Tracing Thermal Data Via Performance Monitoring

• US 20110040517A1
• Filed: 11/01/2010
• Published: 02/17/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Johns, Charles Ray, Wang, Michael Fan
• Granted Patent: US 9,097,590 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/130
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 1/022 for recording
• 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

Abstract

A data processing system and processor are provided for tracing thermal data via performance monitoring. A performance monitor is set into a tracing mode. Temperatures are sensed by a digital thermal sensor over a time period. The sensed temperatures are stored in a data structure and a trace of the sensed temperatures is graphically displayed.

Claims

1. 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 set a performance monitor into a tracing mode;

sense, by a digital thermal sensor, temperatures over a time period;

store the sensed temperatures in a data structure; and

graphically display a trace of the sensed temperatures.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the integrated circuit executes the set of instructions to determine if the performance monitor is still running;

and detect the sensed temperatures by the digital thermal sensor in response to the performance monitor still running.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the integrated circuit executes the set of instructions to compress the sensed temperatures to increase a sampling interval.

4. A processor, comprising:

at least one processing core;

a thermal management control state machine;

a graphics processor; and

a digital thermal sensor, wherein the processor executes the set of instructions to set, using the state machine, a performance monitor into a tracing mode;

sense, by a digital thermal sensor, temperatures over a time period;

store the sensed temperatures in a data structure; and

graphically display, using the graphics processor, a trace of the sensed temperatures.

5. The processor of claim 4, wherein the processor executes the set of instructions to determine, using the state machine, if the performance monitor is still running;

and detect the sensed temperatures by the digital thermal sensor in response to the performance monitor still running.