Area-efficient performance monitors for adaptive voltage scaling
US9915696B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jul 6, 2015 |
| Grant date | Mar 13, 2018 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Mar 1, 2036 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01R31/31725
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
Techniques for adaptively scaling power supply voltage of a programmable integrated circuit. Compact speed-testing ring oscillators are inserted into a pre-constructed circuit model to test the speed of speed-critical aspects of the interconnect fabric of the programmable integrated circuit. The speed-testing ring oscillators are compact due to including only two elements configured from lookup table elements (“LUTs”) of the programmable integrated circuit. The speed-testing ring oscillators are connected to a power management unit which receives speed values output from the speed-testing ring oscillators and adjusts the power supply voltage to maintain the speed-testing ring oscillators operating at or above a prescribed speed. If all speed-testing ring oscillators are operating too fast, then power management unit reduces voltage to reduce the total power consumed by the programmable integrated circuit while still maintaining operation above a desired speed.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.