Closed loop feedback control of integrated circuits

• US 10,432,174 B2
• Filed: 08/01/2016
• Issued: 10/01/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/16/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Inventors: Koniaris, Kleanthes G., Burr, James B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hollington, Jermele M
• Application Number:
  US15/225,706
• Publication Number:
  US 20160341784A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,156 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/2621 for testing field effect transistors, i.e. FET's
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 13/021 in which a variable is automatically adjusted to optimise the performance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/324 by lowering clock frequency
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3296 by lowering the supply or operating voltage
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 3/012 Modifications of generator to improve response time or to decrease power consumption
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 3/0315 Ring oscillators
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

Systems and methods for closed loop feedback control of integrated circuits. In one embodiment, a plurality of controllable inputs to an integrated circuit is adjusted to achieve a predetermined value of a dynamic operating indicator of the integrated circuit. An operating condition of an integrated circuit is controlled via closed loop feedback based on dynamic operating indicators of the integrated circuit'"'"'s behavior.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

adjusting a body bias voltage applied to a body of an integrated circuit to cause a measured value of an operating indicator of the integrated circuit to approach a desired value of the operating indicator;

wherein the body is electrically isolated from one or more electrical components disposed within the body.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the one or more electrical components comprises a transistor.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the integrated circuit comprises a microprocessor.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the operating indicator comprises a ring oscillator.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising counting cycles of the ring oscillator.

11. The integrated circuit of claim 4, wherein the characteristic corresponds to only one type of device from the set of P-FETs and N-FETs.

6. An integrated circuit comprising:

circuitry configured to adjust a controllable input to the integrated circuit to cause a measured value of a characteristic of the integrated circuit to approach a desired value of the characteristic;

wherein the controllable input includes a body bias voltage applied to a body of the integrated circuit; and

wherein the body is electrically isolated from one or more electrical components disposed within the body.

7. The integrated circuit of claim 6, wherein the controllable input further comprises an operating voltage of the integrated circuit.

8. The integrated circuit of claim 6, wherein the controllable input further comprises an operating frequency control input.

9. The integrated circuit of claim 6, wherein the characteristic corresponds to a gate delay of the integrated circuit.

10. The integrated circuit of claim 9, wherein the characteristic corresponds to a leakage current of the integrated circuit.

12. An article of manufacture including a computer readable medium having instructions stored thereon that, if executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to perform operations comprising:

adjusting a controllable input of an integrated circuit to cause a measured value of an operating indicator of the integrated circuit to approach a desired value of the operating indicator;

wherein the controllable input includes a body bias voltage applied to a body of the integrated circuit; and

wherein the body is configured to have a bias relative to one or more electrical components disposed within the body.

13. The article of manufacture of claim 12, wherein the integrated circuit comprises the computing device.

14. The article of manufacture of claim 12, wherein the controllable input further comprises an operating voltage of the integrated circuit.

15. The article of manufacture of claim 12, wherein the operating indicator comprises a ring oscillator.

16. The article of manufacture of claim 12, wherein the operating indicator indicates a behavior of only n-type MOSFETs.

17. A method, comprising:

adjusting a controllable input of an integrated circuit to cause a measured value of an operating indicator of the integrated circuit to approach a desired value of the operating indicator;

wherein the operating indicator comprises a ring oscillator.

18. An integrated circuit, comprising:

circuitry configured to adjust a controllable input to the integrated circuit to cause a measured value of a characteristic of the integrated circuit to approach a desired value of the characteristic;

wherein the controllable input includes a body bias voltage applied to a body of the integrated circuit;

wherein the body is electrically isolated from a source terminal of a field effect transistor in the body; and

wherein the characteristic corresponds to a gate delay of the integrated circuit.

19. An integrated circuit, comprising:

circuitry configured to adjust a controllable input to the integrated circuit to cause a measured value of a characteristic of the integrated circuit to approach a desired value of the characteristic;

wherein the controllable input includes a body bias voltage applied to a body of the integrated circuit;

wherein the body is electrically isolated from a source terminal of a field effect transistor in the body; and

wherein the characteristic corresponds to a leakage current of the integrated circuit.

20. An integrated circuit, comprising:

circuitry configured to adjust a controllable input to the integrated circuit to cause a measured value of a characteristic of the integrated circuit to approach a desired value of the characteristic;

wherein the controllable input includes a body bias voltage applied to a body of the integrated circuit;

wherein the body is electrically isolated from a source terminal of a field effect transistor in the body; and

wherein the characteristic corresponds to only one type of device from the set of P-FETs and N-FETs.