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Power Saving Using Microcontrollers

The document discusses power saving techniques using microcontrollers. It covers hardware and software methods for reducing power consumption while balancing performance needs. Key topics include power flow, energy conservation, reducing power from various sources like ground and heat dissipation, and implementing power-down modes, clocking systems, interrupts, and low-power peripherals. Specific examples from microcontrollers from TI and Microchip are provided.

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ema
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
71 views

Power Saving Using Microcontrollers

The document discusses power saving techniques using microcontrollers. It covers hardware and software methods for reducing power consumption while balancing performance needs. Key topics include power flow, energy conservation, reducing power from various sources like ground and heat dissipation, and implementing power-down modes, clocking systems, interrupts, and low-power peripherals. Specific examples from microcontrollers from TI and Microchip are provided.

Uploaded by

ema
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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POWER SAVING USING Why and How?

MICROCONTROLLERS
INTRODUCTION

¡ W hy is reducing power consumption


important?
¡ H ardware vs. Software methods
¡ T he need to balance power
consumption with performance
needs
¡ E xamples
POWER FLOW IN AND OUT

Vss
Vcc

Output pin
MCU
Input pin
Dissipated as heat
ENERGY CONSERVATION

ŸVcc ŸVss(ground)
ŸDissipated as heat
ŸInput pin ŸOutput pin

Power Saving ?
Less current from Reduce the current to
Vcc and Input pin ground, heat and Output
pin
SAVE POWER FROM GROUND AND
OUTPUT

Leakage current Output capacitance

Hardware designer User


Leakage current Frequency
Vdd
Output capacitance

ŸCMOS inverter
SAVE POWER FROM HEAT DISSIPATION

ŸSuperconductor

ŸIn a conductor, heat was caused by


electron collisions during drifting

T800 Terminator
HOW TO SAVE POWER

¡ Power Down Modes

¡ C locking Systems

¡ I nterrupts

¡ Peripherals
POWER-DOWN MODES

¡  Most important


feature to meet
current-budget

¡  Control clock


frequency

¡  Control CPU power


CLOCKING SYSTEMS

¡  Microcontrollers may enter and


exit low -power modes several
times per second

¡  Current is wasted while CPU


waits for stable clock

¡  Most low -power MCUs have


“instant on clocks”
INSTANT-ON CLOCKS

¡  Some ready for CPU in less


than 10-20us
¡  Some have two stage clock
wake up
¡  Provides a low freq. clock
while high freq. clock
stabilizes
§  Can take 1ms longer
¡  On these devices, CPU may
Stable be operational in 15us
§  But runs on incorrect frequency
¡  CPU consumes less current at
low frequencies
¡  Inaccurate frequency can
relate to inaccurate timing
§  If accurate timing is necessary,
the CPU must wait for the clock
to stabilize.
INTERRUPTS

¡  Goes hand in hand with


system clock flexibility
¡  Bring MCU out of low -power
mode
§  More interrupts, more current-
saving flexibility
¡  Without interrupt capability,
MCU must poll the keypad or
buttons often
§  Controlling polling requires a
timer
§  Additional current
¡  With interrupt, CPU can sleep
until a button is pushed
WHAT ARE MCU PERIPHERALS?

¡  Peripherals are


components on a chip
which have
programmable input/
output capability

¡  Examples:
§  Timers
§  Event Counters
§  PWM generators
§  ADC/DAC
LOW POWER PERIPHERALS

¡  Some MCUs don’t have


low power peripherals
¡  Two types of low power
peripheral ability
§  Individual enable/disable
§  Automatic enable/disable
¡  A true low -power
peripheral is one that
consumes no current
when not in use
SPECIAL DETAILS OF POWER SAVING ON
MCUS
¡  In today’s batter y driven world, power saving is a must for many
consumer based applications
¡  Most modern day microprocessors/controllers have a variety of
onboard power-saving features
§  Compare TI vs. Microchip
¡  TI
§  MSP430 Line of “Ultra Low Power MCU’s”
¡  Microchip
§  PIC nanoWatt eXtreme Low Power MCU’s

VS
MSP430 – LOW POWER MODES (LPMs)

¡  Active
¡  LPM0 – CPU, Master Clock
are disabled
¡  LPM1 – Same as LPM0,
with the DCO and DC
generator disabled if they
aren’t used for the Sub-
System Master Clock
¡  LPM2 – Only DC Generator
and the Auxiliary Clock are
active
¡  LPM3 – Only Auxiliary
Clock is active
¡  LPM4 – All clocks
disabled; CPU disabled.
MSP430 – OPERATING MODES
FLOWCHART
MSP430 – OPERATING MODES
PIC nanoWatt– OPERATING MODES
PIC VS. MSP430
APPLICATION NOTE EXAMPLES

¡  Both TI, and Microchip tested their processors against each
other
¡  TI found that the MSP430 line was most efficient, while
Microchip found their nanoWatt line to be the most efficient
§  Application should be deciding factor
MSP430

¡  Stable,
high
speed
clock
¡  Interrupts
vs. polling
¡  Design for
low
MSP430

¡  16-bit Architecture is actually more efficient


¡  @ 1 MHz, MSP430 needs only 6us vs. 24us for the 8-bit
competition
¡  Less code à less power
LTC2382-16

¡  Low Noise, Low


Power ADC:
6.5mW at
500ksps
¡  Internal Timer
¡  Low Power ADC
Drivers
¡  Power down
when not
converting
QUESTIONS

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