What is a typical application for a multifunction power-management IC?
Multifunction power-management ICs are members of a new generation of devices that manage the power for special-application processors. For example, Intel's XScale processor optimizes low power consumption and high-performance processing. Its micro-architecture stateof-the-art processing technology enables it to produce mW/MIPS performance. This processor supports mobile handheld devices, including pocket PCs, smart phones, MP3 players, and portable GPS devices.
What unique characteristics does the XScale processor offer?
This processor can dynamically adjust its power and performance by controlling which internal peripherals should be powered at any given time. As a result, it provides a significant decrease in power consumption for wireless handheld devices, which increases battery life, standby, and talk time. This inherent flexibility lets designers make power/complexity tradeoffs and optimize a product for its intended application.
What are the XScale processor's power requirements?
To provide power-management flexibility, there are 10 different external power domains that can be individually controlled. The CPU core operates from a 0.85- to 1.55-V supply at a maximum of about 600 mA. The nine other processor peripheral supplies range from 1.1 to 3.3 V and draw from 0.3 to 300 mA.
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