Adaptive Voltage Adjustment

• US 20070247216A1
• Filed: 07/15/2004
• Published: 10/25/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/15/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Jager, Mike, Nokkonen, Erkki, Kolinummi, Pasi
• Granted Patent: US 7,734,939 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 327/544
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/206 comprising thermal management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/26 Power supply means, e.g. regulation thereof for memories G11C
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

A method, system, module, apparatus, use, and computer program product are shown for determining a supply voltage level for operating an integrated circuit. To allow exact voltage level calibration, a high load condition is provided to the integrated circuit, a first voltage level of the integrated circuit is adjusted to provide a stable operation of the integrated circuit in the high load condition, a temperature of the integrated circuit in the high load condition is measured, the measured temperature in the high load condition is stored along with the adjusted first voltage level in the high load condition.

Claims

1. Method comprising

providing a high load condition to an integrated circuit,

adjusting a first voltage level of the integrated circuit to provide a stable operation of the integrated circuit in the high load condition,

storing the adjusted first voltage level in the high load condition.

2. The method of claim 1, comprising measuring a temperature of the integrated circuit in the high load condition, and storing the measured temperature in the high load condition.

3. The method of claim 1, comprising adjusting a supply voltage level during operation of the integrated circuit in a high load condition with the stored first voltage level.

4. The method of claim 1, comprising adjusting a supply voltage level during operation of the integrated circuit in a high load condition with the stored first voltage level plus a voltage margin of smaller than 10% of the first voltage level.

5. The method of claim 1, comprising adjusting a supply voltage level during operation of the integrated circuit in a high load condition with the stored first voltage level with a voltage margin of substantially zero.

6. The method of claim 1, comprising measuring one or more electric properties within the integrated circuit in the high load condition, and storing one or more corresponding measured electric properties.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said one or more electric properties comprise an IR drop, or a current or both.

8. The method of claim 1, comprising

providing a low load condition to the integrated circuit,

adjusting a second voltage level of the integrated circuit to provide a stable operation of the integrated circuit in the low load condition, and

storing the adjusted second voltage level in the low load condition.

9. The method of claim 8, comprising measuring a temperature of the integrated circuit in the low load condition, and storing the measured temperature in the low load condition.

10. The method of claim 8, comprising adjusting a supply voltage level during operation of the integrated circuit in a low load condition with the stored second voltage level.

11. The method of claim 8, comprising adjusting a supply voltage level during operation of the integrated circuit in a low load condition with the stored second voltage level plus a voltage margin greater than zero.

12. The method of claim 8, comprising adjusting the voltage level during operation of the integrated circuit in a low load condition with the stored second voltage level plus a voltage margin greater than 10% of the second voltage level.

13. The method of claim 8, comprising measuring one or more electrical properties within the integrated circuit in the low load condition, and storing one or more corresponding measured electrical properties.

14. The method of claim 9, comprising determining an operation point of the integrated circuit for adjusting the voltage level from the measured temperature.

15. The method of claim 14, comprising determining the operation point for adjusting the voltage level from process and/or hardware load conditions.

16. The method of claim 14, comprising adjusting the voltage level of the integrated circuit depending on the operation point of the integrated circuit and the stored first and second voltage levels.

17. The method of claim 14, comprising adjusting the voltage level during operation between the high load condition and the low load condition with a voltage level between the stored first voltage level and the second voltage level depending on the operation point.

18. System comprising:

an integrated circuit,

a voltage controller configured to control a voltage of the integrated circuit,

a load measuring device configured to measure a load condition of the integrated circuit, and

a storage configured to store a measured load condition, wherein

the voltage controller is configured to adjust a first voltage level in a high load condition to provide a stable operation of the integrated circuit.

19. The system of claim 18, comprising a temperature dependent measuring device configured to measure a temperature of the integrated circuit, said storage arranged to store a measured temperature together with the measured load condition.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the voltage controller is configured to adjust a supply voltage level during operation in a high load condition with a margin of smaller than 10% of the first voltage level.

21. The system of claim 18, wherein the voltage controller is configured to adjust a supply voltage level during operation in a high load condition with a margin of zero.

22. The system of claim 18, wherein the voltage controller is configured to adjust a second voltage level in a low load condition.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the voltage controller is configured to adjust the voltage level between the first voltage level and the second voltage level depending on an operation point of the integrated circuit.

24. The system of claim 18, wherein the temperature dependent measuring device and the load measuring device are embedded within the integrated circuit.

25. The system of claim 18, wherein a digital control interface is provided for connecting the integrated circuit with the voltage controller device.

26. The system of claim 18, wherein the integrated circuit is a single chip or a multi-chip package.

27. Module comprising

an integrated circuit,

a voltage controller configured to control a voltage of the integrated circuit,

a load measuring device configured to measure a load condition of the integrated circuit, and

a storage configured to store a measured load condition, wherein

the voltage controller is configured to adjust a first voltage level in a high load condition to provide a stable operation of the integrated circuit.

28. The module of claim 27, comprising a temperature dependent measuring device arranged to measure the temperature of the integrated circuit, said storage configured to store a measured temperature together with the measured load condition.

29. The module of claim 27, wherein the voltage controller is configured to adjust a supply voltage level during operation in a high load condition with a margin of smaller than 10% of the first voltage level.

30. The module of claim 27, wherein the voltage controller is configured to adjust a supply voltage level during operation in a high load condition with a margin of zero.

31. The module of claim 27, wherein the voltage controller is configured to adjust a second voltage level in a low load condition.

32. The module of claim 31, wherein the voltage controller is configured to adjust a supply voltage level for operating the integrated circuit between the first voltage level and the second voltage level depending on an operation point of the integrated circuit.

33. The module of claim 28, wherein the temperature dependent measuring device and the load measuring device are embedded within the integrated circuit.

34. The module of claim 27, wherein a digital control interface is provided for connecting the integrated circuit with the voltage controller device.

35. The module of claim 27, wherein the integrated circuit is a single chip or a multi-chip package.

36. Device comprising

an integrated circuit,

a voltage controller configured to control a voltage of the integrated circuit,

a load measuring device configured to measure a load condition of the integrated circuit, and

a storage configured to store a measured load condition, wherein

the voltage controller is configured to adjust a first voltage level in a high load condition to provide a stable operation of the integrated circuit.

37. Computer program embodied in a computer readable medium comprising

instructions operable to cause a processor to provide a high load condition to the integrated circuit,

instructions operable to cause the processor to adjust a first voltage level of the integrated circuit to provide a stable operation of the integrated circuit in the high load condition, and

instructions operable to cause the processor to store the adjusted first voltage level in the high load condition.

38. The computer program of claim 37, comprising instructions operable to cause the processor to measure a temperature of the integrated circuit in the high load condition, and instructions operable to cause the processor to store the measured temperature in the high load condition.

39. Apparatus comprising

means for providing a high load condition to the integrated circuit;

means for adjusting a first voltage level of the integrated circuit to provide a stable operation of the integrated circuit in the high load condition; and

means for storing the adjusted first voltage level in the high load condition.

40. The apparatus of claim 39, further comprising

means for measuring a temperature of the integrated circuit in the high load condition;

and

means for storing the measured temperature in the high load condition.

41. The apparatus of claim 39, further comprising means for adjusting the voltage level during operation in a high load condition with the stored first voltage level.

42. The apparatus of claim 39, further comprising

means for providing a low load condition to the integrated circuit;

means for adjusting a second voltage level of the integrated circuit to provide a stable operation of the integrated circuit in the low load condition; and

means for storing the adjusted second voltage level in the low load condition.

43. The apparatus of claim 42, further comprising

means for measuring a temperature of the integrated circuit in the low load condition;

and

means for storing the measured temperature in the low load condition.

44. The apparatus of claim 42, further comprising means for adjusting the voltage level during operation in a low load condition with the stored second voltage level.

45. The method of claim 42, further comprising means for adjusting the voltage level of the integrated circuit depending on the operation point of the integrated circuit and the stored first and second voltage levels.

46. The method of claim 42, further comprising means for adjusting the voltage level during operation between the high load condition and the low load condition with a voltage level between the stored first voltage level and the second voltage level depending on the operation point.