Adjusting voltage for a phase locked loop based on temperature

• US 7,493,229 B2
• Filed: 07/20/2007
• Issued: 02/17/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/20/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: GlobalFoundries, Inc.
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Qi, Jieming, Hailu, Eskinder, Boerstler, David W., Chadwick, Nathaniel R., Peterson, Kirk D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Feliciano; Eliseo Ramos
• Assistant Examiner(s): Baran; Mary C
• Application Number:
  US11/780,498
• Publication Number:
  US 20090024349A1
• Time in Patent Office: 578 Days
• Field of Search: 702 64- 65, 702/99, 702/104, 702/130, 702/132, 700/295, 700299-300, 374/1, 374100-101, 331/176, 331/66
• US Class Current: 702/132
• CPC Class Codes: H03L 1/022 by indirect stabilisation, i.e. by generating an electrical correction signal which is a function of the temperature H03L1/021 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H03L 1/026 by using a memory for digitally storing correction values H03L1/025 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H03L 7/0995 the oscillator comprising a ring oscillator

Abstract

A mechanism for utilizing a single set of one or more thermal sensors, e.g., thermal diodes, provided on the integrated circuit device, chip, etc., to control the operation of the integrated circuit device, associated cooling system, and high-frequency PLLs is provided. By utilizing a single set of thermal sensors to provide multiple functions, e.g., controlling the operation of the integrated circuit device, the cooling system, and the PLLs, silicon real-estate usage is reduced through combining circuitry functionality. Moreover, the integrated circuit device yield is improved by reducing circuitry complexity and increasing PLL robustness to temperature. Furthermore, the PLL circuitry operating range is improved by compensating for temperature.

Claims

1. A method for adjusting an operation of a phase locked loop (PLL) circuit based on a sensed temperature, comprising:

sensing an operational temperature of an integrated circuit device associated with the PLL circuit with one or more thermal sensors provided on the integrated circuit device, wherein the one or more thermal sensors are configured for use in controlling an operation of the integrated circuit device and an operation of the PLL circuit;

controlling an operation of the PLL circuit based on the operational temperature sensed by the one or more thermal sensors;

generating a compensation voltage input signal to a voltage controlled oscillator of the PLL circuit based on the operational temperature, wherein the compensation voltage input signal modifies a lock frequency range of the PLL circuit, wherein sensing an operational temperature of an integrated circuit device comprises;

generating at least one voltage using the one or more thermal sensors;

providing the at least one voltage to a thermal monitoring mechanism;

converting the at least one voltage to at least one digital value using the thermal monitoring mechanism; and

generating an operational temperature value of the integrated circuit device based on the at least one digital value, and wherein the one or more thermal sensors comprise a plurality of thermal sensors and the at least one voltage comprises a plurality of voltages, and wherein converting the plurality of voltages to at least one digital value comprises;

converting each voltage to a corresponding digital value;

generating an average digital value; and

generating the operational temperature of the integrated circuit device based on the average digital value.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

controlling an operation of the integrated circuit device based on the operational temperature sensed by the one or more thermal sensors, to thereby reduce the operational temperature of the integrated circuit device.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein controlling an operation of the integrated circuit device comprises at least one of controlling a workload of the integrated circuit device, placing the integrated circuit device in a power saving mode of operation, shutting down operation of the integrated circuit device, or controlling an operation of a cooling system associated with the integrated circuit device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein sensing an operational temperature of the integrated circuit device comprises:

retrieving calibration information for the integrated circuit device from a calibration information storage device of the integrated circuit device, the calibration information identifying temperature and voltage data for calibrating a thermal sensing monitoring mechanism;

determining a calibration curve based on the calibration information; and

comparing measured conditions of the integrated circuit device to the calibration curve to generate the operational temperature of the integrated circuit device.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the calibration information storage device is a bank of electrical fuses (eFuses) that store data for two temperature points, the data comprising a temperature and a corresponding voltage across a thermal sensor at the temperature.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the two temperature points comprise a first temperature point at a low operating temperature extreme of the integrated circuit device and a second temperature point at a high operating temperature extreme of the integrated circuit device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the thermal monitoring mechanism comprises at least one of a thermal monitoring system-on-a-chip or a service processor.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

outputting the operational temperature value to a service processor; and

generating the operational temperature value of the integrated circuit device using the service processor and calibration information retrieved by the service processor.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising controlling an operation of the integrated circuit device based on the operational temperature sensed by the one or more thermal sensors, to thereby reduce the operational temperature of the integrated circuit device, wherein controlling an operation of the integrated circuit device based on the operational temperature, comprises:

generating, in the thermal monitoring mechanism, a control signal for controlling an operation of the integrated circuit device based on the operational temperature; and

outputting the control signal to a device associated with the integrated circuit device to control operations of the integrated circuit device to reduce the operating temperature of the integrated circuit device.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein generating a compensation voltage input signal to the PLL circuit comprises:

receiving, in a slew rate limiter circuit, a voltage input directly from a thermal sensor;

generating an output of the slew rate limiter circuit that is input to a voltage regulator circuit; and

generating the compensation voltage input signal in the voltage regulator circuit which outputs the compensation voltage input signal to the voltage controlled oscillator of the PLL circuit.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of thermal sensors are provided on the integrated circuit device, the PLL circuit is provided on the integrated circuit device, and the thermal monitoring system is a system-on-a-chip separate and external to the integrated circuit device.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein a service processor, that is separate and external to the integrated circuit device, generates the operational temperature value of the integrated circuit device based on the at least one digital value.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the service processor receives the at least one digital value from the thermal monitoring system, and wherein the service processor controls a cooling system associated with the integrated circuit device.