LOAD LINE COMPENSATION IN POWER MONITORING

• US 20190332153A1
• Filed: 04/29/2018
• Published: 10/31/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Zhang, Lin, YangGong, Yifan, Turullols, Sebastian
• Granted Patent: US 11,086,377 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/08 Clock generators with changeable or programmable clock frequency
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/28 Supervision thereof, e.g. detecting power-supply failure by out of limits supervision

Abstract

A method for determining power dissipation within a computer system is disclosed. A circuit block may receive a regulated voltage level on a power supply signal generated by a voltage regulator circuit. A power control circuit may measure a current drawn by the circuit block, and determine a real-time voltage level for the power supply signal using the current and based on a slope value and a zero-load voltage level. Additionally, power control circuit may determine a power dissipation for the circuit block using the current and the real-time voltage level, and adjust an operation parameter of the circuit block based on the power dissipation.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a voltage regulator circuit configured to generate a voltage level on a power supply signal;

a circuit block coupled to the power supply signal; and

a power control circuit configured to;

measure a current drawn by the circuit block;

determine a real-time voltage level for the power supply signal using the current and based on a slope value and a zero-load voltage level;

determine a power dissipation for the circuit block using the current and the real-time voltage level; and

adjust an operation parameter of the circuit block based on the power dissipation.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein to measure the current, the power control circuit is further configured to measure the current drawn by the circuit block at a plurality of time points to generate a plurality of current values.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the power control circuit is further configured to determine an average current value using the plurality of current values.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the power control circuit is further configured to determine a leakage current drawn by the circuit block using the real-time voltage level.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, further comprising a lookup table, and wherein to determine the leakage current drawn by the circuit block, the power control circuit is further configured to:

modify the real-time voltage level using an offset voltage level to generate a modified voltage level; and

access the lookup table using the modified voltage level.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the zero-load voltage level is based on a power state of the circuit block.

7. A method, comprising:

measuring a current drawn by a circuit block of a computer system;

determining a real-time voltage level for a power supply signal using the current and based on a slope value and a zero-load voltage level, wherein circuit block is coupled to the power supply signal;

determining a power dissipation for the circuit block using the current and the real-time voltage level; and

adjusting a operation parameter of the circuit block based on power dissipation.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein measuring the current includes measuring the current drawn by the circuit block at a plurality of time points to generate a plurality of current values.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising, determining an average current value using the plurality of current values.

10. The method of claim 7, further comprising, determining a leakage current drawn by the circuit block using the real-time voltage level.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein determining the leakage current drawn by the circuit block includes modifying the real-time voltage level using an offset voltage level to generate a modified voltage level, and accessing a lookup table using the modified voltage level.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein the zero-load voltage level is based on a power state of the circuit block.

13. The method of claim 7, wherein the slope value is programmable.

14. A system, comprising:

a plurality of power domains, wherein a particular power domain of the plurality of power domains includes a plurality of circuit blocks, wherein given circuit block of the plurality of circuit blocks is coupled to a power supply signal; and

a power control circuit configured to;

measure a current drawn by the plurality of circuit blocks included in the particular power domain of the plurality of power domains;

determine a real-time voltage level for the power supply signal using the current and based on a slope value and a zero-load voltage level;

determine a power consumption of the particular power domain using the current and the real-time voltage level; and

determine a system power consumption using the power consumption of the particular power domain.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein to measure the current, the power control circuit is further configured to measure the current drawn by the plurality of circuit blocks at a plurality of time points to generate a plurality of current values.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the power control circuit is further configured to determine an average current value using the plurality of current values.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the power control circuit is further configured to determine a leakage current drawn by the plurality of circuit blocks using the real-time voltage level.

18. The system of claim 17, further comprising a lookup table, and wherein to determine the leakage current drawn by the plurality of circuit blocks, the power control circuit is further configured to:

modify the real-time voltage level using an offset voltage level to generate a modified voltage level; and

access the lookup table using the modified voltage level.

19. The system of claim 14, wherein the zero-load voltage level is based on a power state of the particular power domain.

20. The system of claim 14, wherein the slope value is programmable.