Maximal temperature logging

• US 7,756,668 B2
• Filed: 05/08/2008
• Issued: 07/13/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Johns, Charles Ray, Wang, Michael Fan
• Primary Examiner(s): Lau; Tung S
• Application Number:
  US12/117,028
• Publication Number:
  US 20080221826A1
• Time in Patent Office: 796 Days
• Field of Search: 702/130
• US Class Current: 702/130
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 3/005 Circuits arrangements for indicating a predetermined temperature fire detection G08B17/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 7/015 using microstructures, e.g. made of silicon
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/206 comprising thermal management

Abstract

A computer implemented method, data processing system, and processor are provided for logging a maximal temperature in an integrated circuit. A digital thermal sensor senses a temperature in the integrated circuit. The sensed temperature of the digital thermal sensor is read and a determination is made as to whether the sensed temperature is higher than a current maximal temperature. The sensed temperature is logged in response to the sensed temperature being higher than the current maximal temperature. The sensed temperature becomes a new maximal temperature for the integrated circuit.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for logging a maximal temperature in an integrated circuit, comprising:

sensing, by a digital thermal sensor, a temperature in the integrated circuit;

reading the sensed temperature of the digital thermal sensor;

determining if the sensed temperature is higher than a current maximal temperature for the integrated circuit that was previously sensed and logged in the integrated circuit as being the maximal temperature in the integrated circuit; and

in response to the sensed temperature being higher than the current maximal temperature, logging the sensed temperature within the integrated circuit, wherein the sensed temperature becomes a new maximal temperature that is maintained within the integrated circuit.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the reading and logging steps are performed by a thermal management control state machine residing within the integrated circuit and wherein the determining step is performed by a comparator residing within the integrated circuit.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

storing, by the state machine, the new maximal temperature in a maximum temperature status register;

determining, by the state machine, if a read of the new maximal temperature in the status register has occurred;

in response to the read of the status register;

(i) reading, by the state machine, the sensed temperature of the digital thermal sensor, wherein the sensed temperature is the current maximal temperature of the integrated circuit; and

(ii) replacing, by the state machine, the new maximal temperature in the status register with the current maximal temperature sensed by the digital thermal sensor.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

storing, by the state machine, the new maximal temperature in a maximum temperature status register;

determining, by the state machine, if the integrated circuit has been reset;

in response to the integrated circuit being reset;

(i) reading, by the state machine, the sensed temperature of the digital thermal sensor, wherein the sensed temperature is the current maximal temperature of the integrated circuit; and

(ii) replacing, by the state machine, the new maximal temperature in the status register with the current maximal temperature sensed by the digital thermal sensor.

5. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

in response to the sensed temperature being lower or equal to the current maximal temperature, maintaining, by the state machine, the current maximal temperature in a maximum temperature status register as the maximal temperature of the integrated circuit.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the integrated circuit is a heterogeneous multi-core processor.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the digital thermal sensor resides within one of the cores of the heterogeneous multi-core processor.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the digital thermal sensor resides within the heterogeneous multi-core processor, but not within a core.

9. The method of claim 2, wherein a device coupled to the integrated circuit performs a read of the new maximal temperature in the status register.

10. The method of claim 2, wherein a device coupled to the integrated circuit performs a reset of the new maximal temperature in the status register.

11. A data processing system comprising:

a bus;

a memory coupled to the bus, wherein the memory includes a set of instructions; and

a integrated circuit coupled to the bus, wherein the integrated circuit executes the set of instructions to sense, using a digital thermal sensor, a temperature in the integrated circuit;

read, using a thermal management control state machine, the sensed temperature of the digital thermal sensor;

determine, using a comparator, if the sensed temperature is higher than a current maximal temperature; and

log, using the state machine, the sensed temperature within the integrated circuit in response to the sensed temperature being higher than the current maximal temperature, wherein the sensed temperature becomes a new maximal temperature that is maintained within the integrated circuit.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the integrated circuit executes the set of instructions to store, using the state machine, the new maximal temperature in a maximum temperature status register;

determine, using the state machine, if a read of the new maximal temperature in the status register has occurred;

in response to the read of the status register;

(i) read, using the state machine, the sensed temperature of the digital thermal sensor, wherein the sensed temperature is the current maximal temperature of the integrated circuit; and

(ii) replace, using the state machine, the new maximal temperature in the status register with the current maximal temperature sensed by the digital thermal sensor.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the integrated circuit executes the set of instructions to store, using the state machine, the new maximal temperature in a maximum temperature status register;

determine, using the state machine, if the integrated circuit has been reset;

in response to the integrated circuit being reset;

(P read, using the state machine, the sensed temperature of the digital thermal sensor, wherein the sensed temperature is the current maximal temperature of the integrated circuit; and

(ii) replace, using the state machine, the new maximal temperature in the status register with the current maximal temperature sensed by the digital thermal sensor.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the integrated circuit executes the set of instructions to maintain, using the state machine, the current maximal temperature in a maximum temperature status register as the maximal temperature of the integrated circuit in response to the sensed temperature being lower or equal to the current maximal temperature.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the integrated circuit is a heterogeneous multi-core processor.

16. A processor integrated circuit, comprising:

at least one processing core;

a thermal management control state machine;

a comparator; and

a digital thermal sensor, wherein the processor integrated circuit executes a set of instructions to sense, using the digital thermal sensor, a temperature in the processor integrated circuit;

read, using the state machine, the sensed temperature of the digital thermal sensor;

determine, using the comparator, if the sensed temperature is higher than a current maximal temperature; and

log, using the state machine, the sensed temperature within the processor integrated circuit in response to the sensed temperature being higher than the current maximal temperature, wherein the sensed temperature becomes a new maximal temperature that is maintained within the processor integrated circuit.

17. The processor integrated circuit of claim 16, wherein the processor integrated circuit executes the set of instructions to store, using the state machine, the new maximal temperature in a maximum temperature status register;

determine, using the state machine, if a read of the new maximal temperature in the status register has occurred;

in response to the read of the status register;

(i) read, using the state machine, the sensed temperature of the digital thermal sensor, wherein the sensed temperature is the current maximal temperature of the processor integrated circuit; and

(ii) replace, using the state machine, the new maximal temperature in the status register with the current maximal temperature sensed by the digital thermal sensor.

18. The processor integrated circuit of claim 16, wherein the processor integrated circuit executes the set of instructions to store, using the state machine, the new maximal temperature in a maximum temperature status register;

determine, using the state machine, if the processor integrated circuit has been reset;

in response to the processor integrated circuit being reset;

(i) read, using the state machine, the sensed temperature of the digital thermal sensor, wherein the sensed temperature is the current maximal temperature of the processor integrated circuit; and

(ii) replace, using the state machine, the new maximal temperature in the status register with the current maximal temperature sensed by the digital thermal sensor.

19. The processor integrated circuit of claim 16, wherein the processor integrated circuit executes the set of instructions to maintain, using the state machine, the current maximal temperature in a maximum temperature status register as the maximal temperature of the processor integrated circuit in response to the sensed temperature being lower or equal to the current maximal temperature.

20. The processor integrated circuit of claim 16, wherein the processor integrated circuit is a heterogeneous multi-core processor.