System on chip, devices having the same, and method for power control of the SOC

• US 8,726,047 B2
• Filed: 05/09/2011
• Issued: 05/13/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Lee, Jae Gon, Cho, Jang Ho, Park, Bong Il, Kim, Kwang Ho, Shin, Taek Kyun, Kim, Dong Keun, Lee, Jae Young, Lee, Yung Hei
• Primary Examiner(s): Suryawanshi, Suresh
• Application Number:
  US13/103,535
• Publication Number:
  US 20110276812A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,100 Days
• Field of Search: 713/300
• US Class Current: 713/300
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/26 Power supply means, e.g. regulation thereof for memories G11C
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3287 by switching off individual functional units in the computer system
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/50 in wire-line communication networks, e.g. low power modes or reduced link rate

Abstract

Disclosed is an integrated circuit device including a plurality of power domain blocks, which includes a core power domain block. A power control circuit is configured to control power supplied to each of the plurality of power domain blocks independently responsive to control communication from the core power domain block. The power control circuit includes a plurality of power clusters corresponding to the plurality of power domain blocks, respectively. The plurality of power clusters control power supplied to the plurality of power domain blocks, respectively, independently responsive to the control communication from the core power domain block.

Claims

1. An integrated circuit device, comprising:

a plurality of power domain blocks, comprising a core power domain block; and

a power control circuit that is configured to control power supplied to each of the plurality of power domain blocks independently responsive to control communication from the core power domain block, the power control circuit comprising a plurality of power clusters corresponding to the plurality of power domain blocks, respectively;

wherein the plurality of power clusters control power supplied to the plurality of power domain blocks, respectively, independently responsive to the control communication from the core power domain block; and

wherein at least two of the power clusters control one of power on/off, clock on/off, data retention and isolation of the corresponding power domain block respectively.

2. The integrated circuit device of claim 1, wherein the power control circuit further comprises a central cluster that is configured to control an operating order of the plurality of power clusters responsive to the control communication from the core power domain block.

3. The integrated circuit device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of power clusters are configured to interrupt power supplied to the plurality of power domain blocks and to resume the power supplied to the plurality of power domain blocks, respectively, responsive to the control communication from the core power domain block.

4. The integrated circuit device of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of power domain blocks comprises an isolation circuit configured to electrically isolate the respective power domain block.

5. The integrated circuit device of claim 2, wherein the central cluster is configured to control at least two of the plurality of power clusters simultaneously and remaining ones of the plurality of power clusters sequentially.

6. The integrated circuit device of claim 2, wherein one of the plurality of power clusters is configured to receive a first control signal from the core power domain block and a second control signal from the central cluster, and is further configured to send a response signal to the central cluster responsive to receiving the second control signal and to otherwise ignore the second control signal.

7. The integrated circuit device of claim 2, wherein the central cluster is configured to send a first control signal to a first one of the plurality of power clusters and a second control signal to a second one of the plurality of power clusters before a response is received from the first one of the plurality of power clusters.

8. The integrated circuit device of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of power domain blocks corresponds to an input/output interface that is configured for external communication.

9. The integrated circuit device of claim 1, further comprising a system bus that is configured to provide a communication channel between the plurality of power domain blocks and the power control circuit;

wherein one of the plurality of power clusters is configured to control power supplied to the system bus.

10. The integrated circuit device of claim 1, wherein the power control circuit comprises a plurality of clock clusters that are configured to independently control a plurality of clock signals supplied to the plurality of power domain blocks, respectively, responsive to the control communication from the core power domain block;

wherein the power control circuit further comprises a central cluster that is configured to control an operating order of the plurality of clock clusters responsive to the control communication from the core power domain block.

16. The System on Chip (SoC) of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of isolation circuits each connected between the plurality of power domains,

wherein each of the plurality of isolation circuits is connected or isolated according to the register values stored in each of the plurality of finite state machines.

11. A System on Chip (SoC) comprising:

a plurality of power domains each including a plurality of intellectual properties (IPs);

a power control unit including a plurality of finite state machines each controlling a power state and an operation state of each of the plurality of power domains independently according to register values set in a register embodied therein; and

a central sequencer determining an activation sequence or whether to activate each of the plurality of finite state machines according to at least one central configuration register value set in a central configuration register included therein;

wherein each of the plurality of finite state machines comprises;

a plurality of sub-finite state machines each controlling the power state and the operation state independently; and

a main state machine determining an activation sequence or whether to activate each of the plurality of sub-finite state machines according to the register values set therein.

12. The System on Chip (SoC) of claim 11, wherein each of the plurality of finite state machines comprises a plurality of states,

wherein an activation sequence or whether to activate each of the plurality of states is determined according to the register values.

13. The System on Chip (SoC) of claim 11, further comprising a central processing unit (CPU) monitoring each operation of the IPs included in each of the plurality of power domains and generating the register values for a power domain to be controlled among the plurality of power domains according to a monitoring result.

14. The System on Chip (SoC) of claim 11, wherein each final state of the plurality of power domains controlled independently by the central sequencer is the same.

15. The System on Chip (SoC) of claim 11, wherein each of the plurality of finite state machines controls the power state defined as a power-up state, a power-down state, a power-up sequence or a power-down sequence by power domain and controls the operation state by IP.

17. The System on Chip (SoC) of claim 11, wherein each of the plurality of finite state machines comprises:

a first sub-finite state machine for determining the power state; and

a second sub-finite state machine for determining the operation state,

wherein each of the plurality of power domains comprises;

a power line supplying a corresponding power signal among a plurality of power signals output from a power supply circuit;

a common power line which a plurality of IPs included therein are connected to;

a plurality of first switches each connected between the power line and the common power line and switched according to a control of the first sub-finite state machine; and

a plurality of second switches for supplying each of a plurality of clock signals output from a clock control unit to each of the plurality of IPs included therein,

wherein whether each of the plurality of first switches is switched is determined according to first switch register values stored in the first sub-finite state machine,

wherein whether each of the plurality of second switches is switched is determined according to second switch register values stored in the second sub-finite state machine.

18. The System on Chip (SoC) of claim 17, wherein each of the plurality of finite state machines further comprises a third sub-finite state machine for determining the operation state,

wherein each of the plurality of power domains comprises a first data storage device and a second data storage device embodied in each of the plurality of IPs included therein,

wherein data stored in the first data storage device is retained in the second data storage device according to a retention control signal generated by a retention register value included in the third sub-finite state machine.

19. The System on Chip (SoC) of claim 18, wherein each of the plurality of finite state machines further comprises a fourth sub-finite state machine for determining the operation state,

wherein each of the plurality of power domains comprises a plurality of interfaces embodied in each of the plurality of IPs included therein,

wherein whether each of the plurality of interfaces is activated or not is determined according to control register values stored in the fourth sub-finite state machine.

20. The System on Chip (SoC) of claim 11, wherein one of the plurality of power domains comprises:

a CPU including a first core and a second core,

wherein a finite state machine controlling the one of the plurality of power domains among the plurality of finite state machines comprises;

a first sub-finite state machine controlling the power state of the first core and whether to reset the first core; and

a second sub-finite state machine controlling the power state of the second core and whether to reset the second core.

21. A System on Chip (SoC) comprising:

a plurality of power domains each including a plurality of intellectual properties (IPs);

a power control unit each including a plurality of finite state machines controlling a power state and an operation state of each of the plurality of power domains independently according to register values set in a register embodied therein;

a central sequencer determining an activation sequence or whether to activate each of the plurality of finite state machines according to at least one central configuration register value set in a central configuration register included therein; and

a reset sequencer controlling each reset operation of a plurality of finite state machines performing a reset function among the plurality of finite state machines.

22. A System on Chip (SoC) comprising:

a plurality of power domains each including a plurality of intellectual properties (IPs); and

a power control unit including a plurality of finite state machines (FSMs) embodied hierarchically,

wherein an activation sequence or whether to activate each of children FSMs among the plurality of FSMs is determined according to first register values set in a parent FSM where each of the children FSMs belongs;

wherein an activation sequence or whether to activate each of grandchildren FSMs belonging to each of the children FSMs is determined according to second register values set in each of the children FSMs,

wherein each of the grandchild FSMs controls independently a power state and an operation state of each of the plurality of IPs included in each of the plurality of power domains; and

wherein at least two of the finite state machines embodied hierarchically in the power control unit controls one of power on/off, clock on/off, data retention, and isolation of one of the plurality of power domains respectively.

23. The System on Chip (SoC) of claim 22, wherein the grandchildren FSMs comprises:

a first FSM controlling the power state defined as a power-up state, a power-down state, a power-up sequence or a power-down sequence by power domain; and

a second FSM controlling the operation state defined according to whether to supply a clock signal by IP.