Building Cost-Effective and Secure PMICs: The Importance of NVM IP
Whether for consumer electronics, industrial control, IoT devices, or for communication networks and automotive electronic systems, Power Management ICs (PMICs) are a critical part of the system. PMICs contain a large number of analog circuits, and due to uncontrollable factors during production, the final mass-produced analog circuits may differ from the initial design, affecting the functionality of the PMIC circuit, which necessitates calibration and correction after production.At the same time, the calibrated PMIC must meet the diverse terminal requirements, which requires parameter settings for the PMIC and presetting different applications. Once this parameter is written, a PMIC can fulfill its intended purpose. Currently, Non-Volatile Memory (NVM) has become the mainstream choice for storing PMIC calibration and parameter settings.During the implementation of the PMIC circuit, there are many considerations for both calibration and parameter settings. For instance, during PMIC calibration, since the PMIC is the first component to power up and the last to shut down in the system, it is essential to ensure that the power-up and power-down sequence of every component in the system is correct. Under this premise, the PMIC will weigh voltage, current, switching speed, and power consumption when controlling and converting voltage, aiming to produce default voltage and current reliably, thereby ensuring the reliability of the entire system.PMIC calibration usually involves comparing and compensating the output voltage and current against expected values during post-manufacturing wafer-level testing (CP). Since the compensation value varies for each chip, it is necessary to store a unique value that specifically calibrates that PMIC, making NVM the optimal choice. Users can choose different types such as MTP NVM and small-capacity NVM depending on the maturity of the process.The value of parameter settings lies in the ability of a single programmable PMIC to achieve the same results for multiple power supplies with different timing within a system. This is particularly useful in complex systems like smartphones, eliminating the need to design and develop multiple PMICs just because components like the camera system, processor, and data chips require different voltage and current supplies. NVM-based programmable PMICs can simplify the design, testing, and manufacturing of PMICs tailored for different applications.Of course, the above considerations are primarily aimed at achieving calibration and parameter setting functionalities. In reality, designers also consider process selection, single or dual-chip choices, and costs when designing a PMIC, which raises higher performance requirements for the NVM IP used in PMICs, including process availability, IP reliability, IP security, and rewrite cycles. More importantly, the inclusion of NVM IP does not lead to an increase in the overall cost of the PMIC circuit.Watch the video to learn how to enhance power management ICs using OTP/MTP IP solutions.The selection of NVM IP is both crucial and complex. The white paper from Synopsys, “Calibrating and Setting Your Power Management IC with NVM IP,” will surely be of great help to you. Scan the QR code below to download it immediately.
