VOLTAGE REGULATION METHOD AND CORRESPONDING HPM, CHIP, AND CHIP SYSTEM

• US 20150028931A1
• Filed: 07/22/2014
• Published: 01/29/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/24/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Wang, Xinru, Xie, Qian
• Granted Patent: US 8,994,447 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 327/306
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/305 in the event of power-supply fluctuations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3206 Monitoring of events, devices or parameters that trigger a change in power modality
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3296 by lowering the supply or operating voltage
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

The application discloses a voltage regulation method, and a corresponding HPM, chip, and chip system. The method is used to regulate a working voltage of the chip, which includes an AVS module and at least one HPM. The method includes: outputting, by the AVS module, a clock signal to the HPM; generating, by the HPM, a corresponding pulse signal according to the clock signal and at least performing first delaying for the pulse signal to acquire a first actual output value and performing second delaying for the pulse signal to acquire a second actual output value; and fitting, by the AVS module, the first and second actual output values at least according to weights of the first and second actual output values to acquire a fitting output value and determine, by comparing the fitting output value with a predetermined reference value, whether to regulate the working voltage of the chip.

Claims

1. A voltage regulation method for regulating a working voltage of a chip, wherein the chip comprises an adaptive voltage scaling AVS module and at least one hardware performance monitor HPM, and the method comprises:

outputting, by the AVS module, a clock signal to the HPM;

generating, by the HPM, a corresponding pulse signal according to the clock signal, and at least performing, for the pulse signal, first delaying related to a first threshold voltage Vt type that is in the chip and changes fastest with temperature, to acquire a first actual output value that can reflect current performance information of the first Vt type, performing, for the pulse signal, second delaying related to a second Vt type that is in the chip and changes slowest with the temperature, to acquire a second actual output value that can reflect current performance information of the second Vt type, and outputting the first and second actual output values to the AVS module; and

fitting, by the AVS module, the first and second actual output values at least according to weights of the first and second actual output values, and acquiring a fitting output value that can reflect current current performance information of critical paths, and determining whether to regulate the working voltage of the chip by comparing the fitting output value with a predetermined reference value, wherein the predetermined reference value is a fitting output value of the HPM when the chip works with a minimum working voltage at any temperature.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the fitting, by the AVS module, the first and second actual output values at least according to weights of the first and second actual output values, and acquiring a fitting output value that can reflect current current performance information of critical paths in the chip comprises:

calculating, by the AVS module, a first product acquired by multiplying the first actual output value of the HPM by a predetermined first weight, and calculating a second product acquired by multiplying the second actual output value of the HPM by a predetermined second weight, to acquire a sum of the first product and the second product and use the sum as the fitting output value of the HPM.

3. The method according to claim 2, before the outputting, by the AVS module, a clock signal to the HPM, comprising:

acquiring the minimum working voltage of the chip at different temperatures, and the first and second actual output values of the HPM when the chip works with different working voltages at the different temperatures; and

adopting the least square method to perform calculation on the minimum working voltage of the chip at the different temperatures and the first and second actual output values of the HPM when the chip works with the different working voltages at the different temperatures, to acquire the predetermined first weight and the predetermined second weight.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein a step of the determining whether to regulate the working voltage of the chip by comparing the fitting output value with a predetermined reference value comprises:

determining, by the AVS module, whether a difference acquired by subtracting the predetermined reference value from the fitting output value is larger than zero or smaller than zero; and

if the difference is larger than zero, determining that a current working voltage of the chip is higher than the minimum working voltage required at the moment and decreasing the working voltage of the chip; and

if the difference is smaller than zero, determining that the current working voltage of the chip is lower than the minimum working voltage required at the moment and increasing the working voltage of the chip.

5. A hardware performance monitor, at least comprising a first delay circuit and a second delay circuit, wherein:

the first delay circuit comprises at least one first delay unit of a first threshold voltage Vt type and a first encoding unit;

wherein;

an output terminal and an input terminal of the at least one first delay unit are head-to-tail connected to form a loop; and

the first encoding unit performs encoding according to an output value of the at least one first delay unit, to acquire a first actual output value that can reflect a delay situation of the at least one first delay unit and further reflecting current performance information of the first Vt type;

the second delay circuit comprises at least one second delay unit of a second Vt type and a second encoding unit;

wherein;

an output terminal and an input terminal of the at least one second delay unit are head-to-tail connected to form a loop; and

the second encoding unit performs encoding according to an output value of the at least one second delay unit, to acquire a second actual output value that can reflect a delay situation of the at least one second delay unit and further reflecting current performance information of the second Vt type; and

the first Vt type and the second Vt type are Vt types that change at different speeds with temperature.

6. A chip, comprising:

an adaptive voltage scaling AVS module and at least one hardware performance monitor HPM;

wherein;

the AVS module is coupled to the at least one HPM;

the AVS module comprises an outputting unit, a fitting unit, and a regulating unit, wherein the outputting unit is configured to output a clock signal to the HPM;

the HPM at least comprises;

a generating module, a first delay circuit, and a second delay circuit;

wherein;

the generating module is configured to generate a corresponding pulse signal according to the clock signal;

the first delay circuit is configured to perform, for the pulse signal, first delaying related to a first threshold voltage Vt type that is in the chip and changes fastest with temperature, to acquire a first actual output value that can reflect current performance information of the first Vt type;

the second delay circuit is configured to perform, for the pulse signal, second delaying related to a second Vt type that is in the chip and changes slowest with temperature, to acquire a second actual output value that can reflect current performance information of the second Vt type; and

the HPM outputs the first and second actual output values to the fitting unit of the AVS module;

the fitting unit of the AVS module is configured to fit the first and second actual output values at least according to weights of the first and second actual output values to acquire a fitting output value that can reflect current performance information of critical paths in the chip; and

the regulating unit is configured to determine, by comparing the fitting output value with a predetermined reference value, whether to regulate a working voltage of the chip, wherein the predetermined reference value is a fitting output value of the HPM when the chip works with a minimum working voltage at any temperature.

7. The chip according to claim 6, wherein the fitting unit is specifically configured to calculate a first product acquired by multiplying the first actual output value of the HPM by a predetermined first weight and calculate a second product acquired by multiplying the second actual output value of the HPM by a predetermined second weight, to acquire a sum of the first product and the second product and use the sum as the fitting output value of the HPM.

8. The chip according to claim 7, wherein:

the predetermined first weight and the predetermined second weight are acquired specifically by firstly acquiring the minimum working voltage of the chip at different temperatures and the first and second actual output values of the HPM when the chip works with different working voltages at different temperatures, and then adopting the least square method to perform calculation on the minimum working voltage of the chip at the different temperatures and the first and second actual output values of the HPM when the chip works with the different working voltages at the different temperatures.

9. The chip according to claim 6, wherein the regulating unit is specifically configured to:

determine whether a difference acquired by subtracting the predetermined reference value from the fitting output value is larger than zero or smaller than zero;

if the difference is larger than zero, determine that a current working voltage of the chip is higher than the minimum working voltage required at the moment and decrease the working voltage of the chip; and

if the difference is smaller than zero, determine that the current working voltage of the chip is lower than the minimum working voltage required at the moment and increase the working voltage of the chip.

10. The chip according to claim 6, wherein:

the first delay circuit comprises at least one first delay unit of the first Vt type and a first encoding unit, wherein an output terminal and an input terminal of the at least one first delay unit are head-to-tail connected to form a loop, and the first encoding unit performs encoding according to an output value of the at least one first delay unit, to acquire a first actual output value that can reflect a delay situation of the first delay unit and further reflecting current performance information of the first Vt type; and

the second delay circuit comprises at least one second delay unit of the second Vt type and a second encoding unit, wherein an output terminal and an input terminal of the at least one second delay unit are head-to-tail connected to form a loop, and the second encoding unit performs encoding according to an output value of the at least one second delay unit, to acquire a second actual output value that can reflect a delay situation of the second delay unit and further reflecting current performance information of the second Vt type.

11. The chip according to claim 10, wherein the HPM further comprises a third delay circuit, wherein the third delay circuit comprises at least one third delay unit of a third Vt type and a third encoding unit;

wherein an output terminal and an input terminal of the at least one third delay unit are head-to-tail connected to form a loop;

the third encoding unit performs encoding according to an output value of the at least one third delay unit, to acquire a third actual output value that can reflect a delay situation of the third delay unit and further reflecting current performance information of the third Vt type, wherein the third Vt type is a Vt type that is in the chip and changes between fastest and lowest with temperature; and

the fitting unit of the AVS module is specifically configured to fit the first, second, and third actual output values according to weights of the first, second, and third actual output values to acquire a fitting output value that can reflect current performance information of the critical paths in the chip.

12. A chip system, wherein the chip system comprises a chip and a power chip;

wherein the chip comprising;

an adaptive voltage scaling AVS module and at least one hardware performance monitor HPM;

wherein;

the AVS module is coupled to the at least one HPM;

the AVS module comprises an outputting unit, a fitting unit, and a regulating unit, wherein the outputting unit is configured to output a clock signal to the HPM;

the HPM at least comprises;

a generating module, a first delay circuit, and a second delay circuit;

wherein;

the generating module is configured to generate a corresponding pulse signal according to the clock signal;

the first delay circuit is configured to perform, for the pulse signal, first delaying related to a first threshold voltage Vt type that is in the chip and changes fastest with temperature, to acquire a first actual output value that can reflect current performance information of the first Vt type;

the second delay circuit is configured to perform, for the pulse signal, second delaying related to a second Vt type that is in the chip and changes slowest with temperature, to acquire a second actual output value that can reflect current performance information of the second Vt type; and

the HPM outputs the first and second actual output values to the fitting unit of the AVS module;

the fitting unit of the AVS module is configured to fit the first and second actual output values at least according to weights of the first and second actual output values to acquire a fitting output value that can reflect current performance information of critical paths in the chip; and

the regulating unit is configured to determine, by comparing the fitting output value with a predetermined reference value, whether to regulate a working voltage of the chip, wherein the predetermined reference value is a fitting output value of the HPM when the chip works with a minimum working voltage at any temperature;

wherein the power chip is configured to supply power for the chip, and when it is determined that a working voltage of the chip needs to be increased, an AVS module of the chip instructs the power chip to input to the chip a working voltage that is a predetermined value higher than an original working voltage; and

when it is determined that the working voltage of the chip needs to be decreased, the AVS module of the chip instructs the power chip to input to the chip a working voltage that is a predetermined value lower than the original working voltage.

13. The chip system according to claim 12, wherein the fitting unit is specifically configured to calculate a first product acquired by multiplying the first actual output value of the HPM by a predetermined first weight and calculate a second product acquired by multiplying the second actual output value of the HPM by a predetermined second weight, to acquire a sum of the first product and the second product and use the sum as the fitting output value of the HPM.

14. The chip system according to claim 13, wherein:

the predetermined first weight and the predetermined second weight are acquired specifically by firstly acquiring the minimum working voltage of the chip at different temperatures and the first and second actual output values of the HPM when the chip works with different working voltages at different temperatures, and then adopting the least square method to perform calculation on the minimum working voltage of the chip at the different temperatures and the first and second actual output values of the HPM when the chip works with the different working voltages at the different temperatures.

15. The chip system according to claim 12, wherein the regulating unit is specifically configured to:

determine whether a difference acquired by subtracting the predetermined reference value from the fitting output value is larger than zero or smaller than zero;

if the difference is larger than zero, determine that a current working voltage of the chip is higher than the minimum working voltage required at the moment and decrease the working voltage of the chip; and

if the difference is smaller than zero, determine that the current working voltage of the chip is lower than the minimum working voltage required at the moment and increase the working voltage of the chip.

16. The chip system according to claim 12, wherein:

the first delay circuit comprises at least one first delay unit of the first Vt type and a first encoding unit, wherein an output terminal and an input terminal of the at least one first delay unit are head-to-tail connected to form a loop, and the first encoding unit performs encoding according to an output value of the at least one first delay unit, to acquire a first actual output value that can reflect a delay situation of the first delay unit and further reflecting current performance information of the first Vt type; and

the second delay circuit comprises at least one second delay unit of the second Vt type and a second encoding unit, wherein an output terminal and an input terminal of the at least one second delay unit are head-to-tail connected to form a loop, and the second encoding unit performs encoding according to an output value of the at least one second delay unit, to acquire a second actual output value that can reflect a delay situation of the second delay unit and further reflecting current performance information of the second Vt type.

17. The chip according to claim 16, wherein the HPM further comprises a third delay circuit, wherein the third delay circuit comprises at least one third delay unit of a third Vt type and a third encoding unit;

wherein an output terminal and an input terminal of the at least one third delay unit are head-to-tail connected to form a loop;

the third encoding unit performs encoding according to an output value of the at least one third delay unit, to acquire a third actual output value that can reflect a delay situation of the third delay unit and further reflecting current performance information of the third Vt type, wherein the third Vt type is a Vt type that is in the chip and changes between fastest and lowest with temperature; and

the fitting unit of the AVS module is specifically configured to fit the first, second, and third actual output values according to weights of the first, second, and third actual output values to acquire a fitting output value that can reflect current performance information of the critical paths in the chip.