SOC with low power and performance modes
View Patent ↗A system on a chip includes a processing module, ROM, RAM, and a clocking circuit. The clock circuit is coupled to produce a first clock signal when the SOC is in a low power mode and to produce a second clock signal when the SOC is in a performance mode, where the first clock signal is less accurate than the second clock signal. The clock circuit consumes more power when producing the second clock signal than when producing the first clock signal.
1. A system on a chip (SOC) comprises:
a bus structure;
a processing module coupled to the bus structure;
read only memory (ROM) coupled to the bus structure;
random access memory (RAM) coupled to the bus structure;
a display interface coupled to the bus structure;
an external memory interface coupled to the bus structure;
a digital to analog conversion (DAC) module coupled to the bus structure,
wherein the digital to analog converter produces an analog audio signal;
an analog to digital conversion (ADC) module coupled to the bus structure;
a headphone amplifier circuit coupled to amplify the analog audio signal;
a clock circuit coupled to produce a first clock signal when the SOC is in a low power mode and to produce a second clock signal when the SOC is in a performance mode, wherein the first clock signal is less accurate than the second clock signal, wherein the clock circuit consumes more power when producing the second clock signal than when producing the first clock signal, and wherein the processing module utilizes the second clock signal; and
a bandgap circuit coupled to produce a first bandgap reference when the SOC is in the low power mode and to produce a second bandgap reference when the SOC is in the performance mode, wherein the first bandgap reference is less accurate than the second bandgap reference, and wherein a DC-DC converter is configured to utilize the first bandgap reference when the SOC is in the low power mode and to utilize the second bandgap reference when the SOC is in the performance mode.
2. The SOC of claim 1 , wherein the clock circuit comprises:
a first clock circuit to produce the first clock signal when the first clock circuit is enabled; and
a second clock circuit to produce the second clock signal when the second clock circuit is enabled, wherein the first clock circuit is enabled when the SOC is in the low power mode and the second clock circuit is enabled when the SOC is in the performance mode.
3. The SOC of claim 2 , wherein the first clock circuit comprises at least one of:
a ring oscillator circuit;
an inductor-capacitor resonating oscillator circuit; and
a resistor-capacitor oscillator circuit.
4. The SOC of claim 2 , wherein the second clock circuit comprises at least one of:
a crystal oscillator circuit;
a phase locked loop; and
a counter based oscillator circuit.
5. The SOC of claim 1 , wherein the low power mode comprises at least one of:
fast-boot sleep mode;
suspend mode; and
maintenance mode.
6. The SOC of claim 1 wherein the bandgap circuit consumes more power when producing the second bandgap reference than when producing the first bandgap reference.
7. A system on a chip (SOC) comprises:
a processing module;
read only memory (ROM) coupled to the processing module;
random access memory (RAM) coupled to the processing module;
a clock circuit coupled to produce a first clock signal when the SOC is in a low power mode and to produce a second clock signal when the SOC is in a performance mode, wherein the first clock signal is less accurate than the second clock signal, wherein the clock circuit consumes more power when producing the second clock signal than when producing the first clock signal, and wherein the processing module utilizes the second clock signal;
a DC-DC converter coupled to produce a power supply voltage from the first clock signal when the SOC is in the low power mode and from the second clock signal when the SOC is in the performance mode, wherein the DC-DC converter provides the power supply voltage to at least one of the processing module, the ROM, the RAM, and the clock circuit; and
a bandgap circuit coupled to produce a first bandgap reference when the SOC is in the low power mode and to produce a second bandgap reference when the SOC is in the performance mode, wherein the first bandgap reference is less accurate than the second bandgap reference, wherein the bandgap circuit consumes more power when producing the second bandgap reference than when producing the first bandgap reference, and wherein the DC-DC converter utilizes the first bandgap reference when the SOC is in the low power mode and utilizes the second bandgap reference when the SOC is in the performance mode.
8. The SOC of claim 7 , wherein the clock circuit comprises:
a first clock circuit to produce the first clock signal when the first clock circuit is enabled; and
a second clock circuit to produce the second clock signal when the second clock circuit is enabled, wherein the first clock circuit is enabled when the SOC is in the low power mode and the second clock circuit is enabled when the SOC is in the performance mode.
9. The SOC of claim 8 , wherein the first clock circuit comprises at least one of:
a ring oscillator circuit;
an inductor-capacitor resonating oscillator circuit; and
a resistor-capacitor oscillator circuit.
10. The SOC of claim 8 , wherein the second clock circuit comprises at least one of:
a crystal oscillator circuit;
a phase locked loop; and
a counter based oscillator circuit.
11. The SOC of claim 7 , wherein the bandgap circuit comprises:
a first bandgap circuit to produce the first bandgap reference when the first bandgap circuit is enabled; and
a second bandgap circuit to produce the second bandgap reference when the second bandgap circuit is enabled, wherein the first bandgap circuit is enabled when the SOC is in the low power mode and the second bandgap circuit is enabled when the SOC is in the performance mode.
12. A power supply for providing a power supply voltage to a processing module, the power supply comprising:
a clock circuit coupled to produce a first clock signal when the system is in a low power mode and to produce a second clock signal when the system is in a performance mode, wherein the first clock signal is less accurate than the second clock signal, wherein the clock circuit consumes more power when producing the second clock signal than when producing the first clock signal, and wherein the second clock signal is provided to the processing module;
a bandgap circuit coupled to produce a first bandgap reference when the SOC is in the low power mode and to produce a second bandgap reference different from the first bandgap reference when the SOC is in the performance mode; and
a DC-DC converter coupled to produce the power supply voltage in response to the first clock signal when the system is in the low power mode and in response to the second clock signal when the system is in the performance mode, wherein the DC-DC converter uses the first bandgap reference when the system is in the low power mode and the second bandgap reference when the system is in the performance mode.
13. The system of claim 12 wherein the first bandgap reference is less accurate than the second bandgap reference.
14. The system of claim 12 wherein the bandgap circuit consumes more power when producing the second bandgap reference than when producing the first bandgap reference.