SMARTPHONE- System Architecture Breakdown -

Lecture #3

In this lecture, we dissected a smartphone into various parts that it's made out of to
understand their working and coordination to make it a functional device.

Application Processor Block :

The processor forms the brain of every device. Basically, data is input which is
calculated and processed. An output is generated. It has many parts in itself.

1) CPU- Central processing unit- calculations done by serial processing. Most tasks are
done sequentially. It has a lesser number of cores.

2) GPU-Graphical processing unit-works on a concept called parallel processing- used

for heavy tasks like AI, image processing. Overall processing speed is high compared to
CPU. More cores are present.

3) Specialised AI cores: for AI/ML tasks. In our phones, fingerprint verification and face
and voice recognition are processed by these cores since they can do them fast,
efficiently.

4) Digital Signal Processor: for the purpose of transmitting signals. Our analog input
(say voice, during a phone call) needs to be converted to digital signal. In such a task,
this processor is used.

5)Image Signal Processing(ISP): it is a subpart of the DSP. It works to handle live feed
from the camera.
SENSORS :
Sensors in our mobile phones help the device feed real world data for various
processes. We will discuss the primary ones which are working the most.

1)Touch sensor: Phone touch sensors are usually capacitive touch sensors. How it
works:

●​ A small voltage is applied across the electrode grid.

●​ Each crossing point in the grid acts like a tiny capacitor.
●​ When you touch, the electric field at that spot changes → capacitance drops
slightly.
●​ The controller senses this tiny change! The controller is directly connected to the
grid of electrodes.
●​ The controller converts the variation in voltage to the x-y coordinates that helps in
finding the operation expected from user

2) Gyroscope: A gyroscope sensor in a mobile phone detects and measures rotational

motion, such as tilting, twisting, and turning, to provide accurate orientation and
movement data. This allows for features like enhanced gaming controls, stabilizing
photos and videos .

3) Proximity sensor: A mobile phone's proximity sensor detects when you're holding the
device to your ear during a call and turns off the screen.
4) Magnetometer, Accelerometer:

A magnetometer sensor in a mobile phone detects magnetic fields and is primarily used
to create a digital compass, indicating cardinal directions like North, South, East, and
West.

A smartphone's accelerometer measures the device's acceleration and orientation by

detecting movements and changes in its position along three axes (x, y, and z)

5) Camera module: In a mobile phone, the camera sensor acts like the retina of an eye,
capturing light and converting it into electrical signals to form a digital image. It is
connected to the GPU and AI cores.

MEMORY
Memory is of different types.

1. Permanent Memory (Storage)

●​ This is your Flash storage.

●​ It stores apps, photos, OS, videos - data stays even if the phone is switched off.
●​ The hard drive of the phone.

2. Temporary Memory (RAM)

●​ This is your phone’s Random Access Memory (RAM).

●​ It holds apps while you’re using them.
●​ Bigger RAM - more apps can stay open without restarting

3. Cache Memory:

●​ This is super-fast memory inside the processor.

●​ Stores very small chunks of data that CPU/GPU needs immediately.
●​ Example: When typing, the CPU doesn’t fetch each letter from RAM every time
cache helps keep things instant.

BATTERY:
●​ Phones today use Lithium-ion batteries.
●​ They provide around 3-5V
●​ Designed for high energy density (long usage) and safety (protection circuits
inside the pack).
●​ Include BMS (Battery Management System) that monitors voltage, current.
PMIC (Power Management IC)

●​ Brain of power distribution in the phone.

●​ Takes battery/charger input and creates multiple regulated voltages for CPU,
GPU, RAM, display, radios, sensors, etc.
●​ Controls power states (sleep, active, tristate).
●​ Works with the battery’s BMS.

How they work together:

●​ Battery + PMIC together ensure the phone gets stable, safe power under all
conditions.

MODEM/RF BLOCK
An important element which is responsible for handling all the signals that interact with
the phone - incoming and outgoing.

This modem modulates and demodulates signals.

For example: When we speak on the phone with someone, it is an analog signal that is
being given to the phone. Our phones have small antennas that can transmit high
frequency signals only. So our voice input is modulated into high frequency- and then
sent out for transmission.

●​ Our voices when transmitted are high frequency + encrypted- another process
managed by the modem block.
●​ It is achieved using the baseband processor.
●​ It handles signal generation, modulation, and demodulation, working with the RF
chip to ensure effective communication over wireless networks
Communication System :

●​ A communication protocol lays the rules for communication between different

elements inside the phone- who talks, how, when, and in what format.
●​ It ensures reliable transfer of information between chips, sensors etc.
●​ I2C protocol is an example used in the touch function of phones.
●​ Modern phone touchscreens (capacitive type) have a touch controller IC that
constantly scans the screen for finger touches.
●​ This controller IC sends touch coordinates to the main processor.
●​ I²C protocol is commonly used here: the touch controller is the messenger and
the application processor is the boss who gets the work from the right person
with his best friend OS.

Operating system :

●​ The operating system acts as the traffic controller between apps, sensors and
the hardware of the phone.
●​ Each hardware component (camera, display, touchscreen, modem) has a driver,
which is like a translator that lets the OS talk to the hardware.
●​ An API (Application Programming Interface) is a set of rules that allows different
software applications to communicate and exchange data with each other.

When you open the camera app, the app doesn’t directly control the camera.
Instead, it asks the OS using APIs (“Hey OS, give me a photo”). The OS then
passes that request to the camera driver.

FLOW OF DATA (AN EXAMPLE)

●​ You open the camera app to take photos. Initially, your touch commands are
processed by I2C protocol, coordinated by touch sensor + controller.
●​ The camera app opens after a request sent to the OS is processed (i.e., gets the
work done from the CPU by pointing to PC value (Program Counter) which the
processor has to proceed with.)
●​ The OS enables the camera driver.
●​ The camera sensor starts to capture light
●​ This data goes to ISP/AI cores for processing. That is coordinated by the OS so
that the input from the camera reaches the desired component in the processor.
●​ The processed image sent to RAM/storage, again OS is the middleman.
●​ OS hands the data back to the app after a request is generated from the app. We
see this data as a photo/live feed from the camera.

ALL THIS HAPPENS IN NANOSECONDS!

Summing up :

●​ Basically, processor has the capability of doing everything but all it knows is
instruction set
●​ It’s the OS which gets the data from other blocks and classifies tasks and
schedules it for the processor to implement.
●​ Everything we want from mobile is taken in as input by various sensors
●​ Sensors take in inputs in different ways so the signal is processed and requests
are made to OS with proper drivers
●​ Which then speaks to its friend ‘Processor’ to get it done
●​ CPU uses all his relatives - memory blocks and Co-Processors (GPU,AI
cores,etc.,) for the task accomplishment
●​ Once done, the respective drivers actuate the display or other action outputs
●​ And food for all these blocks to work is perfectly measured and fed by battery
management block
●​ And all these happen only because each blocks know how to speak with each
others which is done by interconnects (On chip and Off chip communication
protocols)
●​ All these blocks combine to form your smart phone

Post Credits :

●​ We study a lot about each of these blocks in our core subjects and end of the
day all combine to give a small handy product
●​ The size matters !!! This is where VLSI comes into play !!!
●​ Silicon Sand →→→ Smart Phone !!!

Stay tuned for break down of this flow NEXT !

​

15/09/2025 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Venue: VV214