Dynamic voltage and power management by temperature monitoring

• US 20070045825A1
• Filed: 08/31/2005
• Published: 03/01/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ATI Technologies ULC (Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: ATI Technologies Incorporated (Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.)
• Inventors: Chan, Nancy, Senthinathan, Ramesh
• Granted Patent: US 8,330,476 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 257/723
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/26 Power supply means, e.g. regulation thereof for memories G11C
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3024 where the computing system component is a central processing unit [CPU]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3051 Monitoring arrangements for monitoring the configuration of the computing system or of the computing system component, e.g. monitoring the presence of processing resources, peripherals, I/O links, software programs verification or detection of system hardware configuration G06F11/2247
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3058 Monitoring arrangements for monitoring environmental properties or parameters of the computing system or of the computing system component, e.g. monitoring of power, currents, temperature, humidity, position, vibrations thermal management in cooling arrangements of a computing system G06F1/206
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/34 Arrangements for cooling, heating, ventilating or temperature compensation ; Temperature sensing arrangements thermal treatment apparatus H01L21/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00 Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/0002 Not covered by any one of groups H01L24/00, H01L24/00 and H01L2224/00

Abstract

A supply voltage management system and method for an integrated circuit (IC) die are provided. The supply voltage management system includes one or more temperature sensing elements located on the IC die and configured to sense temperature of the die and to output a sensed temperature value for the die. A dynamic voltage controller is located on the die and is configured to receive the sensed temperature value for the die and to identify a technology process category of the die. Based on the sensed temperature value and the identified technology process category of the die, the dynamic voltage controller adjusts an output voltage to at least one circuit of the die.

Claims

1. A supply voltage management system for an integrated circuit die, comprising:

one or more temperature sensing elements located on the die and configured to sense temperature of the die and to output a sensed temperature value; and

a dynamic voltage controller located on the die, configured to receive the sensed temperature value and to identify a technology process category of the die, and based on the sensed temperature value and the identified technology process category of the die, adjust a supply voltage to at least one circuit of the die.

2. The supply voltage management system of claim 1, wherein the dynamic voltage controller comprises:

memory that stores data identifying the technology process category of the die and stores predetermined process-voltage-temperature (PVT) data;

a temperature monitoring unit operatively responsive to the sensed temperature value and to access the PVT data to obtain a desired operating voltage value based on the sensed temperature value and the identified technology process category of the die; and

a voltage adjusting unit configured to receive the desired operating voltage value from the temperature monitoring unit and adjust the supply voltage based on the received desired operating voltage value.

3. The supply voltage management system of claim 2, wherein the PVT data includes data representing at least potential technology process category, temperature thresholds and corresponding desired operating voltage values.

4. A supply voltage management system for an integrated circuit die, comprising:

a plurality of voltage islands located on the die, each of the plurality of voltage islands comprising at least one circuit requiring a supply voltage associated with the respective voltage island and at least one temperature sensing element configured to sense temperature of the respective voltage island and output a sensed temperature value associated with the respective voltage island; and

a dynamic voltage controller located on the die and configured to receive the sensed temperature value associated with the respective voltage island, and to identify a technology process category of the die, wherein the dynamic voltage controller adjusts the supply voltage to the respective voltage island based on at least the sensed temperature value and the technology process category of the die.

5. The supply voltage management system of claim 4, wherein the dynamic voltage controller comprises:

memory that stores data identifying the technology process category of the die and stores predetermined process-voltage-temperature (PVT) data;

a temperature monitoring unit operatively responsive to the sensed temperature value associated with the respective voltage island, and based on at least the sensed temperature value and the technology process category of the die, to obtain from the PVT data an desired operating voltage value corresponding to the respective voltage island; and

a voltage adjusting unit configured to receive the desired operating voltage value from the temperature monitoring unit and adjust the supply voltage to the respective voltage island based on the desired operating voltage value.

6. The supply voltage management system of claim 5, wherein the PVT data includes data representing at least available technology process categories, available nominal operating voltages, temperature thresholds and corresponding desired operating voltage values.

7. The supply voltage management system of claim 5, wherein the memory comprises data identifying a nominal operating voltage of the respective voltage island and the temperature monitoring unit obtains from the PVT data the desired operating voltage value corresponding to the respective voltage island based on the technology process category, the nominal operating voltage, and the sensed temperature value of the respective voltage island.

8. The supply voltage management system of claim 7, wherein the PVT data includes data representing available technology process categories, available nominal operating voltages, temperature thresholds and corresponding desired operating voltage values.

9. A method for adjusting an output voltage to at least one circuit of an integrated circuit die, comprising:

sensing a temperature of the die and outputting a sensed temperature value of the die;

receiving the sensed temperature value of the die;

accessing data stored in memory to identify a technology process category of the die; and

adjusting the output voltage to the at least one circuit of the integrated circuit die based on at least the sensed temperature value and the technology process category of the die.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein adjusting the output voltage includes:

accessing predetermined process-voltage-temperature (PVT) data based on at least the sensed temperature value and the technology process category of the die to obtain an desired operating voltage value associated with the die; and

adjusting the output voltage to the die based on the obtained desired operating voltage value.

11. The method according to claim 9 comprising:

prior to sensing temperature and outputting a sensed temperature value;

sending training data patterns to the at least one circuit of the integrated circuit die while varying the output voltage to the die to determine the technology process category of the die; and

storing the data that identifies the technology process category of the die in memory.

12. A method for adjusting an output voltage to at least one circuit for each of a plurality of voltage islands of an integrated circuit die, comprising:

sensing temperature for each of the plurality of voltage islands and outputting a sensed temperature value of the respective voltage island;

receiving the sensed temperature value of the respective voltage island;

accessing data stored in memory to identify a technology process category of the die; and

adjusting the output voltage to the at least one circuit for each of the plurality of voltage islands based on at least the sensed temperature value and the technology process category of the die.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein adjusting the output voltage includes:

accessing predetermined process-voltage-temperature (PVT) data based on at least the sensed temperature value and the technology process category of the die to obtain an desired operating voltage value associated with the respective voltage island; and

adjusting the output voltage to the respective voltage island based on the obtained desired operating voltage value associated with the respective voltage island.

14. The method according to claim 12, prior to sensing temperature and outputting a sensed temperature value, comprising:

sending training data patterns to the at least one circuit of the respective voltage island while varying the output voltage to the respective voltage island to determine the technology process category of the respective voltage island; and

storing the data that identifies the technology process category of the respective voltage island in memory.

15. The method according to claim 12, wherein:

accessing the data stored in memory also includes accessing data stored in memory to identify a nominal operating voltage of the respective voltage island; and

adjusting the output voltage includes adjusting the output voltage based on the technology process category of the die and the nominal operating voltage, and the sensed temperature value of the respective voltage island.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein adjusting the output voltage includes:

accessing predetermined process-voltage-temperature (PVT) data based on the technology process category, the nominal operating voltage, and the sensed temperature value of the respective voltage island to obtain an desired operating voltage value associated with the respective voltage island; and

adjusting the output voltage to the respective voltage island based on the obtained desired operating voltage value associated with the respective voltage island.

17. The method according to claim 15, prior to sensing temperature and outputting a sensed temperature value, comprising:

sending training data patterns to the at least one circuit of the respective voltage island while varying the output voltage to the respective voltage island to determine the technology process category of the die; and

storing the data that identifies the technology process category of the respective voltage island in memory.