System on chip, temperature measurement unit, related devices and methods

Abstract

This disclosure provides a system-on-a-chip (SoC), a temperature measurement unit, related devices, and methods. The SoC includes a temperature measurement unit comprising: a first ring oscillator that receives a first current and outputs a first electrical signal with a first frequency, the first current varying linearly with temperature; a second ring oscillator that receives a second current and outputs a second electrical signal with a second frequency, the second current varying linearly with temperature; and a frequency ratio module for acquiring the ratio of the first frequency to the second frequency, which is used as the output of the temperature measurement unit to characterize temperature information. This disclosure implements digital temperature measurement in an SoC, solving the SoC power supply voltage compatibility problem, reducing power consumption, and reducing chip area.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to the field of chips, and more specifically, to a system-on-a-chip, a temperature measurement unit, related devices and methods. Background Technology

[0002] Temperature measurement has wide applications in the chip industry. Currently, temperature measurement on chips mainly uses analog methods. This method has two drawbacks. First, a chip typically consists of analog and digital circuit sections. A chip usually requires temperature measurement in both the analog and digital circuit sections. When temperature measurement is performed in the digital circuit section, the component or circuit for analog temperature measurement is inserted. This component or circuit requires analog voltage as its power supply, while the digital circuit section only has digital power supply voltage, thus causing voltage incompatibility. Second, this analog measurement method produces an analog signal, which needs to be converted into a digital signal to supply the digital circuit section. This requires an analog-to-digital converter, resulting in relatively large power consumption and chip area.

[0003] Therefore, a new temperature measurement method is needed that can solve the chip power supply voltage compatibility problem, reduce power consumption, and reduce chip area. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In view of this, the present disclosure aims to propose a temperature measurement method to solve the chip power supply voltage compatibility problem, reduce power consumption, and reduce chip area.

[0005] To achieve this objective, according to one aspect of this disclosure, an on-chip system is provided, including a temperature measurement unit, the temperature measurement unit comprising:

[0006] A first ring oscillator receives a first current and outputs a first electrical signal with a first frequency, wherein the first current changes linearly with temperature.

[0007] The second ring oscillator receives a second current as input and outputs a second electrical signal with a second frequency, wherein the second current changes linearly with temperature.

[0008] The frequency ratio module is used to obtain the ratio of the first frequency to the second frequency, and use it as the output of the temperature measurement unit to characterize temperature information.

[0009] Optionally, the system-on-chip also includes a processing unit for processing the temperature information measured by the temperature measurement unit.

[0010] Optionally, the frequency ratio module includes:

[0011] A first frequency acquirer is used to acquire the first frequency;

[0012] A second frequency acquirer is used to acquire the second frequency;

[0013] A divider is used to divide the first frequency by the second frequency to obtain the output of the temperature measurement unit.

[0014] Optionally, the first frequency acquirer is an accumulator that counts the period of the first electrical signal per unit time; the second frequency acquirer is an accumulator that counts the period of the second electrical signal per unit time.

[0015] Optionally, the first temperature coefficient and the second temperature coefficient are less than a predetermined temperature coefficient threshold, wherein the first temperature coefficient is the slope of the linear change of the first current with temperature, and the second temperature coefficient is the slope of the linear change of the second current with temperature.

[0016] Optionally, the magnitudes of the first current and the second current are pre-adjusted until the sensor output curve changes with temperature as a straight line.

[0017] Optionally, the first ring oscillator and the second ring oscillator each include an odd number of first inverters and second inverters connected in series, and the slope of the sensor output line as a function of temperature is adjusted by at least one of the number, type and size of the first inverters or the second inverters.

[0018] Optionally, the first ring oscillator further includes a first current source, and the second ring oscillator further includes a second current source, wherein the first current and the second current are the bias currents of the first current source and the second current source, respectively.

[0019] Optionally, the first inverter or the second inverter includes a first P-type metal-oxide-semiconductor transistor and a first N-type metal-oxide-semiconductor transistor with common gate and common drain, wherein the source of the first N-type metal-oxide-semiconductor transistor is grounded.

[0020] Optionally, the first current source or the second current source respectively includes a second P-type metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOSFET) and a plurality of third P-type MOSFETs, the number of which is the same as the number of the first inverter or the second inverter. The bias current flows into the gate of the second P-type MOSFET and the drain of the plurality of third P-type MOSFETs. The source of the second P-type MOSFET and the plurality of third P-type MOSFETs is connected to the power supply of the digital circuit. The drain of the plurality of third P-type MOSFETs is connected to the source of the corresponding first P-type MOSFET.

[0021] According to one aspect of this disclosure, a temperature measuring unit is provided, comprising:

[0022] A first ring oscillator receives a first current and outputs a first electrical signal with a first frequency, wherein the first current changes linearly with temperature.

[0023] The second ring oscillator receives a second current as input and outputs a second electrical signal with a second frequency, wherein the second current changes linearly with temperature.

[0024] The frequency ratio module is used to obtain the ratio of the first frequency to the second frequency, and use it as the output of the temperature measurement unit to characterize temperature information.

[0025] According to one aspect of this disclosure, a server is provided, including a temperature measuring unit, the temperature measuring unit comprising:

[0026] A first ring oscillator receives a first current and outputs a first electrical signal with a first frequency, wherein the first current changes linearly with temperature.

[0027] The second ring oscillator receives a second current as input and outputs a second electrical signal with a second frequency, wherein the second current changes linearly with temperature.

[0028] The frequency ratio module is used to obtain the ratio of the first frequency to the second frequency, and use it as the output of the temperature measurement unit to characterize temperature information.

[0029] Optionally, the frequency ratio module includes:

[0030] A first frequency acquirer is used to acquire the first frequency;

[0031] A second frequency acquirer is used to acquire the second frequency;

[0032] A divider is used to divide the first frequency by the second frequency to obtain the output of the temperature measurement unit.

[0033] Optionally, the first temperature coefficient and the second temperature coefficient are less than a predetermined temperature coefficient threshold, wherein the first temperature coefficient is the slope of the linear change of the first current with temperature, and the second temperature coefficient is the slope of the linear change of the second current with temperature.

[0034] According to one aspect of this disclosure, a data center is provided, including a server as described above.

[0035] According to one aspect of this disclosure, an electronic device is provided, comprising the system-on-a-chip as described above.

[0036] According to one aspect of this disclosure, a temperature measurement method is provided, comprising:

[0037] A first current is input into a first ring oscillator to obtain a first electrical signal with a first frequency, wherein the first current changes linearly with temperature.

[0038] A second current is input into a second ring oscillator to obtain a second electrical signal with a second frequency, and the second current changes linearly with temperature.

[0039] The ratio of the first frequency to the second frequency is obtained and used as the temperature measurement output to characterize temperature information.

[0040] This disclosure utilizes the characteristic that the frequency of a ring oscillator's output signal is linearly related to temperature when other conditions remain constant, to sense temperature using a ring oscillator. The ring oscillator consists of multiple stages of inverters (NOT gates) connected in series. When the number of ring oscillator stages and the inverter size remain constant, the output signal of the ring oscillator is related not only to temperature but also to the power supply voltage. Therefore, using a ring oscillator to sense temperature is susceptible to the influence of the power supply voltage, and the influence of the power supply voltage is difficult to estimate. Consequently, no prior art has used ring oscillators as temperature sensors. This disclosure uses two ring oscillators instead of one, applies a current that varies linearly with temperature to both ring oscillators, and uses the ratio of the frequencies of the two ring oscillator output signals to represent the sensed temperature. The ratio of the frequencies of the two ring oscillator output signals eliminates the influence of voltage variations, showing only a linear relationship with temperature. This approach makes it practically possible to measure temperature using a ring oscillator. It allows for digital temperature measurement on-chip, avoiding incompatibility issues when analog methods are applied to the digital part of the on-chip system, and eliminates the need for an analog-to-digital converter, thus reducing power consumption and chip area. Attached Figure Description

[0041] The above and other objects, features, and advantages of this disclosure will become clearer from the following description of embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0042] Figure 1 This is an overall circuit structure diagram of a temperature measuring unit according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0043] Figure 2 This is a circuit diagram of a first ring oscillator according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0044] Figure 3 This is a circuit diagram of a second ring oscillator according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0045] Figure 4 This is a flowchart of a temperature measurement method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Detailed Implementation

[0046] The present disclosure is described below based on embodiments, but it is not limited to these embodiments. In the detailed description of the present disclosure below, certain specific details are described in detail. Those skilled in the art will fully understand the present disclosure even without these details. To avoid obscuring the substance of the present disclosure, well-known methods, processes, and procedures are not described in detail. Furthermore, the accompanying drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale.

[0047] The following terms are used in this document.

[0048] Ring oscillator: A ring circuit composed of an odd number of inverters (NOT gates). The circuit outputs two levels through oscillation. Taking three NOT gates as an example, assuming at a certain moment T0, the input of NOT gate A becomes high, then the output of NOT gate A (input of NOT gate B) becomes low after a delay time ΔT (T = T0 + ΔT). After T = T0 + 2ΔT, the output of NOT gate B (input of NOT gate C) becomes high again. After T = T0 + 3ΔT, the output of NOT gate C (i.e., the input of NOT gate A) changes from high to low, at which point the level of the input of NOT gate A is exactly the opposite of that at T0... and so on. After 6ΔT, the input of NOT gate A returns to high, completing one cycle of oscillation, and so on. With a fixed temperature and power supply voltage, the period of this oscillation or the frequency of the output signal depends on the number and size of the NOT gates. If the number and size of the NOT gates are fixed, the frequency of the output signal is linearly related to the temperature and also to the power supply voltage; therefore, this can be used to sense the temperature.

[0049] Temperature coefficient: When the current and temperature have a linear relationship, the slope of the current-temperature relationship curve is the temperature coefficient.

[0050] Inverter: A device that reverses the phase of an input signal by 180 degrees. This type of device can be used in analog circuits, such as audio amplifiers and clock oscillators, as well as in electronic circuit design.

[0051] Temperature measurement unit: A device or circuit that senses temperature; in this embodiment, it mainly refers to the temperature sensing portion on a system-on-a-chip (SoC) or chip. The SoC or chip typically contains a processing unit (CPU, etc.). The temperature measurement unit communicates with the processing unit, sending the measured temperature information to the processing unit, which then performs subsequent processing based on this temperature information.

[0052] System-on-a-Chip (SoC): A complete system integrated on a single chip, which packages all or part of the necessary electronic circuitry. A complete system generally includes a processing unit, memory, and peripheral circuitry (including the temperature measurement unit in the embodiments of this disclosure).

[0053] The temperature measurement method of this disclosure can be applied to a variety of scenarios.

[0054] One application scenario of this disclosure is Internet of Things (IoT) devices, such as intelligent robots or logistics servers in logistics and retail environments. For example, an intelligent robot responsible for sorting goods on a delivery line has a processing unit (CPU, etc.) installed inside for sorting. Many of these processes require ambient temperature, necessitating the inclusion of a temperature measurement unit according to this disclosure within the intelligent robot. Additionally, a logistics server controlling the flow of goods may also use temperature data during processing, requiring the integration of a temperature measurement unit according to this disclosure within the server.

[0055] Another application scenario of this disclosure is the data center. A data center is a globally collaborative network of specific devices used to transmit, accelerate, display, compute, and store data information on the internet network infrastructure. In the future, data centers will also become a competitive asset for enterprises. Data centers contain many servers. Each server is the processing and storage entity of the data center, and the processing and storage of large amounts of data in the data center are performed by these servers. Because each server in a data center handles a large amount of computation, servers often have a large number of blade processor groups. During these data processing and computation processes, some processes often involve temperature utilization. Therefore, it may be necessary to integrate the temperature measurement unit of this disclosure embodiment into these blade server groups to measure the temperature.

[0056] Furthermore, the temperature measurement unit in this embodiment can reside in a system-on-a-chip (SoC). An SoC is a complete system integrated on a single chip, typically including a processing unit (not shown), memory (not shown), and peripheral circuitry. Since an increasing number of processes in SoCs are temperature-related, many current SoCs (chips) include peripheral circuitry such as… Figure 1 The temperature measurement unit shown communicates with the processing unit and sends the measured temperature information to the processing unit, which then performs subsequent processing based on the temperature information.

[0057] Figure 1 This is an overall circuit diagram of a temperature measurement unit according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. It includes a first ring oscillator 110, a second ring oscillator 120, and a frequency ratio module 130.

[0058] The first ring oscillator 110 is input with a first current Ibias 1 that varies linearly with temperature, such as... Figure 2 As shown, its output is a first electrical signal with a first frequency. The second ring oscillator 120 receives a second current Ibias2 that varies linearly with temperature, as shown... Figure 3As shown, the output is a second electrical signal with a second frequency. The first ring oscillator 110 is formed by cascading an odd number of first inverters 111. The output of the last stage's first inverter 111 is connected back to the input of the first stage's first inverter 111, forming a loop, hence it is a ring oscillator. Similarly, the second ring oscillator 120 is formed by cascading an odd number of second inverters 121. The output of the last stage's second inverter 121 is connected back to the input of the first stage's second inverter 121, forming a loop.

[0059] The output of a ring oscillator is a periodic oscillation that produces two levels. Figure 1-3 Taking a ring oscillator with three inverters as an example, assuming at a certain moment T0, the input of the first inverter goes high, then the output of the first inverter (the input of the second inverter) goes low after an inverter delay time ΔT (T = T0 + ΔT). After T = T0 + 2ΔT, the output of the second inverter (the input of the third inverter) goes high again. After T = T0 + 3ΔT, the output of the third inverter (i.e., the input of the first inverter) changes from high to low. At this point, the input level of the first inverter is exactly the opposite of that at T0... and so on. After 6ΔT, the input of the first inverter returns to high, completing one cycle of oscillation, and so on. With a fixed temperature and power supply voltage, the oscillation period or the frequency of the output signal is related to the number and size of the inverters in the ring oscillator. For example, when the number of inverters in the ring oscillator increases from 3 to 5, the oscillation period changes from 6ΔT to 10ΔT, the period increases, and the frequency decreases. Furthermore, the size of the inverter determines the magnitude of ΔT, and thus also the frequency. If the number and size of the NOT gates are fixed, the frequency of the output signal is linearly related to the temperature and also to the power supply voltage. This embodiment of the present disclosure utilizes this property to sense the temperature.

[0060] Note that the first ring oscillator 110 can only be formed by cascading an odd number of first inverters 111, not an even number. If it is cascaded with an even number of first inverters 111, when the output of the last inverter is fed back to the first inverter as an input, it will be the same as the input of the first inverter at time T0, thus preventing oscillation. Similarly, the second ring oscillator 120 can only be formed by cascading an odd number of second inverters 121.

[0061] Because the output signal of a ring oscillator is related not only to temperature but also to the power supply voltage when the number and size of its inverters remain constant, using a ring oscillator to sense temperature is susceptible to the influence of the power supply voltage, and the impact of the power supply voltage is difficult to estimate. For this reason, no prior art has used ring oscillators as temperature sensors. This disclosure cleverly employs two ring oscillators instead of one, applying a first current and a second current that vary linearly with temperature to each oscillator, and using the ratio of the frequencies of the output signals from the two oscillators to represent the sensed temperature. Since the first and second currents vary linearly with temperature, the ratio of the output signal frequencies of the two oscillators eliminates the influence of voltage variation and is only linearly related to temperature. In this way, it provides a practical possibility for sensing temperature using a ring oscillator.

[0062] In this embodiment, the ratio of the output signal frequencies of the two ring oscillators is obtained through the frequency ratio module 130, that is, the ratio of the first frequency to the second frequency is obtained as... Figure 1 The output of the temperature measurement unit characterizes temperature information. Since a first current Ibias 1 and a second current Ibias 2, which vary with temperature, are respectively applied to the two ring oscillators, the influence of the power supply voltage is simultaneously eliminated from the numerator and denominator in this ratio, so that the ratio can reflect only the influence of temperature, thereby accurately measuring the temperature with this ratio.

[0063] In one embodiment, such as Figure 1 As shown, the frequency ratio module 130 includes: a first frequency acquirer 131 for acquiring the first frequency; a second frequency acquirer 132 for acquiring the second frequency; and a divider 133 for dividing the first frequency by the second frequency to obtain... Figure 1 The output of the temperature measurement unit. Figure 1 In this circuit, the first frequency acquisition unit 131 can be an accumulator that counts the periods of the first electrical signal within a unit time. The first electrical signal includes two periodically oscillating levels, such as a high level and a low level. The accumulator is initially set to 0. It can increment by 1 each time a high level begins. The value accumulated by the accumulator within a unit time is the first frequency. Similarly, the second frequency acquisition unit 132 can be an accumulator that counts the periods of the second electrical signal within a unit time. Figure 1 In this circuit, divider 133 can be implemented using a flip-flop. DFF is the trigger toggle input; when it changes, Q starts counting again, following the state change of D. Therefore, the output of Q can represent the cumulative number of times the first electrical signal at D has toggled in that cycle whenever the second electrical signal at OFF toggles. Thus, it represents the result of dividing the first frequency of the first electrical signal by the second frequency of the second electrical signal, which is equivalent to a divider.

[0064] The linear changes of the first and second currents with temperature should not be too large. Assuming the first temperature coefficient is the slope of the linear change of the first current with temperature, and the second temperature coefficient is the slope of the linear change of the second current with temperature, then the goal is to keep both the first and second temperature coefficients below a predetermined temperature coefficient threshold. This temperature coefficient threshold can be set in advance based on experience.

[0065] As described above, by using a current source with a sufficiently small temperature coefficient that linearly changes with temperature, the ratio of the first frequency of the first electrical signal to the second frequency of the second electrical signal can be made unaffected by the power supply voltage and only related to temperature. This ratio can then be used to represent temperature, achieving the effect of temperature measurement. However, the correlation between the frequency ratio and temperature is not necessarily a good linear correlation. In one embodiment, to achieve a good linear correlation between the frequency ratio and temperature, the magnitudes of the first current Ibias 1 and the second current Ibias 2 can be continuously adjusted until the output of the temperature measurement unit changes with temperature along a straight line, i.e., a linear correlation is achieved. That is, in a Cartesian coordinate system of the ratio f1 / f2 of the first frequency to the second frequency versus temperature, the curve of this ratio changing with temperature is a straight line. The slope of this straight line can be adjusted by at least one of the number, type, and size of the first inverter 111 or the second inverter 121. This slope adjustment method increases the flexibility of frequency ratio adjustment.

[0066] In this embodiment of the disclosure, calibration can be performed using either single-temperature-point calibration or multi-temperature-point calibration. In single-temperature-point calibration, the ratio f1 / f2 of the desired first frequency to the second frequency corresponding to a single temperature is known in advance. Figure 1 When the measured f1 / f2 differs from the expected f1 / f2, the magnitudes of the first current Ibias 1 and the second current Ibias 2 can be continuously adjusted until the measured f1 / f2 matches the expected f1 / f2. In multi-temperature point calibration, the ratio f1 / f2 of the expected first frequency to the second frequency corresponding to multiple temperatures is known in advance. For each temperature, if... Figure 1 The actual measured f1 / f2 is different from the expected f1 / f2 at that temperature. The magnitudes of the first current Ibias 1 and the second current Ibias 2 can be continuously adjusted to make the measured f1 / f2 the same as the expected f1 / f2.

[0067] like Figure 2 As shown, the first ring oscillator 110, in addition to each first inverter 111, also includes a first current source 200 that supplies power to each first inverter 111. The aforementioned first current Ibias 1 is the bias current of the first current source 200. That is, the first current Ibias 1 acts on each first inverter 111 through the first current source 200. Figure 3As shown, the second ring oscillator 120, in addition to each second inverter 121, also includes a second current source 300 that supplies power to each second inverter 121. The aforementioned second current Ibias 2 is the bias current of the second current source 300. That is, the second current Ibias 2 acts on each second inverter 121 through the second current source 300.

[0068] The specific structures of the first current source 200, the second current source 300, the first inverter 111, and the second inverter 121 are described in detail below.

[0069] like Figure 2 and 3 As shown, the first inverter 111 or the second inverter 121 includes a first P-type metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOSFET) 301 and a first N-type MOSFET 304, both with a common gate and common drain. The source of the first N-type MOSFET 304 is grounded. The source of the first P-type MOSFET 301 receives current from a first current source 200. In a cascaded series of first inverters 111 or second inverters 121, the common drain of the preceding inverter is connected to the common gate of the following inverter, and the common drain of the last inverter is connected back to the common gate of the first inverter. The common drain of the last inverter serves as the output terminal of the first inverter 111 or the second inverter 121. Note that... Figure 2 The structure of the first inverter 111 or the second inverter 121 shown in Figure 3 is merely an example implementation. Those skilled in the art can also conceive of other implementations of the first inverter 111 or the second inverter 121.

[0070] In addition, such as Figure 2 and 3 As shown, the first current source 200 or the second current source 300 respectively includes a second P-type metal oxide semiconductor transistor 302 and a plurality of third P-type metal oxide semiconductor transistors 303. Figure 2 Each first inverter 111 is connected to a third P-type metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOSFET) 303. Specifically, the source of the first P-type MOSFET 301 of the first inverter 111 is connected to the drain of the corresponding third P-type MOSFET 303. The gates of the second P-type MOSFET 302 and the plurality of third P-type MOSFETs 303, as well as the drain of the second P-type MOSFET 302, are connected together and connected to either the first current Ibias 1 or the second current Ibias 2. Furthermore, the sources of the second P-type MOSFET 302 and the plurality of third P-type MOSFETs 303 are connected together and connected to the power supply level dvdd of the digital circuit. Note that... Figure 2The example shown in diagram 3 is merely one embodiment of the first current source 200 or the second current source 300. Those skilled in the art can also conceive of other embodiments of the first current source 200 or the second current source 300.

[0071] Additionally, according to one embodiment of this disclosure, a server is provided, comprising, as follows: Figure 1 The temperature measurement unit 100 is shown. This server can be a server in an IoT scenario, such as a logistics server controlling the flow of goods. In a data center scenario, this server can also be a server in a blade server group that processes and stores data within the data center.

[0072] Additionally, according to one embodiment of this disclosure, a data center comprising the server described above is also proposed.

[0073] In addition, according to one embodiment of this disclosure, an electronic device is also provided, which is equipped with the system-on-a-chip or temperature measurement unit as described above. This electronic device can be a general-purpose terminal device, a dedicated device, a server, a cloud device, or a virtual machine that is partitioned off from a physical machine as an independent execution entity.

[0074] Additionally, according to one embodiment of this disclosure, such as Figure 4 As shown, a temperature measurement method is also provided, including:

[0075] Step 410: Input the first current into the first ring oscillator to obtain a first electrical signal with a first frequency, wherein the first current changes linearly with temperature;

[0076] Step 420: Input the second current into the second ring oscillator to obtain a second electrical signal with a second frequency, wherein the second current changes linearly with temperature;

[0077] Step 430: Obtain the ratio of the first frequency to the second frequency as a temperature measurement output to characterize temperature information.

[0078] The implementation details of this method are as described above. Figure 1-3 The device embodiments have been described in detail and can be referred to. Figure 1-3 The embodiments are as described above, so they will not be elaborated upon.

[0079] The disclosed commercial value

[0080] This disclosure implements digital temperature measurement in a system-on-a-chip (SoC). It introduces a temperature-varying bias current into a ring oscillator, and finely adjusts the accuracy of the temperature measurement unit by regulating the temperature coefficient of the bias current. Because it measures temperature digitally, the operating voltage is consistent with the digital circuitry of the SoC, resulting in low power consumption and a small chip area. This is advantageous for inserting multiple such temperature measurement units into larger chips or security chips. This disclosure reduces chip area by 20%-40% and power consumption to 60%-80% of the original, demonstrating promising market prospects.

[0081] It should be understood that the various embodiments in this specification are described in a progressive manner, and the same or similar parts between the various embodiments can be referred to each other. Each embodiment focuses on describing the differences from other embodiments.

[0082] It should be understood that the foregoing describes specific embodiments of this specification. Other embodiments are within the scope of the claims. In some cases, the actions or steps recited in the claims may be performed in a different order than that shown in the embodiments and may still achieve the desired result. Furthermore, the processes depicted in the drawings do not necessarily require the specific or sequential order shown to achieve the desired result. In some embodiments, multitasking and parallel processing are also possible or may be advantageous.

[0083] It should be understood that the use of a singular form to describe an element or to show only one element in the accompanying drawings does not imply that the number of such element is limited to one. Furthermore, modules or elements described or shown as separate herein may be combined into a single module or element, and modules or elements described or shown as single herein may be broken down into multiple modules or elements.

[0084] It should also be understood that the terminology and expressions used herein are for descriptive purposes only, and one or more embodiments described herein should not be limited to these terms and expressions. The use of these terms and expressions does not exclude any illustrative and descriptive equivalent features (or parts thereof), and it should be recognized that various modifications that may exist should also be included within the scope of the claims. Other modifications, variations, and substitutions may also exist. Accordingly, the claims should be considered to cover all such equivalents.

Claims

1. A system-on-a-chip, comprising a temperature measurement unit, the temperature measurement unit comprising: A first ring oscillator receives a first current and outputs a first electrical signal with a first frequency. The first current changes linearly with temperature. The first current is the bias current of a first current source. The first current source outputs a first current that changes linearly with temperature. The first temperature coefficient is less than a predetermined temperature coefficient threshold. The first temperature coefficient is the slope of the first current changing linearly with temperature. The second ring oscillator takes a second current as input and outputs a second electrical signal with a second frequency. The second current changes linearly with temperature. The second current is the bias current of the second current source. The second current source outputs a second current that changes linearly with temperature. The second temperature coefficient is less than a predetermined temperature coefficient threshold. The second temperature coefficient is the slope of the second current that changes linearly with temperature. The frequency ratio module is used to obtain the ratio of the first frequency to the second frequency, and use it as the output of the temperature measurement unit to characterize temperature information. The magnitudes of the first and second currents are pre-adjusted until the output of the temperature measurement unit changes with temperature in a straight line. The first or second current source includes a second P-type metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOSFET) and multiple third P-type MOSFETs, respectively. The number of third P-type MOSFETs is the same as the number of the first or second inverter. The first inverter is the inverter in the first ring oscillator, and the second inverter is the inverter in the second ring oscillator. The bias current flows into the gate of the second P-type MOSFET and the gate of the multiple third P-type MOSFETs, and into the drain of the second P-type MOSFET. The source of the second P-type MOSFET and the multiple third P-type MOSFETs is connected to the digital circuit power supply. The drain of the multiple third P-type MOSFETs is connected to the source of the corresponding first P-type MOSFET, which is the first P-type MOSFET in the first or second inverter.

2. The system-on-a-chip according to claim 1 further includes a processing unit for processing the temperature information measured by the temperature measurement unit.

3. The system on chip of claim 1, wherein, The frequency ratio module includes: A first frequency acquirer is used to acquire the first frequency; A second frequency acquirer is used to acquire the second frequency; A divider is used to divide the first frequency by the second frequency to obtain the output of the temperature measurement unit.

4. The system-on-a-chip according to claim 3, wherein, The first frequency acquisition unit is an accumulator that counts the period of the first electrical signal within a unit time; the second frequency acquisition unit is an accumulator that counts the period of the second electrical signal within a unit time.

5. The system-on-a-chip according to claim 1, wherein, The first ring oscillator and the second ring oscillator each contain an odd number of first inverters and second inverters connected in series, and the slope of the output line of the temperature measurement unit as a function of temperature is adjusted by at least one of the number, type and size of the first inverters or the second inverters.

6. The system-on-a-chip according to claim 5, wherein, The first inverter or the second inverter includes a first P-type metal-oxide-semiconductor transistor and a first N-type metal-oxide-semiconductor transistor with common gate and common drain, and the source of the first N-type metal-oxide-semiconductor transistor is grounded.

7. A temperature measuring unit, comprising: A first ring oscillator receives a first current and outputs a first electrical signal with a first frequency. The first current changes linearly with temperature. The first current is the bias current of a first current source. The first current source outputs a first current that changes linearly with temperature. The first temperature coefficient is less than a predetermined temperature coefficient threshold. The first temperature coefficient is the slope of the first current changing linearly with temperature. The second ring oscillator takes a second current as input and outputs a second electrical signal with a second frequency. The second current changes linearly with temperature. The second current is the bias current of the second current source. The second current source outputs a second current that changes linearly with temperature. The second temperature coefficient is less than a predetermined temperature coefficient threshold. The second temperature coefficient is the slope of the second current that changes linearly with temperature. The frequency ratio module is used to obtain the ratio of the first frequency to the second frequency, and use it as the output of the temperature measurement unit to characterize temperature information. The magnitudes of the first and second currents are pre-adjusted until the output of the temperature measurement unit changes with temperature in a straight line. The first or second current source includes a second P-type metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOSFET) and multiple third P-type MOSFETs, respectively. The number of third P-type MOSFETs is the same as the number of the first or second inverter. The first inverter is the inverter in the first ring oscillator, and the second inverter is the inverter in the second ring oscillator. The bias current flows into the gate of the second P-type MOSFET and the gate of the multiple third P-type MOSFETs, and into the drain of the second P-type MOSFET. The source of the second P-type MOSFET and the multiple third P-type MOSFETs is connected to the digital circuit power supply. The drain of the multiple third P-type MOSFETs is connected to the source of the corresponding first P-type MOSFET, which is the first P-type MOSFET in the first or second inverter.

8. A server, comprising a temperature measuring unit, the temperature measuring unit comprising: A first ring oscillator receives a first current and outputs a first electrical signal with a first frequency. The first current changes linearly with temperature. The first current is the bias current of a first current source. The first current source outputs a first current that changes linearly with temperature. The first temperature coefficient is less than a predetermined temperature coefficient threshold. The first temperature coefficient is the slope of the first current changing linearly with temperature. The second ring oscillator takes a second current as input and outputs a second electrical signal with a second frequency. The second current changes linearly with temperature. The second current is the bias current of the second current source. The second current source outputs a second current that changes linearly with temperature. The second temperature coefficient is less than a predetermined temperature coefficient threshold. The second temperature coefficient is the slope of the second current that changes linearly with temperature. The frequency ratio module is used to obtain the ratio of the first frequency to the second frequency, and use it as the output of the temperature measurement unit to characterize temperature information. The magnitudes of the first and second currents are pre-adjusted until the output of the temperature measurement unit changes with temperature in a straight line. The first or second current source includes a second P-type metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOSFET) and multiple third P-type MOSFETs, respectively. The number of third P-type MOSFETs is the same as the number of the first or second inverter. The first inverter is the inverter in the first ring oscillator, and the second inverter is the inverter in the second ring oscillator. The bias current flows into the gate of the second P-type MOSFET and the gate of the multiple third P-type MOSFETs, and into the drain of the second P-type MOSFET. The source of the second P-type MOSFET and the multiple third P-type MOSFETs is connected to the digital circuit power supply. The drain of the multiple third P-type MOSFETs is connected to the source of the corresponding first P-type MOSFET, which is the first P-type MOSFET in the first or second inverter.

9. The server according to claim 8, wherein, The frequency ratio module includes: A first frequency acquirer is used to acquire the first frequency; A second frequency acquirer is used to acquire the second frequency; A divider is used to divide the first frequency by the second frequency to obtain the output of the temperature measurement unit.

10. A data center comprising a server according to any one of claims 8-9.

11. An electronic device comprising a system-on-a-chip according to any one of claims 1-6.

12. A temperature measurement method, comprising: A first current is input into a first ring oscillator to obtain a first electrical signal with a first frequency. The first current changes linearly with temperature. The first current is the bias current of a first current source. The first current source outputs a first current that changes linearly with temperature. The first temperature coefficient is less than a predetermined temperature coefficient threshold. The first temperature coefficient is the slope of the first current changing linearly with temperature. A second current is input into a second ring oscillator to obtain a second electrical signal with a second frequency. The second current changes linearly with temperature. The second current is the bias current of the second current source. The output of the second current source changes linearly with temperature. The second temperature coefficient is less than a predetermined temperature coefficient threshold. The second temperature coefficient is the slope of the second current changing linearly with temperature. The ratio of the first frequency to the second frequency is obtained as the temperature measurement output to characterize temperature information; The magnitudes of the first and second currents are pre-adjusted until the temperature measurement output curve changes with temperature as a straight line. The first or second current source includes a second P-type metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOSFET) and multiple third P-type MOSFETs, respectively. The number of third P-type MOSFETs is the same as the number of the first or second inverter. The first inverter is the inverter in the first ring oscillator, and the second inverter is the inverter in the second ring oscillator. The bias current flows into the gate of the second P-type MOSFET and the gate of the multiple third P-type MOSFETs, and into the drain of the second P-type MOSFET. The source of the second P-type MOSFET and the multiple third P-type MOSFETs is connected to the digital circuit power supply. The drain of the multiple third P-type MOSFETs is connected to the source of the corresponding first P-type MOSFET, which is the first P-type MOSFET in the first or second inverter.

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