Voltage regulation subsystem

摘要

A voltage regulation subsystem for a microprocessor has both internal and external regulation modes. An internal auxiliary voltage regulator is selectively enabled to overdrive the voltage. The enablement of the auxiliary voltage regulator is contingent upon a comparison of bandgap references of the internal and external regulators used in the respective regulation modes, which boosts the supply voltage, enables circuitry supplied by the external regulator (with the assistance of auxiliary voltage regulators) to boot robustly in extreme Process-Voltage-Temperature (PVT) conditions.

主权项

1. A voltage regulation system for regulating voltage in an integrated circuit, the system comprising:
an auxiliary regulator; a bandgap comparator; and an interface with an external regulator, wherein the bandgap comparator compares an external regulator bandgap voltage with an internal reference voltage and outputs a comparison signal to the auxiliary regulator, wherein the auxiliary regulator is enabled if the comparison signal indicates that the external regulator bandgap voltage is less than the internal reference voltage and a predetermined offset, wherein the enabled auxiliary regulator boosts a first supply voltage in accordance with predetermined criteria, thereby ensuring that the integrated circuit exits reset, wherein the bandgap comparator is enabled only when the reference voltage is determined to be stable, wherein the first supply voltage is boosted using a second supply voltage, the second supply voltage being higher than the first supply voltage, wherein the second supply voltage also is supplied to a low voltage detection (LVD) unit, said LVD unit monitoring whether the second supply voltage falls below an LVD threshold value, and wherein the bandgap comparator is disabled when the second supply voltage falls below the LVD threshold.