US Patent 7859134 Self-configurable multi-regulator ASIC core power delivery

A method for operating an electronic product having an application specific semiconductor circuit (ASIC) including in its circuitry both a linear regulator module for use with an optional external capacitance and a capless regulator module coupled to internal capacitance of the product selects a low-power sub-module or high-power sub-module of the capless regulator module for use in a power-up phase of the ASIC. Control logic of the ASIC determines if an external capacitance is present. If so, then the high-power capless sub-module is used during a power-up phase of the ASIC; if not only the low-power capless sub-module is used during the power-up phase of the ASIC. After power-up of the ASIC, the control logic may select the linear regulator module for certain times of operation and the capless regulator module for other times of operation or it may select one or the other for all times of post-power-up operation.