Method and apparatus for adjusting a power supply of an integrated circuit
View Patent ↗Disclosed is a circuit configured to apply a supply voltage to a switching element (e.g., a transistor). The circuit includes a latch and a processor. The latch is configured to sample a voltage of an output signal of the switching element, and the processor is configured to generate a power adjustment signal to adjust the supply voltage based on the voltage sampled by the latch.
1. A circuit comprising:
a latch operative to sample a voltage of an output of a switching element;
a processor in communication with said latch and operative to generate a power adjustment signal indicating an adjustment to a supply voltage applied to said switching element, said adjustment based on said sampled voltage, said processor being further operative to generate a threshold voltage adjustment signal indicating an adjustment to a threshold voltage of said latch.
2. The circuit of claim 1 further comprising:
a counter operative to count a plurality of voltages sampled by said latch.
3. The circuit of claim 2 wherein said counter is further operative to transmit to said processor an output signal based on said plurality of voltages.
4. The circuit of claim 3 wherein said processor determines whether said output signal indicates a digital “1”, a digital “0” or a transition point.
5. The circuit of claim 4 wherein said processor is further operative to generate said power adjustment signal when said output signal indicates either a digital “1” or a digital “0”.
6. The circuit of claim 1 further comprising a threshold voltage generator in communication with said latch and operative to generate the threshold voltage of said latch responsive to said threshold voltage adjustment signal.
7. The circuit of claim 1 further comprising a power supply control operative to receive said power adjustment signal and adjust a power supply to supply a voltage corresponding to said power adjustment signal to said switching element.
8. The circuit of claim 1 further comprising a power supply operative to receive said power adjustment signal and supply a voltage corresponding to said power adjustment signal to said switching element.
9. The circuit of claim 8 further comprising a regulator control module operative to transmit said supply voltage to a plurality of switching elements.
10. The circuit of claim 1 further comprising a plurality of power supplies, each power supply operative to provide a supply voltage corresponding to said power adjustment signal to a switching element in a plurality of switching elements.
11. The circuit of claim 10 further comprising a plurality of latches, each latch in said plurality operative to sample a voltage of an output signal of a switching element in said plurality of switching elements.
12. The circuit of claim 1 wherein said latch is located in a central location within said circuit.
13. The circuit of claim 1 wherein said latch further comprises a plurality of latches distributed within said circuit.
14. The circuit of claim 1 wherein said processor is located in a central location within said circuit.
15. The circuit of claim 1 wherein said processor further comprises a plurality of processors distributed within said circuit.
16. A method for adjusting a supply voltage applied to a switching element comprising:
sampling a voltage of an output of said switching element with a latch;
generating a power adjustment signal indicating an adjustment to said supply voltage applied to said switching element, said adjustment based on said sampled voltage;
generating a threshold voltage adjustment signal indicating an adjustment to a threshold voltage of said latch.
17. The method of claim 16 further comprising counting a plurality of sampled voltages.
18. The method of claim 17 further comprising transmitting an output signal based on said plurality of sampled voltages to a processor.
19. The method of claim 18 further comprising determining whether said output signal indicates a digital “1”, a digital “0” or a transition point.
20. The method of claim 19 further comprising generating said power adjustment signal indicating an adjustment to said supply voltage when said output signal indicates either a digital “1” or a digital “0”.
21. A circuit for adjusting a supply voltage applied to a switching element comprising:
means for sampling a voltage of an output of said switching element;
means for generating a power adjustment signal indicating an adjustment to said supply voltage applied to said switching element, said adjustment based on said sampled voltage; and
means for generating a threshold voltage adjustment signal indicating an adjustment to a threshold voltage of said means for sampling.
22. The circuit of claim 21 wherein said means for sampling further comprises means for sampling a plurality of voltages of an output to said switching element.
23. The circuit of claim 22 further comprising means for transmitting, to said means for generating a power adjustment signal, an output signal based on said plurality of sampled voltages.
24. The circuit of claim 23 further comprising means for determining whether said output signal indicates a digital “1”, a digital “0” or a transition point.
25. The circuit of claim 24 further comprising means for generating said power adjustment signal indicating an adjustment to said supply voltage when said output signal indicates either a digital “1” or a digital “0”.