Today's SoC require multiple supplies for powering unique functions which are performed by multiple systems integrated on the SoC. Depending on the sub-systems being powered, the nature of each power supplies varies.

For example the sub-systems could be RF or mixed signal or digital. For each of portable applications like portable media player, personal navigator, and smart phone the SoCs integrate different systems and hence one power supply solution may not directly work for the other system.

To power these SoCs effectively custom PMASIC is a requirement.

To elaborate further the functions like USB, LED backlight, Flash, Audio CODEC, MIC etc are specific to the targeted application. Not all of these are required for all the applications. A generic device which will incorporate all of these power supplies may turn out to be too expensive for a application which requires only one or two of these functions and hence it is expensive solution. Where as a device which is capable of powering only 2-3 of these functions may not be able to power the applications requiring more of these functions and additional BOM And board space are required to power others. This problem is addressed by Cosmic's custom PM ASIC solution with a short cycle time from specification to volume ramp.

PM, Audio and other human interface functions are a significant portion of the system chip cost and size. In order to make differentiated systems with optimized cost and size, custom integration of these functions is the way to go. With this approach significant power savings are possible as the customized power supply will have all the required programmability options to trade power and speed depending on the mode of operation of the application.

Cosmic is leader in PM IP for SoC integration, with more than 70 IP cores in deep submicron technologies. Cosmic has proven innovations such as high frequency and low component value DC-DC converters, Low IQ high efficiency DC-DC converters, LDOs with low noise and fast transient response, Capless LDOs, along with the proven flow for integration of the IPs in short cycle time.

Cosmic has leveraged its core strength of these innovations to bring customizable PM ASIC offering called PowerVantage, to OEM/ODMs, System-design companies, and fabless SC. With its high performance audio solutions Cosmic provides a complete PM and Audio ASIC solution.

Given that the ASIC is optimized for a given portable apps, it ensures flexibility for customized power sequencing and power saving modes and performance by optimizing the system efficiency. To the targeted system, PowerVantage platform brings the ability to miniaturize and reduce BOM cost.

You get a unique and differentiated combination of the optimal solution, with battery efficiency and assured supply at low cost.

In order to reduce the cycle time from specification to engineering samples cosmic circuits has developed the PowerVantage platform for power management and audio ASIC for various portable applications. The platform is based on silicon proven blocks and customer can choose the blocks that are to be integrated in the PM ASIC reviewing the characterization results of these silicon proven blocks. In addition to PowerVantage platform cosmic circuits also offers custom analog cores to realize the customer function.

Some of the unique cores of the PowerVantage platform that can be leveraged are:

• Buck Converter: High efficiency, low component value, programmable frequency, internal compensation
• Linear Regulator: capable of supporting high load current over wide output voltage, Low quiescent current
• HV Boost Converter: High efficiency, Low component value, programmable frequency, internal compensation
• Power Control Sub system: Input power Mux for AC adapter and USB, Battery Charger for Li-ion, Ni-Cd, Ni-Mh, Lead-Acid, Back up battery charger
• Buck-Boost Converter: Auto transition, H bridge, low component value, internal compensation
• Digital DVM LDOs: Small step size for output programming over wide range, low drop out, fast transient response, low quiescent current
• Analog and RF LDOs: High PSRR up to high frequency of 1-2MHz, Low noise, Low Quiescent current
• LED Driver: Buck converter and Boost converter for LED applications
• Audio Codec: High performance A/D, D/A for high quality music, uPhone Amplifier, Class AB, Class D drivers with high output power and low quiescent current consumption
• POR and precision voltage reference: Precision voltage reference, Power on reset and brown out indicators
• Temperature Sensor: High accuracy with 10 bit digital output
• Touch Screen controller: Resistive as well capacitive solutions

The PM ASIC solution can be customized to interface with any of the standard Serial interface choices like I2C, SPI, PM BUS and other audio interfaces.

To get the optimal cost and performance the discrete and general PM ICs are not the right solutions. A custom PM ASIC solution achieves these advantages. The customized power sequences for different product scenarios help taking the same product to various application platforms.

Customized power saving modes like hibernate mode, deep sleep mode etc gives a chance to reduce the system power consumption by order of magnitude in the idle state. Cosmic offers Customization for developing PM and Audio ASIC by designing a specific IP which is required to be fresh developed for the application.

Cosmic has strong IP portfolio of 200+ IPs and porting these IPs to the platform process ensures low risk and first pass success to the ASIC.

Cosmic also takes up integration of customer IP with the development of PM and Audio ASIC. Cosmic participates closely with customer in ASIC definition phase by taking a top down approach in studying the system requirements and coming up with a solution that fits the requirements best.

With innovative solutions at architectural and circuit level the number of external components for PM ASIC are reduced and this leads to saving in board space and BOM. Cosmic's ultra low noise regulators meet the stringent requirements for high fidelity audio and other low noise applications. The fast transient response of the LDOs with low IQ helps reduce overall power consumption. Innovative and custom Power saving modes help in increasing the battery life.

Cosmic's high frequency switching converters (4MHz) allows to reduce the inductor size to 0.47uH and still achieves low ripple. With innovative circuit techniques a high efficiency is maintained over all load current ranges.

The linear regulators which are always ON in the system are available with ultra low IQs and this allows a longer battery life. Linear regulator with finer programmable steps allows to do dynamic voltage management for various modes of operation which trade-off the voltage and frequency of operation for SoC.

A smooth transition from one voltage setting to other allows easy handling of these transitions by system.

As the silicon proven modules are used for integration of a new PM ASIC, the flow for integration is smooth and quick turn around time from specification to silicon is achieved.

• Requirements from customer and detail discussion on various options. Customer refines the requirement and based on this Cosmic comes up detailed spec sheet.
• Customer can seek EVM modules from cosmic for the PowerVantage EVM boards
• Cosmic provides On-site support to assist the smooth integration of the PM ASIC in the system.

There are several advantages of such an approach. Our customers can stay assured that Cosmic absorbs a good part of risks such as the following:

• Mask spins or re-tape-outs
• Die-size increases Wafer cost fluctuations
• Supply allocation
• Tester and test-time variations
• Yield fluctuations

All of this translates to key business benefits for our customers:

• Reduced Time-To-Market risks
• Predictable development costs
• Reduced production risks
• Predictable unit cost, known up front

All-in-all, for our customers, it is a lot less worry and lot more predictability with a firm plan for achievement. At the same time, we recognize that the programs we undertake will be critical to our customers, and hence the need for visibility into the status. Towards this, our engagement model defines a systematic approach that provides the necessary visibility and involvement to our customers.

Our engagement steps are dictated by what is sensible and right for error-free product development, as well as the ease with which the process of engagement happens.

Starting from a high-level application requirement, our experts engage with our customers to refine the requirement into a detailed chip specification. This happens prior to a full-blown business engagement. After a contract is signed, key check-point reviews are performed to ensure that the customer gets exactly what was required. Critical reviews and sharing of simulation and silicon performance reports play a key role.

Periodic meetings by phone or mutual visits ensure that we stay in sync with the requirements.

We also expect our customers to perform thorough system-level testing and qualification using our engineering samples.

Customization: Flexible customized approach allows our customer to realize a chip exactly suited and optimized for their application.

Highly optimal BOM/Cost: Integration of a variety system functions helps to miniaturize (board space/cost) and reduce the BOM cost.

Differentiation: Differentiated cores with programmability and architectures that enable low component count, low component value, low noise at minimal cost.

Power Efficiency: Cores, operating modes and the power system architectures to achieve optimized system power efficiency.

Time to Market: Quick turn around of custom solution using proven platform.