I/O receiver thermal correction scheme

• US 6,850,856 B1
• Filed: 11/18/2002
• Issued: 02/01/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Oracle America, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sun Microsystems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Gauthier, Claude R., Desai, Shaishav A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Barlow, John
• Assistant Examiner(s): Le, Toan M.
• Application Number:
  US10/299,674
• Time in Patent Office: 806 Days
• Field of Search: 702/99, 702/132, 702/130, 716/4, 716/6, 374/178, 703/25, 327/51
• US Class Current: 702/99
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/206 comprising thermal management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/32 Means for saving power

Abstract

A system and method of adjusting an I/O receiver includes providing an amplification control parameter to the I/O receiver. A temperature of the I/O receiver is monitored and the amplification control parameter to the I/O receiver is adjusted according to the temperature of the I/O receiver.

Claims

1. A method of adjusting an I/O receiver comprising:

providing an amplification control parameter to the I/O receiver;

monitoring a temperature of the I/O receiver;

producing an n-bit temperature correction signal that corresponds to the temperature of the I/O receiver; and

adjusting the amplification control parameter to the I/O receiver according to the n-bit temperature correction signal.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the amplification control parameter includes a bias voltage.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the bias voltage is provided by an adjustable bias voltage source.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein a temperature monitoring system monitors the temperature of the I/O receiver and adjusting the amplification control parameter to the I/O receiver according to the n-bit temperature correction signal includes:

determining a temperature correction signal.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein determining the temperature correction signal includes providing a look-up table that includes a first temperature and a second temperature and a first n-bit temperature correction signal that corresponds to the first temperature and a second n-bit temperature correction signal that corresponds to the second temperature.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein determining the n-bit temperature correction signal includes providing a look-up table that includes at least two temperatures and a corresponding n-bit temperature correction signal for each of the least two temperatures.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein if the temperature of the I/O receiver is a third temperature that is between the first temperature and the second temperature, and a third temperature correction signal corresponds to the third temperature, the third temperature correction signal being interpolated from the first temperature correction signal and the second temperature correction signal.

8. The method of claim 4, wherein

the n-bit temperature correction signal is output from the temperature monitoring system.

9. The method of claim 3, wherein adjusting the bias voltage to the I/O receiver according to the temperature of the I/O receiver includes converting the n-bit temperature correction signal in the adjustable bias source to an adjust voltage.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the adjust voltage is added to a constant voltage to produce an adjusted bias voltage.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the amplification control parameter includes a bias current.

12. An integrated circuit comprising:

a plurality of I/O receivers that are distributed about the integrated circuit, each one of the I/O receivers including a control input; and

a distributed temperature sensor system capable of monitoring a plurality of local temperatures that correspond to each of the plurality of I/O receivers and having an output coupled to the control input of the corresponding I/O receivers, wherein the distributed temperature sensor system is capable of outputting an n-bit temperature control input signal to the control input of each of the at least one corresponding I/O receivers.

13. The integrated circuit of claim 12, wherein the distributed temperature sensor system includes:

a processor having a control output signal that is coupled to the control input of each of the corresponding I/O receivers; and

a plurality of temperature sensors that each are co-located with at least one I/O receiver, the plurality of temperature sensors being coupled to the processor, wherein the control output signal corresponds to the local temperature of the corresponding I/O receiver.

14. The integrated circuit of claim 13, wherein the processor is external to the integrated circuit.

15. The integrated circuit of claim 12, wherein each of the plurality of I/O receivers includes:

an adjustable current source, each one of the adjustable current sources having a bias input; and

an adjustable bias source that has an output coupled to the corresponding bias input, each of the corresponding, adjustable bias sources having a bias control input coupled to the I/O receiver control input.

16. The integrated circuit of claim 15, wherein the bias input determines a current flow through the current source.

17. The integrated circuit of claim 16, wherein each of the corresponding, adjustable bias sources includes:

a constant voltage circuit; and

a voltage adjuster, an output of the constant voltage circuit and an output of the voltage adjuster being coupled to the adjustable bias source output.

18. The integrated circuit of claim 17, wherein constant voltage circuit includes a voltage divider.

19. The integrated circuit of claim 17, wherein the voltage adjuster includes a digital to analog converter.

20. The integrated circuit of claim 17, wherein the voltage adjuster is capable of receiving a n-bit temperature control input signal from the distributed temperature sensor system and outputting an adjusting voltage.

21. The integrated circuit of claim 20, wherein an adjustable bias source output voltage equals a sum of the output voltage of the constant voltage circuit and the adjusting voltage.

22. A microprocessor comprising:

a plurality of I/O receivers that are distributed about the microprocessor, each one of the IYO receivers including;

an adjustable current source, each one of the adjustable current sources having a bias input; and

a corresponding, adjustable bias source that has an output coupled to the corresponding bias input, each of the corresponding, adjustable bias sources having a control input; and

a distributed temperature sensor system capable of monitoring a plurality of local temperatures that correspond to each of the plurality of I/O receivers and having an output coupled to the control input of the corresponding adjustable bias sources, wherein the distributed temperature sensor system is capable of outputting an n-bit temperature control input signal to the control input of each of the at least one corresponding adjustable bias sources.