Clock control technique and system for a microprocessor including a thermal sensor
First Claim
1. A microprocessor comprising:
- a CPU core capable of executing a predetermined instruction set;
a clock generator and distribution unit coupled to said CPU core, wherein said clock generator and distribution unit is configured to provide a CPU clock signal to said CPU core, and wherein a frequency of said CPU clock signal is dependent upon a frequency of a timing signal; and
a clock control circuit coupled to said clock generator and distribution unit, wherein said clock control circuit includes;
a frequency control circuit configured to selectively vary a frequency of said timing signal depending upon a control signal;
a thermal sensor capable of providing a temperature signal indicative of a temperature associated with said microprocessor;
a primary temperature indicator unit coupled to said thermal sensor, wherein said primary temperature indicator unit is capable of asserting a primary indicator signal if said temperature signal exceeds a first predetermined threshold level;
an auxiliary temperature indicator unit coupled to said thermal sensor and capable of asserting an auxiliary indicator signal if said temperature signal exceeds a second predetermined threshold level; and
a clock management unit coupled to receive said primary indicator signal and said auxiliary indicator signal, and coupled to said frequency control circuit, wherein said clock management unit is configured to vary said control signal to thereby cause a change in the frequency of said timing signal in response to assertions of said primary indicator signal and said auxiliary indicator signal.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A clock control circuit is provided to control the frequency of a microprocessor clock signal and includes a clock management unit which controls the frequency of a timing signal applied to a clock generator and distribution unit, which correspondingly supplies an internal clock signal to a CPU core of the microprocessor. A thermal sensor is integrated with the semiconductor die which forms the microprocessor circuit. An output signal from the thermal sensor is provided to a primary temperature indicator unit and to an auxiliary temperature indicator unit. The primary temperature indicator unit is configured to assert a primary indicator signal when the temperature of the semiconductor die has increased above a first threshold level referred to as the primary threshold level, and the auxiliary temperature indicator unit is configured to assert an auxiliary indicator signal when the temperature of the semiconductor die exceeds yet a second threshold level referred to as the auxiliary threshold level. The primary and auxiliary threshold levels may be set by writing to a programmable registers unit. The primary and auxiliary temperature indicator unit are associated with hysteresis characteristics whereby, once either indicator signal has been asserted, it will not be deasserted until a hysteresis point is reached.
134 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A microprocessor comprising:
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a CPU core capable of executing a predetermined instruction set; a clock generator and distribution unit coupled to said CPU core, wherein said clock generator and distribution unit is configured to provide a CPU clock signal to said CPU core, and wherein a frequency of said CPU clock signal is dependent upon a frequency of a timing signal; and a clock control circuit coupled to said clock generator and distribution unit, wherein said clock control circuit includes; a frequency control circuit configured to selectively vary a frequency of said timing signal depending upon a control signal; a thermal sensor capable of providing a temperature signal indicative of a temperature associated with said microprocessor; a primary temperature indicator unit coupled to said thermal sensor, wherein said primary temperature indicator unit is capable of asserting a primary indicator signal if said temperature signal exceeds a first predetermined threshold level; an auxiliary temperature indicator unit coupled to said thermal sensor and capable of asserting an auxiliary indicator signal if said temperature signal exceeds a second predetermined threshold level; and a clock management unit coupled to receive said primary indicator signal and said auxiliary indicator signal, and coupled to said frequency control circuit, wherein said clock management unit is configured to vary said control signal to thereby cause a change in the frequency of said timing signal in response to assertions of said primary indicator signal and said auxiliary indicator signal. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A clock control circuit for providing a timing signal that controls an internal clock frequency of a microprocessor, said clock control circuit comprising:
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a frequency control circuit configured to selectively vary a frequency of said timing signal depending upon a control signal; a thermal sensor capable of providing a temperature signal indicative of a temperature associated with the said microprocessor; a primary temperature indicator unit coupled to said thermal sensor, wherein said primary temperature indicator unit is capable of asserting a primary indicator signal if said temperature signal exceeds a first predetermined threshold level; an auxiliary temperature indicator unit coupled to said thermal sensor and capable of asserting an auxiliary indicator signal if said temperature signal exceeds a second predetermined threshold level; and a clock management unit coupled to receive said primary indicator signal and said auxiliary indicator signal, and coupled to said frequency control circuit, wherein said clock management unit is configured to vary said control signal to thereby cause a change in the frequency of said timing signal in response to assertions of said primary indicator signal and said auxiliary indicator signal. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A method for controlling a frequency of an internal clock signal which drives a microprocessor comprising the steps of:
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generating a temperature signal indicative of a temperature associated with said microprocessor; comparing said temperature signal with a first predetermined threshold level; asserting a primary indicator signal if said temperature signal exceeds said first predetermined threshold level; comparing said temperature signal with a second predetermined threshold level; asserting an auxiliary indicator signal if said temperature signal exceeds said second predetermined threshold level; decreasing a frequency of said internal clock signal if said primary indicator signal is asserted; and increasing said frequency of said internal clock signal if neither said primary indicator signal nor said auxiliary indicator signal are asserted. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20)
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Specification