CONTROL MECHANISM BASED ON TIMING INFORMATION

• US 20160147588A1
• Filed: 06/17/2014
• Published: 05/26/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/18/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Minima Processor Oy
• Original Assignee: Aalto University Foundation, Teknologian tutkimuskeskus VTT Oy
• Inventors: TURNQUIST, Matthew, HIJENKARI, Markus, MKIP, Jani, KOSKINEN, Lauri
• Granted Patent: US 10,013,295 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/12 Synchronisation of different clock signals provided by a plurality of clock generators
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/14 Time supervision arrangements, e.g. real time clock
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0721 within a central processing unit [CPU]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0757 by exceeding a time limit, i.e. time-out, e.g. watchdogs
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 5/13 Arrangements having a single output and transforming input signals into pulses delivered at desired time intervals

Abstract

There is provided an apparatus comprising thresholding means adapted to check if an average frequency of occurrence of timing violations is outside a range; and controlling means adapted to control at least one of a clock frequency, a processing, a heat generation, a bias voltage, a current, and a temperature in a direction to bring the average frequency of occurrence of timing violations into the range if the average frequency of occurrence of timing violations is outside the range.

Claims

1. Apparatus, comprising

thresholding means adapted to check if an average frequency of occurrence of timing violations is outside a range;

and

controlling means adapted to control at least one of a clock frequency, a processing, a heat generation, a bias voltage, a current, and a temperature in a direction to bring the average frequency of occurrence of timing violations into the range if the average frequency of occurrence of timing violations is outside the range.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising

obtaining means adapted to obtain a value of an average frequency of occurrence of timing violations.

5. The apparatus according to any of claims 1 to 4, further comprising

a logic pipeline adapted to be clocked by the clock frequency, to process the process, and to work at the temperature;

a timing violation frequency obtaining means adapted to obtain the average frequency of occurrence of timing violations in the logic pipeline.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein

the logic pipeline comprises at least two combinational logics and a corresponding number of registers, wherein each of the registers is connected to an output terminal of one of the combinational logics;

and the apparatus further comprises

timing violation detection means adapted to detect a timing violation occurring in at least one of the at least two combinational logics;

wherein

the timing violation frequency obtaining means is adapted to obtain the average frequency of occurrence of timing violations based on the detection by the timing violation detection means.

7. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein

the logic pipeline comprises at least two combinational logics and a corresponding number of registers, wherein each of the registers is connected to an output terminal of one of the combinational logics;

and the apparatus further comprises

at least two timing violation frequency obtaining means adapted to obtain the average frequency of occurrence of timing violations separately for each of the at least two combinational logics.

8. The apparatus according to any of claims 5 to 7;

wherein

the timing violation frequency obtaining means is further adapted to obtain a period for obtaining the average timing violation frequency from a period dependency function based on at least one of the clock frequency, the processing, the heat generation, the bias voltage, the current, the temperature, a supply voltage and data to be processed.

9. The apparatus according to any of claims 1 to 3 and 5 to 8 dependent on any of claims 1 to 3, wherein

the thresholding means is further adapted to retrieve the range from a range dependency function based on at least one of the clock frequency, the processing, the heat generation, the bias voltage, the current, the temperature, a supply voltage and data to be processed.

10. The apparatus according to any of claims 1 to 9, wherein at least one of the respective thresholding means, controlling means, obtaining means, triggering means, monitoring means, logic pipeline, timing violation frequency obtaining means, timing violation detection means is implemented as a hardware.

11. System, comprising

the thresholding apparatus according to any of claims 3 and 5 to 10 dependent on claim 3;

and

the controlling apparatus according to any of claims 4 and 5 to 10 dependent on claim 4;

wherein

the trigger received by the monitoring means of the controlling apparatus comprises the trigger provided by the triggering means of the thresholding apparatus.

3. Apparatus, comprising

thresholding means adapted to check if an average frequency of occurrence of timing violations is outside a range;

and

triggering means adapted to provide a trigger if the average frequency of occurrence of timing violations is outside the range.

4. Apparatus, comprising

monitoring means adapted to monitor if a trigger is received, wherein the trigger indicates that an average frequency of occurrence of timing violations is outside a range;

and

controlling means adapted to control, if the trigger is received, at least one of a clock frequency, a processing, a heat generation, a bias voltage, a current, and a temperature in a direction to bring the average frequency of occurrence of timing violations into the range.

12. Method, comprising

checking if an average frequency of occurrence of timing violations is outside a range;

and

controlling at least one of a clock frequency, a processing, a heat generation, a bias voltage, a current, and a temperature in a direction to bring the average frequency of occurrence of timing violations into the range if the average frequency of occurrence of timing violations is outside the range.

15. A computer program product comprising a set of instructions which, when executed on an apparatus, is configured to cause the apparatus to carry out the method according to any one of method claims 12 to 14.

13. Method, comprising

checking if an average frequency of occurrence of timing violations is outside a range;

and

providing a trigger if the average frequency of occurrence of timing violations is outside the range.

14. Method, comprising

monitoring if a trigger is received, wherein the trigger indicates that an average frequency of occurrence of timing violations is outside a range;

and

controlling, if the trigger is received, at least one of a clock frequency, a processing, a heat generation, a bias voltage, a current, and a temperature in a direction to bring the average frequency of occurrence of timing violations into the range.