Architecture for controlling dissipated power in a system-on-chip and related system

• US 7,178,044 B2
• Filed: 05/16/2003
• Issued: 02/13/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/17/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Eridanus Technologies, Inc. (Wi-LAN Inc.)
• Original Assignee: STMicroelectronics SA (STMicroelectronics NV), STMicroelectronics SRL (STMicroelectronics NV)
• Inventors: Pappalardo, Francesco, Mantellassi, Luigi
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Thomas C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): TRAN, VINCENT HUY
• Application Number:
  US10/440,044
• Publication Number:
  US 20040019814A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,369 Days
• Field of Search: 713/300, 713/320, 713/321, 713/323
• US Class Current: 713/300
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3237 by disabling clock generation or distribution
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/324 by lowering clock frequency
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3243 Power saving in microcontroller unit
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3287 by switching off individual functional units in the computer system
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/30101 Special purpose registers
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/34 Arrangements for cooling, heating, ventilating or temperature compensation ; Temperature sensing arrangements thermal treatment apparatus H01L21/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00 Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/0002 Not covered by any one of groups H01L24/00, H01L24/00 and H01L2224/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

A system-on-chip (SoC) architecture includes a plurality of blocks, each including a power control module to selectively control the power dissipated by the bloc. For each block, a power register is provided to receive power control instructions to selectively control the respective power control module. The system also includes a power control unit for writing respective power control instructions into the power control registers of the blocks, whereby the power dissipated is controlled individually and independently for each block under the centralized control of the power control unit. For each block, a power status register is also provided to receive status information concerning power control within the respective block. The power control unit reads the status instructions from such power status registers.

Claims

1. A system-on-chip (SoC) comprising:

a plurality of blocks, each block including a power control module to selectively control the power dissipated by the block, and a respective power control register to receive power control instructions to selectively control the power control module; and

at least one power control unit for writing respective power control instructions into the power control registers of the plurality of blocks, so that the power dissipated by the blocks is controlled individually and independently for each of said plurality of blocks under the centralized control of the at least one power control unit;

each block further comprising a power status register to receive status information concerning power control within the respective block, and wherein said at least one power control unit reads the status information from the power status registers of the plurality of blocks;

the at least one power control unit defining a master block of the plurality of blocks for reading the status information from said power status registers of the plurality of blocks.

2. The SoC of claim 1, wherein said at least one power control unit is a separate block.

3. The SoC of claim 1, wherein the at least one power control unit defines a master block of the plurality of blocks for writing respective power control instructions into the power control registers.

4. The SoC of claim 1, further comprising a main bus to exchange information between the plurality of blocks, and wherein the power control instructions are distributed from said at least one power control unit to the power control registers of the plurality of blocks over said main bus.

5. The SoC of claim 1, further comprising a main bus to exchange information between the plurality of blocks, and wherein statue information is sent from the power status registers of the plurality of blocks towards said at least one power control unit over said main bus.

6. The SoC of claim 1, further comprising a dedicated bus for distributing the power control instructions from said at least one power control unit towards the power control registers of the plurality of blocks.

7. The SoC of claim 1, further comprising a dedicated bus for distributing the power control instructions from said at least one power control unit towards the power control registers of the plurality of blocks, and wherein the status information is sent from the power status registers of the plurality of blocks towards said at least one power control unit over said dedicated bus.

8. A system-on-chip (SoC) comprising:

a plurality of blocks, each block including a power control module to selectively control power dissipation of the block, and a respective power control register for locally controlling the power control module; and

at least one power control unit for centrally controlling the power control modules by sending respective power control signals to the power control registers;

each block further comprising a power status register to receive status information concerning power control within the respective block, and wherein said at least one power control unit reads the status information from the power status registers of the plurality of blocks;

the at least one power control unit defining a master block of the plurality of blocks for reading the status information from said power status registers of the plurality of blocks.

9. The SoC of claim 8, wherein the at least one power control unit defines a master block of the plurality of blocks for sending respective power control signals to the power control registers.

10. The SoC of claim 8, further comprising a main bus to exchange information between the plurality of blocks, and wherein power control signals are sent from said at least one power control unit to the power control registers over said main bus.

11. The SoC of claim 8, further comprising a main bus to exchange information between the plurality of blocks, and wherein status information is sent from the power status registers towards said at least one power control unit over said main bus.

12. The SoC of claim 8, further comprising a dedicated bus for distributing the power control signals from said at least one power control unit towards the power control registers.

13. The SoC of claim 8, further comprising a dedicated bus for distributing the power control signals from said at least one power control unit towards the power control registers, and wherein status information is sent from the power status registers of the plurality of blocks towards said at least one power control unit over said dedicated bus.

14. A method of operating a system-on-chip (SoC) including a plurality of blocks, the method comprising:

selectively controlling power dissipation of each block by providing each block with a power control module;

locally controlling the power control module with a respective power control register;

centrally controlling the power control modules with at least one power control unit sending respective power control signals to the power control registers;

generating and storing status information concerning power control within the respective block in a power status register; and

reading the status information from the power status registers with the at least one power control unit;

the at least one power control unit defining a master block of the plurality of blocks for reading the status information from the power status registers of the plurality of blocks.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the at least one power control unit defines a master block of the plurality of blocks for sending respective power control signals to the power control registers.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising exchanging information between the plurality of blocks via a main bus, and wherein power control signals are sent from the at least one power control unit to the power control registers over the main bus.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising exchanging information between the plurality of blocks via a main bus, and wherein status information is sent from the power status registers towards said at least one power control unit over said main bus.

18. The method of claim 14, further comprising distributing the power control signals from said at least one power control unit towards the power control registers over a dedicated bus.

19. The method of claim 14, further comprising distributing the power control signals from said at least one power control unit towards the power control registers over a dedicated bus, and wherein status information is sent from the power status registers of the plurality of blocks towards the at least one power control unit over the dedicated bus.