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Systems and methods for distributing an aging burden among processor cores

  • US 9,407,272 B2
  • Filed: 12/30/2011
  • Issued: 08/02/2016
  • Est. Priority Date: 08/17/2011
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. A system for distributing aging burden among a plurality of processor cores comprising:

  • a processor including the plurality of processor cores comprised of semiconductor material; and

    a Power Management Unit (PMU) coupled to the processor, wherein the PMU is configured to;

    track, using a plurality of different types of aging mechanisms, aging of the respective semiconductor material of the processor cores, wherein the aging mechanisms include detection of slowed frequency performance, threshold voltage variation, and substrate current level of the respective processor cores,monitor, based on the tracked plurality of different types of aging mechanisms, a difference in aging of the respective semiconductor material during respective lifetimes of the plurality of processor cores,determine whether the difference in aging between the respective semiconductor material of a first processor core of the plurality of processor cores and a second processor core of the plurality of processor cores has exceeded a predetermined threshold, andreassign, in response to determining that the difference in aging has exceeded the predetermined threshold, an instruction assigned to the first processor core of the plurality of processor cores to the second processor core of the plurality of processor cores for execution if the respective semiconductor material of the first processor core of the plurality of processor cores has aged more than the respective semiconductor material of the second processor core of the plurality of processor cores.

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