Systems and methods for maintaining performance at a reduced power

• US 7,811,917 B2
• Filed: 01/10/2008
• Issued: 10/12/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/20/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Texas Instruments, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Texas Instruments, Inc.
• Inventors: Marshall, Andrew
• Primary Examiner(s): Garber; Charles D
• Assistant Examiner(s): Stevenson; Andre′ C
• Application Number:
  US11/972,015
• Publication Number:
  US 20080114568A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,006 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 438/578
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 2029/5002 Characteristic
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 29/02 Detection or location of defective auxiliary circuits, e.g. defective refresh counters
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 29/021 in voltage or current generators
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 29/028 with adaption or trimming of parameters
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 5/147 Voltage reference generators, voltage or current regulators; Internally lowered supply levels; Compensation for voltage drops G11C5/141 takes precedence
• 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

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for maintaining performance of an integrated circuit at a reduced power. The systems and methods employ a performance monitor that generates a signal indicative of at least one performance characteristic of at least a portion of a critical path associated with the integrated circuit. The system further comprises a supply control that adjusts a supply voltage of the integrated circuit to maintain performance at a reduced power based on the signal. A temperature adjustment component can be provided to adjust the signal to compensate for temperature offsets associated with performance of the performance monitor relative to performance of the critical path over different operating temperatures. A performance measurement of the performance monitor can be determined based on the concurrent triggering of the performance monitor and the critical path.

Claims

1. A method for maintaining performance of an integrated circuit at a reduced power, the method comprising:

concurrently triggering a critical path of the integrated circuit and a performance monitor formed on the integrated circuit that generates a signal indicative of at least one performance characteristic of at least a portion of the critical path;

determining a performance measurement of the performance monitor, which models at least one characteristic of the critical path, based on the triggering;

adjusting the performance measurement to compensate for temperature offsets associated with performance of the performance monitor relative to performance of the critical path over different operating temperatures; and

adjusting a supply voltage of the integrated circuit based on the adjusted performance measurement to maintain performance of the integrated circuit at a reduced power.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining a performance measurement comprises determining a delay signal based on a time difference between a trigger signal and a pulse output of the performance monitor.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising comparing the adjusted performance measurement to a fixed reference signal that is indicative of a minimum supply voltage level to maintain a desired performance level of the critical path to determine a supply voltage setting.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising converting the fixed reference signal to a delay domain prior to comparing the adjusted performance measurement to a fixed reference signal.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the adjusting the performance measurement to compensate for temperature offsets comprises measuring an operating temperature of the integrated circuit and retrieving at least one temperature offset factor based on the measured operating temperature from a temperature offset table and adjusting the performance measurement employing the at least one temperature offset factor.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the performance monitor is a monostable multivibrator.