COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH -- CSR-EHS: Integrated Power Delivery - Hardware-Software Techniques to Eliminate Off-Chip Regulation from Embedded Systems

尽管消费者对时尚、轻便的电子产品有需求，但移动嵌入式系统通常使用笨重的离散电压调节元件来提供无噪音的电力。专用主板级调节器增加了便携式电子产品的外形系数。该项目正在开发一种新的范例，其中功率调节电路与系统的计算元件协同设计，从而减少或消除对芯片外调节的需要。研究的重点是开发模型、设计方法和管理技术，使低功耗高性能SoC能够直接连接到能源，从而实现下一步的系统集成。该项目寻求开发集成的、可编程的片上开关稳压器，利用新的封装技术以高效的方式提供无噪声的电源电压。此外，片上调节提高了细粒度电压域的可行性。该项目审查了跨越软件级任务管理和监管硬件设计的独特跨界系统优化。它正在开发集成的操作系统和硬件方法，以限制峰值电流，提高转换速率要求，并通过平衡调度减少电压纹波。在特殊情况下，可以完全移除调节电路，并允许操作系统在电池电压逐渐下降的情况下适应计算。从嵌入式系统中移除专用的片外调节，通过启用新一代紧凑、可靠的嵌入式设备，如消费电子和医疗设备，具有广泛的商业和社会影响潜力。该项目通过培训研究生和将由此产生的先进材料纳入课程来提供教育效益。

Despite consumer demand for sleek, lightweight electronics, mobile embedded systems often use bulky discrete voltage regulation components to deliver noise-free power. Dedicated motherboard-level regulators increase the form factor of portable electronics. This project is developing a novel paradigm in which power regulation circuitry is designed synergistically with the computational elements of system, thereby reducing or eliminating the need for off-chip regulation. The focal point of the research is the development of models, design methodologies, and management techniques that allow low power high-performance SoCs to be directly connected to an energy source, enabling the next step in system integration.The project seeks to develop integrated, programmable, on-chip switching regulators that leverage novel packaging technology to provide noise free supply voltages at high-efficiency. In addition, on-chip regulation improves the feasibility of fine-grained voltage domains. The project examines unique cross-boundary system optimizations spanning both software-level task management and regulation hardware design. It is developing integrated operating system and hardware methods to limit peak current, improve slew rate demands, and reduce voltage ripples through balanced scheduling. In special cases, it may be possible to completely remove regulation circuitry and allow the operating system to adapt computation under "deregulated"gradually declining battery voltages.The removal of dedicated off-chip regulation from embedded systems has broad potential for commercial and social impact by enabling new generations of compact, reliable embedded devices, such as consumer electronics and medical devices. This project provides educational benefits through training of graduate students and incorporation of resulting advanced material in courses.