Bus arbitration in low power system

• US 6,560,712 B1
• Filed: 11/16/1999
• Issued: 05/06/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Schwartz, Steven L., Moyer, William C., Arends, John H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chang, Eric
• Application Number:
  US09/440,857
• Time in Patent Office: 1,267 Days
• Field of Search: 713/320, 710/241, 710/309, 710/100, 710/107
• US Class Current: 713/320
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3253 Power saving in bus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/364 using independent requests or grants, e.g. using separated request and grant lines
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

Power is conserved in a data processing system that includes a processor core and system circuitry coupled to the processor core. A first method for conserving power includes entering a low power state by the processor and the system circuitry and enabling bus arbitration by the processor while the processor core remains in the low power state. One embodiment further contemplates a method of conserving power by granting bus access to a requesting device and entering a power conservation mode by the processor core in response thereto. Bus operations are then performed while the processor core remains in the power conservation mode. Another embodiment contemplates a method of debugging a data processing system in which a debug state is entered by the processor and the system circuitry and, thereafter, bus arbitration is enabled by the processor while the processor core remains in the debug state.

Claims

1. A method of conserving power in a data processing system, the data processing system including a processor and system circuitry coupled to the processor, the processor having a processor core and a processor clock controller coupled to the processor core, the method comprising:

entering a low power state by the processor and the system circuitry; and

enabling bus arbitration by the processor while the processor core remains in the low power state, wherein enabling comprises;

the processor clock controller providing a processor clock for a first duration during which a bus grant signal is provided to the bus requesting device; and

after the first duration, the processor clock controller holding the processor clock for a second duration during which the bus requesting device executes a bus operation.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein enabling bus arbitration is performed in response to receiving a request for bus access from a bus requesting device.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the system circuitry comprises the bus requesting device.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein in response to receiving the request for bus access, the system circuitry and processor core enter an arbitration state while remaining in the low power state.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the system circuitry comprises a system controller, and enabling bus arbitration comprises sending a first signal to the system controller.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

in response to the first signal, exiting the low power state by the system circuitry to enable bus operations of the bus requesting device.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

returning to the low power state by the system circuitry after completion of the bus operations, wherein returning to the low power state requires no software intervention.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

exiting the low power state by the system circuitry to enable bus operations of the bus requesting device while the processor core remains in the low power state.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

returning to the low power state by the system circuitry after completion of the bus operations.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein returning to the low power state by the system circuitry requires no software intervention.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the first duration is only as long as necessary for providing the bus grant signal.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein enabling bus arbitration further comprises sending a first signal to the system controller.

11. A method of conserving power in a data processing system, the data processing system including a processor core and system circuitry coupled to the processor core, the method comprising:

granting bus access to a requesting device;

entering a power conservation mode by the processor core responsive to granting the bus access; and

performing a bus operation while the processor core remains in the power conservation mode.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the data processing system is an integrated circuit microprocessor and the requesting device as coupled to the integrated circuit microprocessor.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein prior to granting bus access, the data processing system exits a normal operating state and enters an arbitration state.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein after performing a bus operation the data processing system exits the arbitration state and enters the normal operating state.

21. The method of claim 11, wherein the processor core receives a processor core clock and entering the power conservation mode by the processor comprises halting a processor core clock.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the system circuitry receives a system clock

15. A data processing system comprising:

a system clock controller coupled to provide a clock signal to a bus requesting device;

an arbitration unit; and

a processor clock controller coupled to the arbitration unit, the system clock controller, and a processor core, the processor clock controller enabling a processor clock to allow the arbitration unit to provide a bus grant to the bus requesting device and disabling the processor clock after providing the bus grant while the bus requesting device performs a bus operation.

16. The data processing system of claim 15, wherein the bus requesting device performs the bus operation without the processor core leaving one of a low power state or a debug state.

17. The data processing system of claim 16, further comprising a low power unit coupled to provide low power state signals to the system clock controller.

20. The data processing system of claim 15, wherein the processor core enters a low power state in response to providing the bus grant.