Clock management using full handshaking

• US 10,296,065 B2
• Filed: 01/25/2017
• Issued: 05/21/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 01/25/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Lee, Jae Gon, Kim, Ah Chan, Song, Jin Ook, Lee, Jae Young, Choi, Youn Sik
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Nitin C
• Application Number:
  US15/414,969
• Publication Number:
  US 20170212576A1
• Time in Patent Office: 846 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/06 Clock generators producing several clock signals G06F1/08 - G06F1/14 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/08 Clock generators with changeable or programmable clock frequency
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3234 Power saving characterised by the action undertaken
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/42 Bus transfer protocol, e.g. handshake; Synchronisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 3/0658 Clock or time synchronisation among packet nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 3/14 Monitoring arrangements for SDH/SONET rings H04J3/085
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/109 Integrated on microchip, e.g. switch-on-chip
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

A system on chip (SoC) includes a plurality of intellectual property (IP) blocks and a clock management unit (CMU) configured to perform clock gating on at least one of the IP blocks. The IP blocks and the CMU interface with one another using a full handshake method. The full handshake method may include at least one of the IP blocks sending a request signal to the CMU to begin providing a clock signal or to stop providing the clock signal, and the CMU sending an acknowledgement signal to the corresponding IP block in response to receipt of the request signal.

Claims

1. A system on chip (SoC) comprising:

a plurality of intellectual property (IP) blocks; and

a clock management unit (CMU) performing clock gating on at least one of the IP blocks, one of the IP blocks providing a request signal to the CMU indicating the one of IP blocks desires to enter a selected one of a sleep mode and an active mode,

wherein the IP blocks and the CMU interface with one another using a full handshake method,

wherein the CMU outputs a clock signal and acknowledgement signal (ACK) to the one of the IP-blocks in response to the request signal indicating the one of the IP blocks desires to enter the active mode, and activates the Ack signal upon determining the output clock signal is stable.

2. The SoC of claim 1, wherein the one of the IP blocks enters the selected mode in response to the acknowledgement signal.

3. The SoC of claim 1, wherein the CMU deactivates the acknowledgement signal to indicate the CMU has stopped outputting the output clock signal in response to the request signal indicating the one of the IP blocks desires to enter the sleep mode, and then stops providing the output clock signal to the one IP block.

4. The SoC of claim 1, further comprising a power management unit cutting off power to the CMU when no request signals have been sent by the IP blocks during a given period.

5. The SoC of claim 1, wherein the CMU comprises a controller receiving a first signal from a crystal oscillator and a second signal from a phase locked loop (PLL), and providing one of the received signals as the output clock signal and the acknowledgement signal in response to the request signal.

6. The SoC of claim 1, wherein the CMU comprises:

a multiplexer receiving an internal clock signal and an external clock signal, and providing one of the received clock signals as the output clock signal; and

a controller providing the acknowledgement signal in response to the request signal.

7. The SoC of claim 1, wherein the CMU comprises;

a frequency dividing circuit dividing an input clock signal to generate a divided clock signal, and providing the divided clock signal as the output clock signal; and

a controller providing the acknowledgement signal in response to the request signal.

8. The SoC of claim 1, wherein the CMU comprises:

a shortstop circuit performing an operation on an input clock signal to generate a resulting clock signal comprising a plurality of pulses during a first period and a constant level during a second period, and providing the resulting clock signal as the output clock signal; and

a controller providing the acknowledgement signal in response to the request signal.

9. The SoC of claim 1, wherein the CMU comprises:

a control circuit outputting a control signal and the acknowledgement signal in response to the request signal;

a clock source outputting the clock signal in response to the control signal.

10. The SoC of claim 1, wherein the CMU comprises:

a first clock component providing a first request signal indicating a first one of the IP blocks desires to enter one of a sleep mode and an active mode;

a second clock component providing a second request signal indicating a second one of the IP blocks desires to enter one of a sleep mode and an active mode; and

a third clock component to start providing a clock signal to both the first and second clock components when one of the request signals indicate a desire to enter the active mode, and stop providing the clock signal when both of the request signals indicate a desire to enter the sleep mode.

11. The SoC of claim 1, wherein the CMU comprises:

a clock component performing the clock gating;

a channel management (CM) circuit managing a channel connecting the CM circuit to the one of the IP blocks; and

a wire connecting the clock component to the CM circuit, wherein the request signal is sent across the wire from the CM circuit to the clock component, and wherein the Ack signal is sent across the wire from the clock component to the CM circuit.

12. A clock gating component comprising:

a clock control circuit generating an operating clock signal; and

a channel management (CM) circuit receiving a request signal across a communication channel from an external device, and forwarding the request signal to the clock control circuit,

wherein the clock control circuit transmits a clock request to a parent control circuit based on the request signal, receives a first acknowledgement (Ack) signal from the parent control circuit, selectively provides the operating clock signal to the external device according to the first Ack from the parent control circuit and provides a second acknowledgement (Ack) signal to the CM circuit indicating the clock control circuit has received the request signal,

wherein the clock control circuit provides the operating clock signal to the external device when the first Ack indicates the operating clock signal is stable.

13. The clock gating component of claim 12, wherein the clock control circuit provides the operating clock signal to the external device when the request signal indicates the external device requires the operating clock signal, and wherein the clock control circuit stops providing the operating clock signal to the external device when the request signal indicates the external device no longer requires the operating clock signal.

14. The clock gating component of claim 12, wherein the clock control circuit comprises:

a finite state machine (FSM) activating enable signal upon determining that the request signal indicates the external device requires the operating clock signal, and deactivating the enable signal upon determining that the request signal indicates the external device no longer requires the operating clock signal.

15. The clock gating component of claim 14, wherein the clock control circuit further comprises:

a clock gating circuit, wherein the clock gating circuit starts outputting the operating clock signal to the external device in response to the activated enable signal, and outputs a feedback signal to the FSM indicating that output of the operating clock signal has started, and wherein the clock gate circuit stops outputting the operating clock signal to the external device in response to the deactivated enable signal.

16. The clock gating component of claim 14, wherein the FSM is operated using a reference clock signal of a different clock domain than the operating clock signal.

17. A clock multiplexer (MUX) component comprising:

a clock control circuit selecting one of a first clock signal and a second clock signal based on a first selection signal, and generating an operating clock signal based on the selected clock signal; and

a channel management (CM) circuit receiving a request signal across a communication channel from an external device, and forwarding the request signal to the clock control circuit,

wherein the clock control circuit transmits a clock request to a parent control circuit based on the request signal, receives a first acknowledgement (Ack) signal from the parent control circuit, selectively outputs the operating clock signal in response to the first Ack signal, and outputs a second acknowledgement (Ack) signal to the CM circuit indicating the clock control circuit has received the request signal, and

wherein the clock control circuit outputs the operating clock signal when the first Ack indicates the operating clock signal is stable.

18. The clock MUX component of claim 17, wherein the clock control circuit includes a finite state machine (FSM) configured to output the request signal to a first clock source providing the first clock signal and a second clock source providing the second clock signal.

19. The clock MUX component of claim 18 further comprising a selection circuit receiving the first clock signal and the second clock signal, outputting one of the two clock signals in response to a second selection signal output from the FSM, and outputting a status signal to the FSM after outputting the one clock signal.

20. The clock MUX component of claim 19, wherein the selection circuit is operating using a reference clock signal of a different clock domain than the operating clock signal.

21. The clock MUX component of claim 17, wherein the first clock signal is received from a crystal oscillator and the second clock signal is received from a phase locked loop (PLL).

22. A clock dividing component comprising:

a clock control circuit performing a dividing operation on an input clock signal to generate a divided clock signal, and generating an operating clock signal based on the divided clock signal; and

a channel management (CM) circuit receiving a request signal across a communication channel from an external device, and forwarding the request signal to the clock control circuit,

wherein the clock control circuit transmits a clock request to a parent control circuit based on the request signal, receives a first acknowledgement (Ack) signal from the parent control circuit, selectively outputs the operating clock signal in response to the first Ack signal, and outputs a second acknowledgement (Ack) signal to the CM circuit indicating the clock control circuit has received the request signal, and

wherein the clock control circuit outputs the operating clock signal when the first Ack indicates the operating clock signal is stable.

23. The clock dividing component of claim 22, wherein the clock control circuit comprises:

a clock dividing circuit; and

a finite state machine (FSM) determining a dividing ratio, and outputting the dividing ratio to the clock dividing circuit in response to the request signal,

wherein the clock dividing circuit divides the input clock signal in response to the dividing ratio using the dividing ratio.

24. A method of operating a clock management unit (CMU), the method comprising:

the CMU determining whether a request signal received from an intellectual property (IP) block indicates the IP block desires to enter a selected one of an active mode and a sleep mode;

the CMU outputting an acknowledgement (Ack) signal and a clock signal to the IP block when the request signal indicates the IP block desires to enter the active mode;

the CM setting the Ack signal to an activated level upon determining the output clock signal is stable; and

the CMU setting the Ack signal to a deactivated level when the clock request signal indicates the IP block desires to enter the sleep mode.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the request signal is activated when the IP block desires to enter the active mode and is deactivated when the IP block desires to enter the sleep mode.