HYSTERESIS IN THERMAL THROTTLING

• US 20070121699A1
• Filed: 06/21/2006
• Published: 05/31/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: WANG, MICHAEL, JOHNS, CHARLES
• Granted Patent: US 7,603,576 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 374/57
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 3/005 Circuits arrangements for indicating a predetermined temperature fire detection G08B17/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 7/015 using microstructures, e.g. made of silicon
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/206 comprising thermal management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3206 Monitoring of events, devices or parameters that trigger a change in power modality
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/324 by lowering clock frequency
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

A computer implemented method, data processing system, and processor are provided for hysteresis in thermal throttling. A digital thermal sensor senses a temperature in the integrated circuit. A determination is made as to whether the sensed temperature is greater than or equal to a throttling temperature. A throttling mode is initiated in response to the sensed temperature meeting or exceeding the throttling temperature. The digital thermal sensor senses a new temperature. A determination is made as to whether the new sensed temperature is less than an end throttling temperature. The throttling mode is disabled in response to the new sensed temperature being less than the end throttling temperature.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for thermal throttling using hysteresis in an integrated circuit, comprising:

sensing, by a digital thermal sensor, a temperature in the integrated circuit;

determining if the sensed temperature is greater than or equal to a throttling temperature;

responsive to the sensed temperature meeting or exceeding the throttling temperature, initiating a throttling mode;

sensing, by the digital thermal sensor, a new temperature;

determining if the new sensed temperature is less than an end throttling temperature; and

responsive to the new sensed temperature being less than the end throttling temperature, disabling the throttling mode.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining, initiating, and disabling steps are performed by a thermal management control state machine residing within the integrated circuit.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the throttling temperature is a temperature greater than the end throttling temperature.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the throttling mode includes a type of throttling mode to be initiated.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the type of throttling mode is at least one of dynamic throttling disabled, normal operation, power processor element or synergistic processor element is always throttled, core stop safety disabled, or power processor element or synergistic processor element is always throttled and core stop safety disabled.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the integrated circuit is a heterogeneous multi-core processor.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the digital thermal sensor resides within one of the cores of the heterogeneous multi-core processor.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the digital thermal sensor resides within the heterogeneous multi-core processor, but not within a core.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the throttling mode blocks a dispatch of instructions.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the throttling mode slows down a clock frequency.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the throttling temperature is a programmable temperature.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the end throttling temperature is a programmable temperature.

13. A data processing system comprising:

a bus;

a memory coupled to the bus, wherein the memory includes a set of instructions; and

a integrated circuit coupled to the bus, wherein the integrated circuit executes the set of instructions to sense, by a digital thermal sensor, a temperature in the integrated circuit;

determine if the sensed temperature is greater than or equal to a throttling temperature;

initiate a throttling mode in response to the sensed temperature meeting or exceeding the throttling temperature;

sensing, by the digital thermal sensor, a new temperature;

determine if the new sensed temperature is less than an end throttling temperature; and

disable the throttling mode responsive to the new sensed temperature being less than the end throttling temperature.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the throttling temperature is a temperature greater than the end throttling temperature.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the throttling mode includes a type of throttling mode to be initiated.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the throttling mode performs at least one of blocking a dispatch of instructions or slowing down a clock frequency.

18. The processor of claim 13, wherein the throttling temperature is a temperature greater than the end throttling temperature.

19. The processor of claim 13, wherein the throttling mode includes a type of throttling mode to be initiated.

20. The processor of claim 13, wherein the throttling mode performs at least one of blocking a dispatch of instructions or slowing down a clock frequency.

17. A processor, comprising:

at least one processing core;

a thermal management control state machine; and

a digital thermal sensor, wherein the processor executes the set of instructions to sense, by a digital thermal sensor, a temperature in the integrated circuit;

determine, using the state machine, if the sensed temperature is greater than or equal to a throttling temperature;

initiating a throttling mode, using the state machine, in response to the sensed temperature meeting or exceeding the throttling temperature;

sense, by the digital thermal sensor, a new temperature;

determine, using the state machine, if the new sensed temperature is less than an end throttling temperature; and

disable, using the state machine, the throttling mode in response to the new sensed temperature being less than the end throttling temperature.