Patent · US Active

Voltage droop dynamic recovery

US7480810B2 · kind B2 · utility

9Cited by
6References
15Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateFeb 14, 2006
Grant dateJan 20, 2009
Priority date
Expiry dateNov 20, 2026

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG06F1/28
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

Method and systems for dynamically recovering from voltage droops are disclosed. In one embodiment, a microprocessor coupled to a plurality of voltage sensing circuits is provided. The microprocessor includes an instruction sequencing unit and pipeline including a first series of instructions. A central voltage droop detection processor may be coupled to each of the voltage sensing circuits and the microprocessor. Voltage droop is detected using a voltage sensing circuit, after which processing of the microprocessor is interrupted. The pipeline may then be cleared. Subsequently, a second series of instructions including the first series of instructions, and additional instructions are issued. The additional instructions may include stall instructions that cause a delay in processing of the first series of instructions, which prevents re-occurrence of the voltage droop. The interruption and re-issuing also signals the microprocessor that all the data in a particular instruction stream might not be valid and allows recovery.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.