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Performance-temperature optimization by cooperatively varying the voltage and frequency of a circuit

  • US 6,047,248 A
  • Filed: 10/19/1998
  • Issued: 04/04/2000
  • Est. Priority Date: 04/29/1996
  • Status: Expired due to Term
First Claim
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1. A method of using thermal feedback to cooperatively vary a voltage and a frequency applied to a synchronous circuit to control heating while maintaining synchronization, said method comprising the steps of:

  • characterizing said circuit over a range of voltages and corresponding clock frequencies, and generating one or more voltage-frequency pairs capable of satisfying worst case propagation delays for critical timing paths in said circuit;

    generating a temperature signal which is a function of a temperature associated with the circuit;

    comparing the temperature signal with a predetermined temperature threshold signal; and

    cooperatively varying the voltage and the frequency of the circuit to a predetermined voltage-frequency pair, responsive to said step of comparing, whereby the voltage-frequency pair is selected according to said characterization of said critical timing paths.

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