Systems and methods for reducing power dissipation in a disk drive including an adjustable output voltage regulator
View Patent ↗A disk drive system includes an adjustable output (linear or switching) voltage regulator including an output terminal that provides an output voltage. A plurality of loads each include a voltage supply terminal that receives the output voltage. A controller dynamically adjusts the output voltage based, e.g., based on which of the loads are active.
1. A disk drive system, comprising:
an adjustable output voltage regulator including an output terminal that provides an output voltage;
a plurality of loads, each including a voltage supply terminal that receives said output voltage; and
a controller to dynamically adjust said output voltage based on which of said loads are active;
wherein said controller monitors said plurality of loads to determine which loads are active.
2. The system of claim 1 , wherein said adjustable output voltage regulator comprises an adjustable output linear voltage regulator.
3. The system of claim 1 , wherein said adjustable output voltage regulator comprises an adjustable output switching voltage regulator.
4. The system of claim 1 ,
wherein said controller comprises a microprocessor.
5. A disk drive system, comprising:
an adjustable output voltage regulator including an output terminal that provides an output voltage;
a plurality of loads, each including a voltage supply terminal that receives said output voltage; and
a controller to dynamically adjust said output voltage based on which of said loads are active;
wherein said adjustable output voltage regulator includes a feedback input, and further comprising a means for adjusting a feedback voltage at said feedback input.
6. The system of claim 5 , wherein said controller adjusts said output voltage by controlling said means for adjusting said feedback voltage.
7. The system of claim 5 , wherein said means includes a pair of resistor banks.
8. The system of claim 7 , wherein said controller adjusts said output voltage by selecting resistors within said resistor banks.
9. The system of claim 5 , wherein said means includes a digital-to-analog converter.
10. A disk drive system, comprising:
an adjustable output voltage regulator including an output terminal that provides an output voltage;
a plurality of loads, each including a voltage supply terminal that receives said output voltage; and
a controller to dynamically adjust said output voltage based on which of said loads are active;
wherein said adjustable output voltage regulator includes a feedback input, and further comprising a plurality of selectable resistors to specify a feedback voltage at said feedback input.
11. The system of claim 10 , wherein said controller adjusts said output voltage by selecting one or more of said resistors.
12. A disk drive system, comprising:
an adjustable output voltage regulator including an output terminal that provides an output voltage;
a plurality of loads, each including a voltage supply terminal that receives said output voltage; and
a controller to dynamically adjust said output voltage based on which of said loads are active;
wherein each of the plurality loads has an associated minimum operating voltage, and wherein said controller adjusts said output voltage such that said output voltage is substantially equal to a greatest minimum operating voltage associated with an active load.
13. A disk drive system, comprising:
an adjustable output voltage regulator including an output terminal that provides an output voltage;
a plurality of loads, each including a voltage supply terminal that receives said output voltage; and
a controller to dynamically adjust said output voltage based on which of said loads are active;
wherein each of the plurality loads has an associated minimum operating voltage, and wherein said controller adjusts said output voltage such that said output voltage is slightly higher than a greatest minimum operating voltage associated with an active load.
14. A disk drive system, comprising:
an adjustable output voltage regulator including an output terminal that provides an output voltage;
a plurality of loads, each including a voltage supply terminal that receives said output voltage; and
a controller to dynamically adjust said output voltage based on which of said loads are active;
wherein each of the plurality loads has an associated minimum operating voltage, and wherein said controller adjusts said output voltage such that said output voltage does not drop below a greatest minimum operating voltage associated with an active load.
15. A disk drive system, comprising:
an adjustable output voltage regulator including an output terminal that provides an output voltage;
a plurality of loads, each including a voltage supply terminal that receives said output voltage;
a controller to dynamically adjust said output voltage based on a control signal; and
a plurality of selectable resistors, wherein said controller adjusts said output voltage by selecting one or more of said resistors.
16. The system of claim 15 , wherein said adjustable output voltage regulator comprises an adjustable output linear voltage regulator.
17. The system of claim 15 , wherein said adjustable output voltage regulator comprises an adjustable output switching voltage regulator.
18. A method for reducing power dissipation in a disk drive system including an adjustable voltage regulator having an output terminal that provides an output voltage for driving a plurality of loads that are connected in parallel, the method comprising:
(a) monitoring the plurality of loads to determine which of the loads are active; and
(b) dynamically adjusting the output voltage based on which of the loads are active.
19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the adjustable output voltage regulator comprises an adjustable output linear voltage regulator.
20. The system of claim 18 , wherein the adjustable output voltage regulator comprises an adjustable output switching voltage regulator.
21. The method of claim 18 , wherein step (b) includes using a resistor bank to adjust a feedback voltage at a feedback input of the adjustable voltage regulator.
22. The method of claim 21 , wherein step (b) includes controlling the resistor bank to provide one of the plurality of different resistances, based on which of the plurality of loads is active.
23. The method of claim 18 , wherein step (b) includes using a digital-to-analog converter to adjust a feedback voltage at a feedback input of the adjustable voltage regulator.
24. The method of claim 18 , wherein each of the plurality loads has an associated minimum operating voltage, and wherein step (b) comprises adjusting the output voltage such that the output voltage is substantially equal to a greatest minimum operating voltage associated with an active load.
25. The method of claim 18 , wherein each of the plurality loads has an associated minimum operating voltage, and wherein step (b) comprises adjusting the output voltage such that the output voltage is slightly higher than a greatest minimum operating voltage associated with an active load.
26. The method of claim 18 , wherein each of the plurality loads has an associated minimum operating voltage, and wherein step (b) includes adjusting the output voltage such that the output voltage does not drop below a greatest minimum operating voltage associated with an active load.
27. A method for reducing power dissipation in a disk drive system including an adjustable voltage regulator having an output terminal that provides an output voltage for driving a plurality of loads that are connected in parallel, the method comprising:
(a) monitoring the plurality of loads to determine which loads are active; and
(b) dynamically adjusting the output voltage based on a control signal.