Understanding why power management IP is so important

Power management IP is indispensable in modern chip design, especially for battery applications where power is constrained and for high-power applications where thermal efficiency is vital. Power management IPs are specialized blocks or circuits that help to control the power consumption, voltage levels and energy efficiency of a system.

The key components of power management IP

First, let’s review the common components of power management IP. These include low drop-out (LDO) linear voltage regulators, voltage references, and power-on-reset (POR) circuits and can be combined into a dedicated power management unit (PMU) that contains all of the sub-blocks.

LDOs: These are typically used to provide a precise, low-noise, regulated voltage level from a power source such as a battery. A minimal voltage drop (or drop-out voltage) could result from this. A drop-out of 200mV in a standard LDO is typically enough to filter the incoming supply for line and load regulation, producing a low noise and stable output voltage against power supply and load variations.

‍Voltage references: These are essential for the exact measurement and control of any analog circuit, including LDOs. Bandgap voltage references can give a constant known value over process, voltage, and temperature (PVT) variation. A good power supply rejection ratio (PSRR) and low power consumption are necessary for a reliable reference voltage. The bandgap uses two voltages with opposing temperature coefficients (the base-emitter voltage and the voltage across a resistor) to provide a temperature-independent reference.

Power-on-reset circuits: These are a crucial consideration for many ASIC/SoC designs as they are used to postpone the start-up of logic circuits until the power supply voltages have achieved the required level for valid logic states in the system. This means that during power-up or power-down sequences, sensitive elements can be protected. As power management blocks do not normally work independently, in order to control the different power management blocks, a logic state machine can be added. This ensures the correct timing and sequencing of power supply bring-up and shut-down, as well as for the various low-power states.

The importance of power management IP

Power management IP is important as this IP:

Minimizes power consumption: Power efficiency is critical in battery-powered devices, such as wearables, to prolong battery life. Power management IP includes power mode switching, sleep modes, and energy harvesting so the system uses minimal power when inactive.

Ensures voltage regulation: Voltage fluctuations and power surges may result in system failures and vulnerabilities, but these IPs provide accurate voltage regulation, maintaining stability as well as ensuring consistency across various load conditions and input voltages.

Increases thermal efficiency: High power consumption can lead to thermal issues that reduce the performance and reliability of components. Power management IP lowers overall power dissipation, which stops overheating and increases thermal efficiency.

Maintains signal integrity: Noise caused by power supply fluctuations can impact on the sensitive analog components, such as ADCs. High-quality power management IP blocks can deliver the clean, low-noise power needed for effective operation and signal integrity.

The future of power management IP

Power management IP is becoming even more popular as demand surges for energy-efficient and high-performance electronic devices.

Agile Analog has a wide range of customizable and multi-process power management IP, that provide functions such as voltage regulation, power-on-reset, and thermal management. Our unique, digitally wrapped, and fully verified IP can be integrated seamlessly by chip design engineers into any SoC, radically reducing complexity, time, and costs.

Throughout 2025, the Agile Analog team will be focusing on the expansion of our product portfolio, especially our power management IP, as well as development on advanced nodes, in order to meet the evolving needs of our customers.

Please visit Agile Analog’s power management IP web page for our product information.

To learn more about LDOs, take a look at our blog post on selecting the right LDO.