power supply changes from the discontinuous conduction mode DCM to the continuous conduction mode CCM. If the mode of the first switching power supply is CCM, the controller turns on the connection between the input terminal of the first switch and the first output terminal of the first switch, and turns off the connection between the input terminal of the first switch and the second output terminal of the first switch . If the mode of the first switching power supply is DCM, the controller turns off the connection between the input terminal of the first switch and the first output terminal of the first switch, and turns on the connection between the input terminal of the first switch and the second output terminal of the first switch .

Optionally, the PMU also includes a measurement module.

The method further includes: the controller receives the current passing through the first transformer circuit fed back by the measuring module.

Optionally, the PMU further includes a second switching power supply, the input terminal of the second switching power supply is connected with the output terminal of the first transformer circuit, and the output terminal of the second switching power supply is connected with the second load module. The method further includes: the controller receives a second voltage regulation instruction from the chip. The controller changes the state of the second switching power supply according to the second voltage regulation command to change the output voltage of the second switching power supply to the second load module.

Optionally, the PMU further includes a third switching power supply and a second transformer circuit. The power supply is connected to the input terminal of the second transformer circuit, and the output terminal of the second transformer circuit is connected to the input terminal of the third switching power supply. The output terminal of the switching power supply is connected to the third load module, and the step-down ratio of the second transformer circuit is different from that of the first transformer circuit. The method further includes: the controller receives a third voltage regulation instruction from the chip. The controller changes the state of the second switching power supply according to the three voltage adjustment instructions to change the output voltage of the second switching power supply to the second load module.

For the description of the DVFS power supply control method in the implementation of this application, reference may be made to the previous description of the DVFS power supply system.

The DVFS power control method in the embodiment of the present application is described above, and the terminal in the embodiment of the present application is described below.

Please refer to FIG. 9, which is a schematic structural diagram of a terminal in an embodiment of the application.

As shown in FIG. 9, the terminal 900 includes a chip 910, a PMU 930, a battery 940, and a transceiver 920 coupled to the chip 910. The chip 910 may be a CPU, a network processor (NP), or a combination of a CPU and an NP. The processor may also be an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a programmable logic device (PLD), or a combination thereof. The above-mentioned PLD may be a complex programmable logic device (CPLD), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), a generic array logic (GAL), or any combination thereof. The chip 910 may refer to one processor, or may include multiple processors.

The transceiver 920 is used to communicate with other terminals or base stations and other equipment. The battery 940 is used to power the PMU930.

The chip 910 is used to determine whether the voltage needs to be adjusted according to the operating frequency, and if necessary, sends a first voltage adjustment instruction to the PMU 930.

The PMU 930 is configured to receive the first voltage adjustment instruction sent by the chip 910, and the first voltage adjustment instruction corresponds to the first voltage. The voltage regulation command corresponding to the first voltage means that the voltage regulation command includes the first voltage or includes an identifier corresponding to the first voltage. The PMU930 is used to change the state of the first switching power supply in the PMU930 to change the output voltage of the first switching power supply to the first load module.

Optionally, the terminal 900 further includes a memory. The memory may include a volatile memory (volatile memory), such as a random-access memory (RAM); the memory may also include a non-volatile memory (non-volatile memory). , Such as read-only memory (ROM), flash memory (flash memory), hard disk drive (HDD) or solid-state drive (SSD); memory can also include the above types of memory The combination.

In addition, after the PMU 930 or the chip 910 executes the computer-readable instructions in the memory, it can perform all operations that the PMU 930 or the chip 910 can perform according to the instructions of the computer-readable instructions. The operation performed in the embodiment.

In the several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed system, device, and method may be implemented in other ways. For example, the device embodiments described above are merely illustrative, for example, the division of the units is only a logical function division, and there may be other divisions in actual implementation, for example, multiple units or components can be combined or It can be integrated into another system, or some features can be ignored or not implemented. In addition, the displayed or discussed mutual coupling or direct coupling or communication connection may be indirect coupling or communication connection through some interfaces, devices or units, and may be in electrical, mechanical or other forms.

The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separated, and the components displayed as units may or may not be physical units, that is, they may be located in one place, or they may be distributed on multiple network units. Some or all of the units may be selected according to actual needs to achieve the objectives of the solutions of the embodiments.

In addition, the functional units in the various embodiments of the present application may be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit may exist alone physically, or two or more units may be integrated into one unit. The above-mentioned integrated unit can be implemented in the form of hardware or software functional unit.

If the integrated unit is implemented in the form of a software functional unit and sold or used as an independent product, it can be stored in a computer readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of the present application essentially or the part that contributes to the existing technology or all or part of the technical solution can be embodied in the form of a software product, and the computer software product is stored in a storage medium , Including several instructions to make a computer device (which may be a personal computer, a server, or a network device, etc.) execute all or part of the steps of the method described in each embodiment of the present application. The aforementioned storage media include: flash drives, mobile hard drives, ROM, RAM, magnetic disks, or optical discs and other media that can store program codes.

Claims (14)

1. A DVFS power supply system is characterized in that it includes:

   Chip, power management unit PMU, power supply, first load module;

   Wherein, the PMU includes a first switching power supply, a first transformer circuit, and a controller. The power supply is connected to the input terminal of the first transformer circuit, and the output terminal of the first transformer circuit is connected to the first transformer circuit. The input terminal of a switching power supply is connected, and the output terminal of the first switching power supply is connected with the first load module;

   The first transformer circuit is used to reduce the voltage of the input terminal of the first switching power supply;

   The controller is configured to change the state of the first switching power supply according to the first voltage regulation instruction of the chip, so as to change the output voltage of the first switching power supply to the first load module.
2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the first transformer circuit is a switched capacitor SC.
3. The system according to claim 2, wherein the PMU further comprises a first switch, a control terminal of the first switch is connected to the controller, and an input terminal of the first switch is connected to the power supply , The first output terminal of the first switch is connected to the input terminal of the SC, and the second output terminal of the first switch is connected to the first switching power supply;

   If the current passing through the SC is greater than the first threshold, the controller is used to turn on the connection between the input terminal of the first switch and the first output terminal of the first switch, and turn off the input of the first switch The connection between the terminal and the second output terminal of the first switch;

   If the current passing through the SC is less than or equal to the first threshold, the controller is used to turn off the connection between the input terminal of the first switch and the first output terminal of the first switch, and turn on the first output terminal of the first switch. The input terminal of a switch is connected with the second output terminal of the first switch.
4. The system according to claim 3, wherein the PMU further comprises a measurement module, the measurement module is connected to the SC, and is used to measure the current passing through the SC, and feed back the measured value to the controller result.
5. The system according to claim 3, wherein the controller is further configured to change the state of the first switching power supply, so that the mode of the first switching power supply changes from discontinuous conduction mode DCM to continuous conduction mode CCM;

   If the mode of the first switching power supply is CCM, the controller is used to turn on the connection between the input terminal of the first switch and the first output terminal of the first switch, and turn off the input of the first switch The connection between the terminal and the second output terminal of the first switch;

   If the mode of the first switching power supply is DCM, the controller is used to turn off the connection between the input terminal of the first switch and the first output terminal of the first switch, and turn on the input of the first switch Terminal and the second output terminal of the first switch.
6. The system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the system further comprises:

   Second load module;

   The PMU also includes a second switching power supply, an input terminal of the second switching power supply is connected to an output terminal of the first transformer circuit, and an output terminal of the second switching power supply is connected to the second load module;

   The controller is further configured to change the state of the second switching power supply according to the second voltage regulation instruction of the chip, so as to change the output voltage of the second switching power supply to the second load module.
7. The system according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the system further comprises: a third load module;

   The PMU also includes a third switching power supply and a second transforming circuit. The power supply is connected to the input terminal of the second transforming circuit. The output terminal of the second transforming circuit is connected to the third switching power supply. The input terminal is connected, the second transformer circuit is used to reduce the voltage at the input terminal of the third switching power supply, the output terminal of the third switching power supply is connected to a third load module, and the step-down of the second transformer circuit is The voltage ratio is different from the voltage reduction ratio of the first transformer circuit;

   The controller is further configured to change the state of the third switching power supply according to the third voltage regulation instruction of the chip, so as to change the output voltage of the third switching power supply to the third load module.
8. A DVFS power supply control method is characterized in that it includes:

   If the current passing through the first transformer circuit is greater than the first threshold, the controller of the PMU turns on the connection between the input terminal of the first switch and the first output terminal of the first switch, and turns off the input terminal of the first switch Connection with the second output terminal of the first switch, wherein the output terminal of the first transformer circuit is connected to the input terminal of the first switching power supply, and the output terminal of the first switching power supply is connected to the first load module , The control terminal of the first switch is connected to the controller, the input terminal of the first switch is connected to the power supply, and the first output terminal of the first switch is connected to the input of the first transformer circuit Terminal is connected, and the second output terminal of the first switch is connected to the first switching power supply;

   The controller receives the first voltage regulation instruction of the chip;

   The controller changes the state of the first switching power supply according to the first voltage regulation instruction to change the output voltage of the first switching power supply to the first load module.
9. 8. The method according to claim 8, wherein the first transformer circuit is a switched capacitor SC.
10. The method according to claim 8 or 9, wherein the method further comprises:

    The controller changes the state of the first switching power supply, so that the mode of the first switching power supply changes from a discontinuous conduction mode DCM to a continuous conduction mode CCM;

    If the current passing through the first transformer circuit is greater than the first threshold, the controller of the PMU turns on the connection between the input terminal of the first switch and the first output terminal of the first switch, and turns off the connection of the first switch. The connection between the input terminal and the second output terminal of the first switch includes:

    If the mode of the first switching power supply is CCM, the controller turns on the connection between the input terminal of the first switch and the first output terminal of the first switch, and turns off the input terminal of the first switch Connection with the second output terminal of the first switch;

    If the mode of the first switching power supply is DCM, the controller turns off the connection between the input terminal of the first switch and the first output terminal of the first switch, and turns on the input terminal of the first switch Connection with the second output terminal of the first switch.
11. The method according to any one of claims 8 to 10, wherein the PMU further comprises a measurement module;

    The method also includes:

    The controller receives the current passing through the first transformer circuit fed back by the measurement module.
12. The method according to any one of claims 8 to 11, wherein the PMU further comprises a second switching power supply, and the input terminal of the second switching power supply is connected to the output terminal of the first transformer circuit, The output terminal of the second switching power supply is connected to a second load module;

    The method also includes:

    The controller receives the second voltage regulation instruction of the chip;

    The controller changes the state of the second switching power supply according to the second voltage adjustment instruction to change the output voltage of the second switching power supply to the second load module.
13. The method according to any one of claims 8 to 12, wherein the PMU further comprises a third switching power supply and a second transformer circuit, and the power supply is connected to the input terminal of the second transformer circuit, The output terminal of the second transformer circuit is connected to the input terminal of the third switching power supply, the output terminal of the third switching power supply is connected to a third load module, and the step-down ratio of the second transformer circuit is The step-down ratio of the first transformer circuit is different;

    The method also includes:

    The controller receives the third voltage regulation instruction of the chip;

    The controller changes the state of the second switching power supply according to the three voltage adjustment instructions to change the output voltage of the second switching power supply to the second load module.
14. A terminal, characterized in that the terminal comprises the dynamic voltage frequency adjustment DVFS power supply system according to any one of the preceding claims 1 to 7.

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