Method and apparatus for selecting an optimal system bus clock in a highly scalable computer system

• US 6,026,231 A
• Filed: 12/24/1997
• Issued: 02/15/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Tymchenko, Viktor A.
• Primary Examiner(s): BUTLER, DENNIS
• Application Number:
  US08/998,147
• Time in Patent Office: 783 Days
• Field of Search: 395/556
• US Class Current: 713/501
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/08 Clock generators with changeable or programmable clock frequency

Abstract

An oscillator output selector and complementary control circuitry are provided to a computer system. The oscillator output selector is used to select a series of clock pulses for usage as system bus clock. The control circuitry controls the selection being made by the oscillator output selector, in accordance to control inputs received. In one embodiment, the control circuitry receives system bus clock frequency preferences from the CPU boards as control inputs, and in response, the control circuitry causes the oscillator output selector to select the series of clock pulses having a frequency that is equal to or slower than the slowest preferred frequency. In an alternate embodiment, the control circuitry receives CPU types from the CPU boards as control inputs, and in response, the control circuitry causes the oscillator output selector to select a series of clock pulses having a frequency that will allow maximum total CPU clock frequency utilization.

Claims

1. A central processing unit (CPU) circuit board comprising a CPU and first circuitry for outputting, at system reset time, control inputs to a system bus clock selection circuit operative to select an appropriate system bus clock from a plurality of available system bus clocks at the system reset time for a system bus, wherein the control inputs include the type of CPU, and wherein the system bus clock selection circuit and the system bus being coupled to each other and elements of a computer system within which the CPU circuit board is integrated.

2. The CPU circuit board as set forth in claim 1, wherein, the first circuitry outputs at system reset time system bus clock frequency preference information as control inputs.

3. The CPU circuit board as set forth in claim 1, wherein, the first circuitry outputs at system reset time CPU clock frequency information as control inputs.

4. The CPU circuit board as set forth in claim 3, wherein, the first circuitry implicitly outputs the CPU clock frequency information by outputting CPU type information having direct correspondence to a maximum CPU operating frequency and a companion base system bus operating frequency.

5. The CPU circuit board as set forth in claim 1, wherein the CPU circuit board further comprises second circuitry for simultaneously outputting CPU clock frequency to system bus clock frequency ratio information to one or more CPUs installed on the CPU circuit board.

6. A computer system motherboard comprising:

a plurality of oscillators operative to generate a plurality of series of clock pulses having different frequencies; and

an oscillator output selector coupled to the oscillators operative to select an appropriate one of the series of clock pulses to be used as a system bus clock of a system bus of a computer system within which the computer system motherboard is integrated, wherein the selection of the series of clock pulses is based, at least in part, on the type of central processing unit(s) (CPU) of the computer system.

7. The computer system motherboard as set forth in claim 6, wherein

the computer system motherboard further comprises control circuitry coupled to the oscillator output selector for controlling the selection being made by the oscillator output selector, the control being exercised in accordance to control inputs the control circuitry receives from CPU board(s) of the computer system.

8. The computer system motherboard as set forth in claim 7, wherein

the control circuitry receives preference information about system bus frequency from the CPU board(s) as control inputs;

and

the control circuitry causes the oscillator output selector to select a series of clock pulses having a frequency that is equal to or slower than the slowest preference received from the CPU board(s).

9. The computer system motherboard as set forth in claim 7, wherein

the control circuitry receives CPU frequency information from the CPU board(s) as control inputs;

and

the control circuitry causes the oscillator output selector to select a series of clock pulses having a frequency that will allow the computer system to maximize total CPU clock frequency utilization, as the system bus clock, in view of the CPU frequency information received.

10. The computer system motherboard as set forth in claim 9, wherein the control circuitry receives the CPU frequency information implicitly through CPU type information received from the CPU board(s), the CPU type information having direct correspondence to maximum CPU operating frequencies and their companion base system bus operating frequencies.

11. The computer system motherboard as set forth in claim 9, wherein the control circuitry comprises circuit elements for pre-storing selection control signals to be output to the oscillator output selector for various CPU frequency combinations.

12. The computer system motherboard as set forth in claim 9, wherein the control circuitry further outputs at the same time CPU clock frequency to system bus clock frequency ratio information to CPU(s) on board the CPU board(s).

13. The computer system motherboard as set forth in claim 12, wherein the control circuitry comprises circuit elements for pre-storing CPU clock frequency to system bus clock frequency ratio information to be output to the CPU(s) on board the CPU board(s) for various CPU frequency combinations.

14. An apparatus comprising:

first circuitry operative to output at system reset time first control inputs; and

second circuitry coupled to the first circuitry operative to receive the first control inputs, and operative to select an appropriate system bus clock from a plurality of available system bus clocks for a system bus in accordance to the received first control inputs, the system bus clock having a clock frequency based, at least in part, on the type of processor(s) of a system, as defined by the received first control inputs, the system bus being coupled to the second circuitry, and the system bus being an element of the system within which the processor(s) and the apparatus are integrated.

15. The apparatus as set forth in claim 14, wherein,

the first circuitry outputs at system reset time processor(s) type information as the first control inputs;

and

the second circuitry selects a series of clock pulses having a frequency that accommodates the slowest processor(s) populating the system as the system bus clock, as determined from the processor(s) type information.

16. The apparatus as set forth in claim 14, wherein,

the first circuitry outputs at system reset time processor type information as the first control inputs;

and

the second circuitry selects a series of clock pulses having a frequency that will allow the system to maximize total processor frequency utilization, as the system bus clock, in view of the first processor type information received.

17. The apparatus as set forth in claim 16, wherein, the first circuitry implicitly outputs the first processor clock frequency information by outputting first processor type information having direct correspondence to a first processor frequency and a first companion base system bus frequency.

18. The apparatus as set forth in claim 14, wherein, the second circuitry comprises:

an oscillator output selector operative to select an appropriate one of a plurality of a series of clock pulses having different frequencies output by oscillators of the system, as the system bus clock; and

control circuitry coupled to the first circuitry and the oscillator output selector for receiving the first control inputs output by the first circuitry, and operative to control the selection being made by the oscillator output selector based, at least in part, on the received first control inputs.

19. The apparatus as set forth in claim 18, wherein

the control circuitry receives first preference information about system bus frequency from the first circuitry as the first control inputs;

and

the control circuitry causes the oscillator output selector to select a series of clock pulses having a frequency that is equal to or slower than the slowest preference received from the first circuitry.

20. The apparatus as set forth in claim 18, wherein

the control circuitry receives first processor frequency information from the first circuitry as first control inputs;

and

the control circuitry causes the oscillator output selector to select a series of clock pulses having a frequency that will allow the system to maximize total processor frequency utilization, as the system bus clock, in view of the first processor frequency information received.

21. The apparatus as set forth in claim 20, wherein the control circuitry comprises circuit elements for pre-storing selection control signals to be output to the oscillator output selector for various processor frequency combinations.

22. The apparatus as set forth in claim 18, wherein the control circuitry further outputs at the same time processor clock frequency to system bus clock frequency ratio information to processor(s) of the system.

23. The apparatus as set forth in claim 22, wherein the control circuitry comprises circuit elements for pre-storing processor clock frequency to system bus clock frequency ratio information to be output to the processor(s) of the system for various processor frequency combinations.

24. The apparatus as set forth in claim 14, wherein the first circuitry further outputs at the same time processor clock frequency to system bus clock frequency ratio information to one or more processors of the system.

25. The apparatus as set forth in claim 14, wherein,

the apparatus further comprises third circuitry for outputting at system reset time second control inputs;

the second circuitry is further coupled to the third circuitry for receiving the second control inputs, and selecting the system bus clock for the system bus in accordance with the received first and second control inputs, the system bus clock having a clock frequency that is optimal for processor(s) of a system, as defined by the received first as well as the second control inputs.

26. A computer system comprising;

a first CPU board having a CPU and first circuitry for outputting at system reset time first control inputs including processor(s) type information; and

a computer system motherboard coupled to the first CPU board having a system bus and system bus clock selection circuitry for selecting a system bus clock for the system based, at least in part, on the first control inputs received, wherein the system bus clock selection is optimal for resident CPU(s), as determined from the processor(s) type information.

27. The computer system as set forth in claim 26, wherein the first circuitry outputs first system bus frequency preference information as the first control inputs.

28. The computer system as set forth in claim 27, wherein the first circuitry further outputs at the same time CPU clock frequency to system bus clock frequency ratio information to one or more CPUs disposed on the first CPU board.

29. The computer system as set forth in claim 26, wherein the first circuitry outputs CPU frequency information as the first control inputs.

30. The computer system as set forth in claim 29, wherein the second circuitry further outputs at the same time CPU clock frequency to system bus clock frequency ratio information to one or more CPUs disposed on the first CPU board.

31. The computer system as set forth in claim 26, wherein

the computer system further comprises a second CPU board having second circuitry for outputting at system reset time second control inputs;

and

the system bus clock selection circuitry further receives the second control inputs from the second CPU board and selects the system bus clock based at least in part, on the second inputs received.