Portable Device Power Management: Evolution from Discretes to Configurable System Power Management Platform IC’s

Early portable devices were introduced without any recognizable power management. The devices were simply either on or off with board power supplies provided by rudimentary zener diode-referenced voltage regulators. Board space was large and too much power was dissipated. Over time the regulators became more precise by integrating more control transistors for enhanced loop feedback. Eventually switching topologies were utilized to bring about significant power dissipation reductions especially at increased peak output currents. The use of discrete “off the shelf” power management components became prevalent. Today, power management solutions have progressed to dedicated power management ICs (PMICs) typically comprising over one million transistors, unique resistors and capacitors to provide system power management. It’s no longer simply a question of providing a regulated power supply rail of a given voltage and current capacity. A Smartphone today may have in excess of 30 distinct power domains, all to be derived from a single battery. Added to this, the same power management circuit can be responsible for monitoring, protecting and charging the system’s main battery. Going forward, a new generation of “Platform” PMICs has just been introduced that offer greater integration and flexibility and are significantly more complex than even todays solutions– an example is Dialog’s recently introduced DA9052. These platform-PMICs add configurability to programmability, enabling a single device to support multiple applications and mobile graphics processors. They completely manage the energy flow into and out of the battery and all major board components. With increased autonomous regulation, on-chip LDOs may be cascaded to DC/DC converters to further improve system efficiency. What’s more, you can connect outputs in series or parallel with each other, adding further flexibility. These platform PMICs are programmable, so they can be used across complete families of end products, thereby supporting a platform approach to mobile system power management design.

Mark has 20 years experience of mixed signal and power semiconductors before joining Dialog in 2007 from Wolfson Microelectronics where he was responsible for strategic marketing of portable audio & audioplus products. Previously he held the commercial role of European Marketing Manager for Fairchild Semiconductor’s system power products supporting a large sales team and network of distributors. Earlier in his career he held several design positions at Plessey, Dialog Semiconductor and most recently Dublin-based Parthus Technologies (now Ceva Inc) where he was Design Manager and subsequently Technical director of Power Management. Mark graduated in 1988 with BEng Honours degree in Electrical and Electronic Engineering.