Method and apparatus for regulating heat in an asynchronous system

• US 20040196090A1
• Filed: 05/20/2003
• Published: 10/07/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/02/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Harada Industry Company Limited, Oracle America, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Harada Industry Company Limited
• Inventors: Sutherland, Ivan E.
• Granted Patent: US 7,012,459 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 327/513
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1951 with control of the working time of a temperature controlling device

Abstract

One embodiment of the present invention provides a system that regulates heat within an asynchronous circuit. During operation, the system monitors a temperature within the asynchronous circuit. If the temperature exceeds a threshold value, the system introduces a delay into the asynchronous circuit that causes signals to propagate more slowly through the asynchronous circuit. This causes circuit elements within the asynchronous circuit to switch less frequently and consequently causes the circuit elements to generate less heat.

Claims

1. A method for regulating heat within an asynchronous circuit, comprising:

monitoring a temperature within the asynchronous circuit; and

if the temperature exceeds a threshold value, introducing a delay into the asynchronous circuit that causes signals to propagate more slowly through the asynchronous circuit, thereby causing circuit elements within the asynchronous circuit to switch less frequently and consequently causing the circuit elements to generate less heat.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein introducing the delay into the asynchronous circuit involves introducing the delay into at least one asynchronous circuit element.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein introducing the delay into at least one asynchronous circuit element involves introducing the delay into a logic gate with a voltage-controlled delay.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the logic gate with the voltage-controlled delay comprises an inverter with a voltage-controlled degeneration transistor that introduces a voltage-controlled propagation delay into the inverter.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein introducing the delay into the asynchronous circuit involves introducing the delay into at least one asynchronous signal line within the asynchronous circuit.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein introducing the delay into an asynchronous signal line involves selectively switching the asynchronous signal line through chains of inverters having differing lengths to introduce different delays into the asynchronous signal line.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein introducing the delay into the asynchronous circuit involves introducing the delay into an asynchronous control circuit that asynchronously controls propagation of data through the asynchronous circuit.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein if the temperature exceeds the threshold value, the method additionally comprises reducing a voltage supplied to the asynchronous circuit to reduce the power consumed by the asynchronous circuit and to consequently cause the asynchronous circuit to generate less heat.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein if the temperature exceeds the threshold value, the voltage is reduced first, and if reducing the voltage does not reduce the temperature below the threshold value, then the delay is introduced.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the asynchronous circuit resides within a computer system.

11. An apparatus that regulates heat within an asynchronous circuit, comprising:

a monitoring mechanism that monitors a temperature within the asynchronous circuit; and

a delay mechanism, wherein if the temperature exceeds a threshold value, the delay mechanism introduces a delay into the asynchronous circuit that causes signals to propagate more slowly through the asynchronous circuit, thereby causing circuit elements within the asynchronous circuit to switch less frequently and consequently causing the circuit elements to generate less heat.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the delay mechanism is configured to introduce the delay into at least one asynchronous circuit element.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the at least one asynchronous circuit element includes a logic gate with a voltage-controlled delay.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the logic gate with the voltage-controlled delay comprises an inverter with a voltage-controlled degeneration transistor that introduces a voltage-controlled propagation delay into the inverter.

15. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the delay mechanism is configured to introduce the delay into at least one asynchronous signal line within the asynchronous circuit.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the delay mechanism is configured to selectively switch an asynchronous signal line through chains of inverters having differing lengths to introduce different delays into the asynchronous signal line.

17. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the delay mechanism is configured to introduce the delay into an asynchronous control circuit that asynchronously controls propagation of data through the asynchronous circuit.

18. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the apparatus additionally includes a voltage reduction mechanism, wherein if the temperature exceeds the threshold value, the voltage reduction mechanism is configured to reduce a voltage supplied to the asynchronous circuit to reduce the power consumed by the asynchronous circuit and to consequently cause the asynchronous circuit to generate less heat.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein if the temperature exceeds the threshold value, the voltage reduction mechanism is configured to reduce the voltage, and if reducing the voltage does not reduce the temperature below the threshold value, the delay mechanism is configured to introduce the delay into the asynchronous circuit.

20. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the asynchronous circuit resides within a computer system.

21. A computer system including an asynchronous circuit, comprising:

a processor;

a memory;

the asynchronous circuit located within the processor and/or within the memory;

a monitoring mechanism that monitors a temperature within the asynchronous circuit; and

a delay mechanism, wherein if the temperature exceeds a threshold value, the delay mechanism introduces a delay into the asynchronous circuit that causes signals to propagate more slowly through the asynchronous circuit, thereby causing circuit elements within the asynchronous circuit to switch less frequently and consequently causing the circuit elements to generate less heat.

22. The computer system of claim 21, wherein the computer system additionally includes a voltage reduction mechanism, wherein if the temperature exceeds the threshold value, the voltage reduction mechanism is configured to reduce a voltage supplied to the asynchronous circuit to reduce the power consumed by the asynchronous circuit and to consequently cause the asynchronous circuit to generate less heat.