Voltage regulator module: Difference between revisions
Content deleted Content added
m stub sorted |
Arsenalboi20 (talk | contribs) ←Blanked the page |
||
| Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
[[Image:DCP 0348.jpg|right|thumb|300px|Voltage regulator module for an Intel Xeon 500 MHz processor]] |
|||
A '''voltage regulator module''' or '''VRM''', sometimes called PPM (power processing module) is an [[Electronics|electronic]] device that provides a [[microprocessor]] the appropriate [[supply voltage]]. It can be soldered to the [[motherboard]] or be an installable device. It allows processors with different supply voltage to be mounted on the same motherboard. |
|||
Some voltage regulators provide a fixed supply voltage to the processor, but most of them sense the required supply voltage from the processor. In particular, VRMs that are soldered to the motherboard are supposed to do the sensing, according to the [[Intel]] specification. |
|||
The correct supply voltage is communicated by the microprocessor to the VRM at startup via a number of bits called ''VID'' (voltage identificator). In particular, the VRM initially provides a standard supply voltage to the VID logic, which is the part of the processor whose only aim is to then send the VID to the VRM. When the VRM has received the VID identifying the required supply voltage, it starts acting as a [[voltage regulator]], providing the required constant voltage supply to the processor. |
|||
VRMs are [[buck converter]]s that convert from +5 V to a much smaller voltage required by the CPU -- some CPUs require 3.3 V, others require 1.10 V. |
|||
Historically, [[CPU design]]ers keep designing to smaller voltages; lower voltages help reduce [[CPU power dissipation]]. |
|||
==External links== |
|||
*[http://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/0,,sid9_gci213326,00.html A non-technical explanation] |
|||
*[http://elecdesign.com/Articles/Index.cfm?AD=1&ArticleID=8637 "Microprocessor Power Management"] |
|||
*[http://support.intel.com/support/processors/pentiumpro/sb/CS-011159.htm Intel specification] |
|||
{{compu-hardware-stub}} |
|||
[[Category:Electrical power control]] |
|||
[[Category:Digital electronics]] |
|||
[[de:Voltage Regulator Module]] |
|||
[[es:VRM]] |
|||
[[pl:VRM]] |
|||
[[zh:電壓調節模組]] |
|||