Voltage optimization circuit and managing voltage margins of an integrated circuit
First Claim
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1. A voltage margin controller located in a voltage domain and comprising:
- monitoring branches including circuit function indicators configured to indicate whether circuitry in said voltage domain could operate at corresponding candidate reduced voltage levels; and
a voltage margin adjuster coupled to said monitoring branches and configured to develop a voltage margin adjustment for a voltage regulator of said voltage domain based upon a comparison of an operating number of said circuit function indicators to a minimum passing threshold and a maximum passing threshold, wherein a value of said voltage margin adjustment is a total voltage drop of a lowest level passing branch of said monitoring branches that complies with said minimum and said maximum thresholds.
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Abstract
A voltage margin controller, an IC included the same and a method of controlling voltage margin for a voltage domain of an IC are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, the voltage margin controller includes: (1) monitoring branches including circuit function indicators configured to indicate whether circuitry in the voltage domain could operate at corresponding candidate reduced voltage levels and (2) a voltage margin adjuster coupled to the monitoring branches and configured to develop a voltage margin adjustment for a voltage regulator of the voltage domain based upon an operating number of the circuit function indicators.
6 Citations
15 Claims
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1. A voltage margin controller located in a voltage domain and comprising:
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monitoring branches including circuit function indicators configured to indicate whether circuitry in said voltage domain could operate at corresponding candidate reduced voltage levels; and a voltage margin adjuster coupled to said monitoring branches and configured to develop a voltage margin adjustment for a voltage regulator of said voltage domain based upon a comparison of an operating number of said circuit function indicators to a minimum passing threshold and a maximum passing threshold, wherein a value of said voltage margin adjustment is a total voltage drop of a lowest level passing branch of said monitoring branches that complies with said minimum and said maximum thresholds. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A method of controlling voltage margin for a voltage domain, comprising:
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employing multiple monitoring branches to determine whether circuitry in said voltage domain could operate at corresponding candidate reduced voltage levels, wherein said multiple monitoring branches include circuit function indicators; developing a voltage margin adjustment for a voltage regulator of said voltage domain based upon comparing an operating number of said circuit function indicators to a minimum and a maximum passing threshold when said operating number fails to comply with either said minimum or said maximum threshold, wherein said value of said voltage margin adjustment is a total voltage drop of a lowest level passing branch of said monitoring branches that complies with said minimum and maximum passing thresholds; and providing said voltage margin adjustment for use in configuring said voltage regulator. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 14)
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11. An integrated circuit having a voltage domain and comprising:
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circuitry configured to perform a function; and a voltage margin controller configured to increase an efficiency of said integrated circuit by reducing a voltage margin of an operating voltage for said circuitry, said voltage margin controller including; monitoring branches including circuit function indicators configured to indicate whether said circuitry could operate at corresponding candidate reduced voltage levels; and a voltage margin adjuster coupled to said monitoring branches and configured to develop a voltage margin adjustment for said operating voltage based upon a comparison of an operating number of said circuit function indicators to a minimum passing threshold and a maximum passing threshold, wherein a value of said voltage margin adjustment is a total voltage drop of a lowest level passing branch of said monitoring branches that complies with said minimum and said maximum thresholds. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 15)
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Specification