Processor device voltage characterization

• US 10,248,186 B2
• Filed: 06/10/2016
• Issued: 04/02/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Hovis, William Paul, Blankenburg, Garrett Douglas, Atkinson, Peter Anthony, Ray, Robert James, Hernandez Mojica, Andres Felipe, Boshra-Riad, Samy, Wee, Erng-Sing, Langendorf, Brian Keith
• Primary Examiner(s): Duncan, Marc
• Application Number:
  US15/179,016
• Publication Number:
  US 20170357311A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,026 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/3004 Current or voltage test
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3225 of memory devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3296 by lowering the supply or operating voltage
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0757 by exceeding a time limit, i.e. time-out, e.g. watchdogs
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/24 Marginal checking or other specified testing methods not covered by G06F11/26, e.g. race tests
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

Power reduction and voltage adjustment techniques for computing systems and processing devices are presented herein. In one example, a method includes receiving a voltage characterization service over a communication interface of the computing apparatus as transferred by a deployment platform remote from the computing apparatus. The method includes executing the voltage characterization service for a processing device of the computing apparatus to determine at least one input voltage for the processing device lower than a manufacturer specified operating voltage, the voltage characterization service comprising a functional test that exercises the processing device at iteratively adjusted voltages in context with associated system elements of the computing apparatus. During execution of the voltage characterization service, the method includes monitoring for operational failures of at least the processing device, and responsive to the operational failures, restarting the processing device using a recovery voltage higher than a current value of the iteratively adjusted voltages.

Claims

1. A method of altering power consumption of a computing apparatus, the method comprising:

receiving a voltage characterization service over a communication interface of the computing apparatus, wherein the voltage characterization service is transferred by a deployment platform remote from the computing apparatus;

performing repeated booting of a processing device of the computing apparatus into an operating system and iteratively reducing at least one input voltage applied to the processing device;

for each iterative reduction in the at least one input voltage, executing the voltage characterization service to perform one or more functional tests that run one or more application level processes in the operating system and exercise processor core elements and input/output elements of the processing device in context with a plurality of peripheral devices which share at least one voltage domain as the at least one input voltage;

monitoring for operational failures of at least the processing device during execution of the voltage characterization service; and

based at least on the operational failures, determining at least one resultant input voltage for the processing device lower than a manufacturer specified operating voltage.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein monitoring for the operational failures of at least the processing device comprises, in a system management controller, establishing a watchdog timer for the processing device which initiates a reset of the processing device if the processing device is unresponsive for a predetermined period of time.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

during execution of the voltage characterization service, applying incrementally adjusted input voltages to the processing device, operating the processing device according to the functional test, and monitoring for operational failures of at least the processing device during application of each of the incrementally adjusted input voltages;

responsive to the operational failures during the functional test, determining corresponding values of the incrementally adjusted input voltages and establishing the at least one resultant input voltage for the processing device based at least in part on the corresponding values of the incrementally adjusted input voltages.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the repeated booting of the processing device comprises establishing a minimum operating voltage for the at least one input voltage based on a current value of the iteratively reduced voltages, adding a voltage margin to the minimum operating voltage to establish the at least one resultant input voltage, and instructing voltage regulator circuitry of the computing apparatus to supply the at least one resultant input voltage to the processing device for user operation of the processing device in the computing apparatus.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the voltage characterization service over the communication interface of the computing apparatus comprises receiving firmware comprising the voltage characterization service over one or more network links associated with the communication interface as transferred by a remote deployment platform.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more functional tests further exercise graphics core elements of the processing device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein executing the voltage characterization service for the processing device comprises an initial execution of the voltage characterization service responsive to receiving the voltage characterization service and a periodic execution of the voltage characterization service responsive to the processing device reaching a predetermined number of operational hours.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

while executing the voltage characterization service, incrementally adjusting the at least one input voltage by initially operating the processing device at a first input voltage and progressively lowering the input voltage in predetermined increments while performing the functional test and monitoring for occurrence of the operational failures.

9. An apparatus comprising:

one or more computer readable storage media;

program instructions stored on the one or more computer readable storage media that, based at least in part on execution by a computing system, direct the computing system to at least;

receive a voltage characterization service over a communication interface of the computing system, wherein the voltage characterization service is transferred by a deployment platform remote from the computing system;

perform repeated booting of a processing device of the computing apparatus into an operating system and iteratively reduce at least one input voltage applied to the processing device;

for each iterative reduction in the at least one input voltage, execute the voltage characterization service to perform one or more functional tests that run one or more application level processes in the operating system and exercise processor core elements and input/output elements of the processing device in context with a plurality of peripheral devices which share at least one voltage domain as the at least one input voltage;

monitor for operational failures of at least the processing device during execution of the voltage characterization service; and

based at least on the operational failures, determine at least one resultant input voltage for the processing device lower than a manufacturer specified operating voltage.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, comprising further program instructions, based at least in part on execution by the computing system, direct the computing system to at least:

monitor for the operational failures of at least the processing device using a system management controller that establishes a watchdog timer for the processing device which initiates a reset of the processing device if the processing device is unresponsive for a predetermined period of time.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, comprising further program instructions, based at least in part on execution by the computing system, direct the computing system to at least:

during execution of the voltage characterization service, apply incrementally adjusted input voltages to the processing device, operate the processing device according to the functional test, and monitor for operational failures of at least the processing device during application of each of the incrementally adjusted input voltages;

responsive to the operational failures during the functional test, determine corresponding values of the incrementally adjusted input voltages and establish the at least one resultant input voltage for the processing device based at least in part on the corresponding values of the incrementally adjusted input voltages.

12. The apparatus of claim 9, comprising further program instructions, based at least in part on execution by the computing system, direct the computing system to at least:

establish a minimum operating voltage for the at least one input voltage based on a current value of the iteratively reduced voltages, add a voltage margin to the minimum operating voltage to establish the at least one resultant input voltage, and instruct voltage regulator circuitry of the computing system to supply the at least one resultant input voltage to the processing device for user operation of the processing device in the computing system.

13. The apparatus of claim 9, comprising further program instructions, based at least in part on execution by the computing system, direct the computing system to at least:

receive firmware comprising the voltage characterization service over one or more network links associated with the communication interface as transferred by a remote deployment platform.

14. The apparatus of claim 9, comprising further program instructions, based at least in part on execution by the computing system, direct the computing system to at least:

wherein the one or more functional tests further exercise graphics core elements of the processing device.

15. The apparatus of claim 9, comprising further program instructions, based at least in part on execution by the computing system, direct the computing system to at least:

initially execute the voltage characterization service for the processing device responsive to receiving the voltage characterization service and periodically execute the voltage characterization service responsive to the processing device reaching a predetermined number of operational hours.

16. The apparatus of claim 9, comprising further program instructions, based at least in part on execution by the computing system, direct the computing system to at least:

execute the voltage characterization service by at least initially operating the processing device at a first input voltage and progressively lowering the input voltage in predetermined increments while performing the functional test and monitoring for occurrence of the operational failures.

17. An in-situ voltage adjustment platform for a computing apparatus, the platform comprising:

a firmware update service configured to receive voltage characterization firmware transferred by a deployment platform remote from the computing apparatus; and

a characterization service configured to;

perform repeated booting of a processing device of the computing apparatus into an operating system and iteratively reduce at least one input voltage applied to the processing device;

for each iterative reduction in the at least one input voltage, execute the voltage characterization firmware to perform one or more functional tests that run one or more application level processes in the operating system and exercise processor core elements and input/output elements of the processing device in context with a plurality of peripheral devices which share at least one voltage domain as the at least one input voltage;

monitor for operational failures of at least the processing device during execution of the voltage characterization service; and

based at least on the operational failures, determine at least one resultant input voltage for a processing device of the computing apparatus lower than a manufacturer specified operating voltage.

18. The platform of claim 17, comprising:

a watchdog service for the processing device which initiates a reset of the processing device if the processing device is unresponsive for a predetermined period of time.

19. The platform of claim 17, comprising:

responsive to the operational failures of at least the processing device, the characterization service further configured to establish a minimum operating voltage for the at least one input voltage based on a current value of the iteratively reduced voltages, adding a voltage margin to the minimum operating voltage to establish the at least one resultant input voltage, and instruct voltage regulator circuitry of the computing apparatus to supply the at least one resultant input voltage to the processing device for user operation of the processing device in the computing apparatus.

20. The platform of claim 17, comprising:

the characterization service configured to operate the processing device in the operating system according to the one or more functional tests while the processing device is physically installed in the computing apparatus, wherein the computing apparatus includes one or more of an enclosure, thermal management elements, memory elements, communication elements, data storage elements, and power electronics elements exercised during the one or more functional tests.