Dynamic power profiling
Aspects of dynamic power profiling are described herein. In various embodiments, a current sense operating mode is set for a current sense circuit, and the current sense circuit is enabled for operation. The current sense circuit senses an amount of current supplied by at least one of a plurality of power rails based on the current sense operating mode. The current sense circuit also accumulates and stores a value of the amount of current over a period of time. In certain aspects, a system controller averages the value of the amount of current based on the period of time. The current sense circuit may be configured to operate in various modes of operation including single or scan rail modes of operation, and the average of the value of the amount of current may be evaluated based on the modes of operation of the current sense circuit and/or the system.
1. A current sensor circuit, comprising:
a control circuit configured to provide a selection signal to a multiplexor;
a converter; and
the multiplexor, which is configured to
receive a plurality of replica current sense signals from a plurality of power rails, each replica current sense signal representing an amount of current supplied from a corresponding power rail,
receive the selection signal from the control circuit,
select a first replica current sense signal according to the selection signal, and
output the first replica current sense signal to the converter, wherein
the converter is configured to convert the first current sense signal to a value that represents an amount of current supplied from a first power rail, the first power rail corresponding to the first replica current sense signal.
2. The current sensor circuit according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a logic circuit that accumulates the value; and
a register bank that stores the value.
3. The current sensor circuit according to claim 1 , wherein
the control circuit receives a current sense operating mode from a power management controller, and
the control circuit provides the selection signal to the multiplexor according to the current sense operating mode.
4. The current sensor circuit according to claim 3 , wherein the current sense operating mode received from the power management controller is one of a single rail or scan rail operating mode.
5. The current sensor circuit according to claim 1 , wherein
the control circuit supplies the selection signal to the multiplexor during each of a plurality of consecutive sampling intervals, and
during each sampling interval, the multiplexor selects and outputs, to the converter, one of the replica current sense signals according to the selection signal received by the multiplexor corresponding to the sampling interval.
6. The current sensor circuit according to claim 5 , wherein for each replica current sense signal received from the multiplexor, the converter converts the replica current sense signal to a value that represents an amount of current supplied from the power rail corresponding to the replica current sense signal.
7. A system, comprising:
a replica current sense circuit configured to generate a plurality of replica current sense signals, each represent an amount of current supplied by a corresponding power rail of a plurality of power rails;
a current sense circuit that includes
a control circuit configured to provide a selection signal to a multiplexor, and
the multiplexor, which is configured to receive the plurality of replica current sense signals from the replica current sense circuit, receive the selection signal from the control circuit, and select a first replica current sense signal according to the selection signal; and
a power management controller configured to accumulate and store a total value of the amount of current supplied by the plurality of power rails.
8. The system according to claim 7 , wherein the power management controller selects a current sense operating mode for the current sense circuit and supplies the current sense operating mode to the control circuit.
9. The system according to claim 7 , wherein
the control circuit supplies the selection signal to the multiplexor during each of a plurality of consecutive sampling intervals, and
during each sampling interval, the multiplexor selects and outputs one of the replica current sense signals according to the selection signal received by the multiplexor corresponding to the sampling interval.
10. The system according to claim 7 , wherein the current sense circuit further includes a converter that converts the first current sense signal to a first value that represents an amount of current supplied from a first power rail, the first power rail corresponding to the first replica current sense signal.
11. The system according to claim 10 , wherein
the control circuit provides the selection signal to the multiplexor during each of a plurality of consecutive sampling intervals, and
during each sampling interval, the multiplexor selects and outputs, to the converter, one of the replica current sense signals according to the selection signal received by the multiplexor corresponding to the sampling interval.
12. The system according to claim 11 , wherein for each replica current sense signal received from the multiplexor, the converter converts the replica current sense signal to a value that represents an amount of current supplied from the power rail corresponding to the replica current sense signal.