Power Management Solutions Mixed-signal Power Manager Power
management is a specific subset of features and requirements of
total system management solutions, especially in high
availability systems. To create a reliable system you will
naturally need to use complex devices, often mixing FPGAs,
microprocessors, ASICs and ASSPs on the same board. Many of such
devices require different power supplies to achieve their full
functionality. Often these supplies must be applied in a
predetermined and consistent order known as power sequencing.
This power supply switching is often achieved by controlling
point of load supplies (POLs) with some form of programmable
device—a microcontroller or programmable logic device (PLD), for
example. Proper sequencing will also limit any inrush current
effects that can put strain on the system power supplies. Two
types of POLs exist: analog point of loads (APOLs) and digital
point of loads (DPOLs). The two are very similar in that they
both provide localized power to a given subse