Silicon Laboratories Inc.
Energy estimation for thermal management

Abstract:

A technique for thermal management of a circuit includes generating a power consumption estimate for the circuit based on a predetermined update amount and a comparison of a sensed voltage level to a predetermined voltage level. The method includes generating a fault signal based on the power consumption estimate and a predetermined power consumption limit. Generating the power consumption estimate may include sensing a voltage drop across a first terminal of a device of the circuit and a second terminal of the device to generate the sensed voltage level. The sensed voltage level may be indicative of the voltage drop. The method may include updating the power consumption estimate by the predetermined update amount in response to a clock signal. The power consumption estimate may be used as a proxy for a measurement of a thermal state of the circuit.