Increasing SoC complexity involves a growing number of power domains and modes that dramatically complexify the design of Power Management Units (PMU). The flexibility of software-based PMUs accommodates such complexity at the cost of prohibitive overconsumptions. On the other hand, hardware-based PMUs address the energy-efficiency challenge, but their inherent lack of flexibility significantly increases the design efforts and risks. Dolphin Semiconductor’s unique solution, PowerStudio & Maestro, combines the best of both worlds to reach unmatched results: Maestro is a user-configurable, low gate-count power controller (RTL IP); PowerStudio is a software tool suite to configure, integrate and test Maestro within the SoC power network. This disruptive approach shrinks PMU design efforts while achieving automotive grade reliability, marking the end of a technological antagonism.

Written by

• Vincent Telandro, Product Marketing Manager at Dolphin Semiconductor