Monitoring circuit and method, chip and electronic equipment

Abstract

The invention discloses a monitoring circuit and method, a chip and electronic equipment, and the circuit comprises a first delay chain which is used for transmitting a first pulse to obtain first propagation data, and the first propagation data is characterized in that the first pulse passes through m first delay units and does not pass through (m + 1) first delay units on the first delay chain in a monitoring time length; the second delay chain is used for transmitting a second pulse; the third delay chain is used for transmitting a third pulse, the difference value between the delay value of the second delay unit on the second delay chain and the delay value of the third delay unit on the third delay chain is smaller than the delay value of the first delay unit on the first delay chain, and the third pulse is the same pulse signal; and the controller is used for controlling the second delay chain and the third delay chain to start to propagate the pulse signals at different moments, acquiring second propagation data when the propagation of the pulse signals on the second delay chain and the third delay chain meets a target condition, and determining a delay parameter of the first delay chain based on the first propagation data and the second propagation data.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the field of power supply control, in particular to a monitoring circuit, method, chip and electronic device. BACKGROUND

[0002] In the AVS (adaptive voltage scaling) power supply scheme of large central processing unit (CPU) or other high-power chips, a HPM (Hardware Performance Monitor) unit is needed to collect performance, and the performance collected by the HPM is represented by the transmission delay of a delay cell. The minimum delay time limit of a single delay cell will limit the accuracy of the collection. SUMMARY

[0003] Therefore, the present application provides a monitoring circuit, method, chip and electronic device, and the specific solutions are as follows:

[0004] A monitoring circuit comprises:

[0005] a first delay chain comprising a plurality of first delay units connected in series, configured to transmit a first pulse to obtain first propagation data, wherein the first propagation data is represented by the fact that the first pulse passes through m first delay units and does not pass through m+1 first delay units on the first delay chain within a monitoring time length, m being a positive integer;

[0006] a second delay chain comprising a plurality of second delay units connected in series, configured to transmit a second pulse;

[0007] a third delay chain comprising a plurality of third delay units connected in series, configured to transmit a third pulse, wherein the difference between the delay value of the second delay unit and the delay value of the third delay unit is less than the delay value of the first delay unit, and the first pulse, the second pulse and the third pulse are the same pulse signal;

[0008] a controller configured to control the second delay chain and the third delay chain to start transmitting the pulse signal at different time points respectively, obtain second propagation data when the propagation of the pulse signal on the second delay chain and the third delay chain satisfies a target condition, and determine a delay parameter of the first delay chain based on the first propagation data and the second propagation data.

[0009] Further, the monitoring circuit further comprises:

[0010] a timer configured to record the time length of the propagation of the first pulse on the first delay chain;

[0011] The controller is configured to: control the second pulse to start propagating on the second delay chain when the first pulse propagates to the mth first delay unit in the first delay chain; and control the third pulse to start propagating on the third delay chain when it is determined that the time recorded by the timer reaches the monitoring time.

[0012] Further, the third delay unit has a delay value smaller than that of the second delay unit.

[0013] Further, the apparatus further comprises:

[0014] A monitoring device is configured to monitor whether the propagation of the pulse signals on the second delay chain and the third delay chain matches.

[0015] The controller is configured to determine that the propagation of the pulse signals on the second delay chain and the third delay chain satisfies a target condition when the monitoring device determines that the propagation of the pulse signals on the second delay chain and the third delay chain matches.

[0016] Further, the monitoring device is configured to:

[0017] During the propagation of the second pulse and the third pulse, if it is determined that the second pulse on the second delay chain and the third pulse on the third delay chain are phase-aligned, it is determined that the propagation of the pulse signals on the second delay chain and the third delay chain matches.

[0018] If it is determined that the second pulse on the second delay chain and the third pulse on the third delay chain are not phase-aligned, it is determined that the propagation of the pulse signals on the second delay chain and the third delay chain does not match.

[0019] Further, the monitoring device comprises:

[0020] A plurality of latches, each of which is configured to correspond to a second delay unit and a third delay unit that match each other, an output signal of the second delay unit serving as an input signal of the corresponding latch, and an output signal of the third delay unit serving as a clock signal of the corresponding latch.

[0021] The controller is configured to determine that the propagation of the pulse signals on the second delay chain and the third delay chain matches when it is determined that one of the plurality of latches has output data.

[0022] Further, the controller obtains second propagation data, including:

[0023] The controller is configured to determine a position of a second delay unit corresponding to a latch with output data on the second delay chain, and determine second propagation data based on the position, a delay value of the second delay unit, and a delay value of a third delay unit.

[0024] A chip comprises a monitoring circuit;

[0025] The monitoring circuit comprises a first delay chain comprising a plurality of first delay units connected in series, configured to transmit a first pulse to obtain first propagation data, the first propagation data being represented by the first pulse passing through m first delay units and not passing through m+1 first delay units on the first delay chain within a monitoring duration, m being a positive integer;

[0026] A second delay chain comprising a plurality of second delay units connected in series, configured to transmit a second pulse;

[0027] A third delay chain comprising a plurality of third delay units connected in series, configured to transmit a third pulse, a difference between a delay value of the second delay unit and a delay value of the third delay unit being smaller than a delay value of the first delay unit, the first pulse, the second pulse, and the third pulse being a same pulse signal;

[0028] A controller configured to control the second delay chain and the third delay chain to start transmitting the pulse signal at different time points respectively, obtain second propagation data when propagation of the pulse signal on the second delay chain and the third delay chain satisfies a target condition, and determine a delay parameter of the first delay chain based on the first propagation data and the second propagation data.

[0029] Further, the chip further comprises:

[0030] A voltage control module configured to obtain the delay parameter of the first delay chain determined by the monitoring circuit, and determine a voltage adjustment strategy based on the delay parameter of the first delay chain.

[0031] A monitoring method comprises:

[0032] Obtaining first propagation data, the first propagation data being obtained by propagation of a first pulse on a first delay chain, the first propagation data being represented by the first pulse passing through m first delay units connected in series and not passing through m+1 first delay units on the first delay chain within a monitoring duration, m being a positive integer;

[0033] controlling the second delay chain and the third delay chain to start propagating the pulse signal at different time points respectively, wherein a difference between a delay value of the second delay unit on the second delay chain and a delay value of the third delay unit on the third delay chain is less than the delay value of the first delay unit, and the first pulse, the second pulse propagated on the second delay chain and the third pulse propagated on the third delay chain are the same pulse signal;

[0034] acquiring second propagation data when the propagation of the pulse signal on the second delay chain and the third delay chain satisfies a target condition;

[0035] determining the delay parameter of the first delay chain based on the first propagation data and the second propagation data.

[0036] An electronic device comprising the monitoring circuit according to any one of the preceding embodiments. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0037] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application or the related art, the drawings needed to be used in the embodiments or the related art description will be briefly introduced. Obviously, the drawings in the following description are only some embodiments of the present application, and for those skilled in the art, other drawings can also be obtained without creative labor on the basis of these drawings.

[0038] Figure 1 a structural schematic diagram of a monitoring circuit disclosed by an embodiment of the present application;

[0039] Figure 2 a schematic diagram of a first delay chain disclosed by an embodiment of the present application;

[0040] Figure 3 a structural schematic diagram of a monitoring circuit disclosed by an embodiment of the present application;

[0041] Figure 4 a schematic diagram of a corresponding relationship of time points when a first pulse, a second pulse and a third pulse start propagating, disclosed by an embodiment of the present application;

[0042] Figure 5 a structural schematic diagram of a monitoring circuit disclosed by an embodiment of the present application;

[0043] Figure 6 a schematic diagram of a corresponding relationship between a second delay unit in a second delay chain and a third delay unit in a third delay chain and a latch, disclosed by an embodiment of the present application;

[0044] Figure 7 a structural schematic diagram of a chip disclosed by an embodiment of the present application;

[0045] Figure 8A flowchart of a monitoring method disclosed in an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0046] The embodiments of the present application are described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. The terms used in the implementation part of the present application are only used to explain the specific embodiments of the present application, and are not intended to limit the present application.

[0047] The embodiments of the present application are described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. The skilled person can know that, with the development of technology and the emergence of new scenarios, the technical solutions provided by the embodiments of the present application are also applicable to similar technical problems.

[0048] The terms "first", "second", and the like in the specification and claims of the present application and the above-mentioned drawings are used to distinguish similar objects, and do not necessarily indicate a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that the terms used in this way can be interchanged under appropriate circumstances, and this is only a distinguishing way used in the description of the embodiments of the present application to describe the objects with the same attributes. In addition, the terms "include" and "have" and any variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, so that the processes, methods, systems, products or equipment containing a series of units do not have to be limited to those units, but can include other units not clearly listed or inherent to these processes, methods, products or equipment.

[0049] The present application discloses a monitoring circuit, a structural schematic diagram thereof is shown as Figure 1 The monitoring circuit comprises:

[0050] A first delay chain 11, a second delay chain 12, a third delay chain 13, and a controller 14.

[0051] The first delay chain 11 comprises a plurality of first delay units connected in series, and is configured to transmit a first pulse to obtain first propagation data, the first propagation data being represented by the fact that the first pulse passes through m first delay units and does not pass through m+1 first delay units on the first delay chain within a monitoring time period, m being a positive integer;

[0052] The second delay chain 12 comprises a plurality of second delay units connected in series, and is configured to transmit a second pulse;

[0053] The third delay chain 13 comprises a plurality of third delay units connected in series, and is configured to transmit a third pulse, the difference between the delay value of the second delay unit and the delay value of the third delay unit being less than the delay value of the first delay unit, the first pulse, the second pulse, and the third pulse being the same pulse signal;

[0054] The controller 14 is configured to control the second delay chain and the third delay chain to start propagating the pulse signal at different time points respectively, acquire second propagation data when the propagation of the pulse signal on the second delay chain and the third delay chain satisfies a target condition, and determine the delay parameter of the first delay chain based on the first propagation data and the second propagation data.

[0055] In an AVS (adaptive voltage scaling) power supply scheme of a large central processing unit (CPU) or other high-power chips, a HPM (Hardware Performance Monitor) unit is required to collect performance data to track the performance of the processing chip. The performance collected by the HPM is represented by the transmission delay of a delay cell, and the minimum delay time limit of a single delay cell limits the accuracy of the collected data.

[0056] The embodiment discloses a monitoring circuit, which can be arranged in a HPM (Hardware Performance Monitor) unit to collect performance data and convert the detected performance data into a voltage adjustment strategy to adjust the voltage through AVS. Since the performance data is represented by transmission delay, to ensure the accuracy of voltage adjustment, the collection accuracy of the performance data needs to be improved, and the collection of the performance data is mainly realized through a first delay chain. Therefore, in the embodiment, the delay parameter of the first delay chain is determined through the monitoring circuit, and the transmission delay determined by the first delay chain is improved in accuracy, that is, the collection accuracy of the performance data is improved.

[0057] The delay parameter of the first delay chain can be resolution, that is, the minimum time difference that can be distinguished.

[0058] If the delay parameter is determined only through the first delay chain, the first pulse is transmitted through the first delay chain, and the first delay chain includes a plurality of first delay units connected in series, it can be determined that, within a certain fixed monitoring time T, the first pulse passes through the mth first delay unit on the first delay chain but does not pass through the m+1th first delay unit. Figure 2As shown, it is a schematic diagram of the first delay chain, and the first delay chain includes a plurality of first delay cells connected in series. The delay test is performed by detecting the position where the first pulse travels to on the first delay chain within a fixed monitoring time T. If the first pulse is latched at the T6 LATCH position within the monitoring time T, and the first pulse is not latched at the T7 LATCH position, it is determined that the first pulse travels through 10 first delay cells on the first delay chain, and does not travel through the 11th first delay cell. It is proved that the transmission delay is between T / 11 and T / 10, which can be calculated as T / 10, but it cannot be determined which one of T / 11 and T / 10 is more accurate, and at this time, the error of the calculated transmission delay is larger.

[0059] Based on this, the monitoring circuit disclosed in the scheme includes not only the first delay chain, but also the second delay chain and the third delay chain. The transmission delay is monitored by the first delay chain, the second delay chain and the third delay chain, so as to reduce the determined delay error and improve the accuracy and resolution of the collection.

[0060] Specifically, the monitoring circuit disclosed in the embodiment includes the first delay chain, the second delay chain, the third delay chain and the controller.

[0061] Each delay chain includes a plurality of delay cells connected in series, and the delay values of the delay cells on different delay chains are different. The first delay chain includes a plurality of first delay cells connected in series, the second delay chain includes a plurality of second delay cells connected in series, and the third delay chain includes a plurality of third delay cells connected in series. Different delay cells correspond to different delay values.

[0062] In addition, the first delay chain is used for transmitting the first pulse, the second delay chain is used for transmitting the second pulse, and the third delay chain is used for transmitting the third pulse. Although the pulses propagated by different delay chains correspond to different expressions, the first pulse, the second pulse and the third pulse correspond to the same pulse signal, that is, different delay chains are used for propagating the same pulse signal. Here, the first pulse, the second pulse and the third pulse are expressed only to distinguish the pulse signals propagated on different delay chains.

[0063] For example, the pulse signal can be a single pulse signal, such as a high-level pulse signal. When the high-level pulse signal propagates on the delay chain, the delay cell detects the high level when the high-level pulse signal propagates to the delay cell. Alternatively, the pulse signal can also be a combined pulse signal composed of pulse signals of different intensities.

[0064] The controller is configured to control the time instants at which the first delay chain, the second delay chain and the third delay chain propagate the pulse signal, so that there can be a situation in which a target condition is met during the propagation of the pulse, and determine the delay parameter, i.e. the specific transmission delay value, of the first delay chain based on the data when the target condition is met, so as to improve the monitoring accuracy of the transmission delay value and avoid a situation in which the error is large.

[0065] The target condition can be specifically that, at a certain time instant, a certain signal in the second pulse transmitted by the second delay chain is transmitted to a first position of the second delay chain, and the signal in the third pulse transmitted by the third delay chain is transmitted to a second position of the third delay chain, the first position and the second position have a specific relationship, at this time, it can be determined that the target condition is met, i.e. as long as the transmission delay value can be determined according to the relationship between the second pulse transmitted by the second delay chain and the third pulse transmitted by the third delay chain, it can be determined that the target condition is met at present.

[0066] The controller can control the first pulse to be transmitted through the first delay chain, and determine the position of the first pulse in the first delay chain, i.e. the delay unit reached by the first pulse, within a fixed monitoring time T, and determine the first propagation data, i.e. the first propagation data is represented by the fact that the first pulse passes through m first delay units in the first delay chain within the monitoring time T without passing through m+1 first delay units, m being a positive integer.

[0067] After determining the first propagation data of the first pulse propagating in the first delay chain, the controller can determine the time instants at which the second delay chain and the third delay chain start to propagate the pulse signal based on the first propagation data, wherein the time instant at which the second delay chain starts to propagate the pulse signal is different from the time instant at which the third delay chain starts to propagate the pulse signal, since the delay value of the second delay unit in the second delay chain is different from the delay value of the third delay unit in the third delay chain, under the condition that the time instants at which the second delay chain and the third delay chain start to propagate the pulse signal are different, there can be a situation in which the propagation of the pulse signal in the second delay chain and the third delay chain meets the target condition.

[0068] When it is determined that the propagation of the pulse signal in the second delay chain and the third delay chain meets the target condition, the second propagation data can be obtained, the second propagation data is related to the second pulse propagated in the second delay chain and also related to the third pulse propagated in the third delay chain; and the delay parameter of the first delay chain is determined based on the first propagation data and the second propagation data, i.e. the same pulse signal is propagated at different time instants by three delay chains with different delay values, so that the delay parameter of the first delay chain can be determined;

[0069] Furthermore, if the difference between the delay value of the second delay unit and the delay value of the third delay unit is less than the delay value of the first delay unit, then the accuracy of the transmission delay based on the currently determined delay parameters of the first delay chain is significantly greater than the accuracy when the transmission delay is determined solely by the first delay chain. This improves the accuracy of monitoring the delay value of the hardware circuit through the first delay chain and avoids situations where the error is large.

[0070] The monitoring circuit disclosed in this embodiment includes a first delay chain, a second delay chain, a third delay chain, and a controller. When a first pulse is transmitted through the first delay chain, which includes multiple series-connected first delay units, to obtain first propagation data, since the delay value of the first delay unit is relatively large, a second pulse is transmitted through the second delay chain, which includes multiple series-connected second delay units, and a third pulse is transmitted through the third delay chain, which includes multiple series-connected third delay units. The three pulses are the same pulse. Furthermore, the second delay chain and the third delay chain are controlled to start propagating pulse signals at different times to obtain second propagation data. The delay parameter of the first delay chain is determined based on the first propagation data and the second propagation data. Since the difference between the delay value of the second delay unit and the delay value of the third delay unit is smaller than the delay value of the first delay unit, the delay value when transmitting pulse signals on the first delay chain is reduced through the second delay chain and the third delay chain, thereby improving the accuracy of the transmission delay determined by the first delay chain.

[0071] This embodiment discloses a monitoring circuit, the schematic diagram of which is shown below. Figure 3 As shown, it includes:

[0072] First delay chain 31, second delay chain 32, third delay chain 33, controller 34 and timer 35.

[0073] In addition to the same structure as the previous embodiment, the monitoring circuit disclosed in this embodiment also adds a timer 35.

[0074] Timer 35 is used to record the duration of the first pulse propagating in the first delay chain;

[0075] The controller 34 is configured to control the second pulse to start propagating on the second delay chain when the first pulse propagates to the m-th first delay unit in the first delay chain; and to control the third pulse to start propagating on the third delay chain when the duration recorded by the timer 35 reaches the monitoring duration.

[0076] The first pulse is transmitted through the first delay units in series on the first delay chain to obtain first propagation data, which is represented by the position of the first pulse propagating on the first delay chain within a monitoring duration; the controller controls the second delay chain and the third delay chain to start propagating the pulse signals at different time points, so that the second propagation data is obtained when the propagation of the pulse signals on the second delay chain and the third delay chain satisfies a target condition, and the delay parameter of the first delay chain is determined based on the first propagation data and the second propagation data, so as to improve the accuracy of the transmission delay determined by the first delay chain.

[0077] The controller controls the second delay chain and the third delay chain to start propagating the pulse signals at different time points, which can be determined by the timer to determine the time point when the second delay chain starts propagating the second pulse and the time point when the third delay chain starts propagating the third pulse, so that there is a case where the propagation of the pulse signals on the second delay chain and the third delay chain satisfies the target condition.

[0078] Specifically, the timer records the duration of the first pulse propagating on the first delay chain until the monitoring duration is reached, that is, the timing starts from the time when the first pulse starts propagating on the first delay chain, and the timing stops when it is determined that the monitoring duration is reached.

[0079] The first pulse can propagate on the first delay chain at least twice. When the first pulse propagates on the first delay chain for the first time, the timer starts timing. At this time, the timing is to determine when the first pulse propagates on the first delay chain for the monitoring duration T to obtain the first propagation data, that is, which first delay unit the first pulse has passed through and has not reached the next delay unit, for example, the first pulse has passed through the mth first delay unit within the monitoring duration T and has not reached the m+1th delay unit.

[0080] The controller obtains the first propagation data and determines that the second pulse starts propagating on the second delay chain at the first time point and the third pulse starts propagating on the third delay chain at the second time point based on the first propagation data, wherein the first time point and the second time point are both time points corresponding to the timing after the first pulse propagates on the first delay chain for the second time. When the first pulse propagates on the first delay chain for the second time and reaches the mth first delay unit, it is determined that the first time point is reached; when the first pulse starts propagating on the first delay chain for the second time and the duration recorded by the timer reaches the monitoring duration, it is determined that the second time point is reached.

[0081] Specifically, as shown in FIG. 2, the first propagation data is obtained by the first pulse propagating on the first delay chain within the monitoring duration T, and the second propagation data is obtained by the second pulse propagating on the second delay chain within the monitoring duration T and the third pulse propagating on the third delay chain within the monitoring duration T. Figure 4As shown, by the first pulse propagating on the first delay chain for the first time, it is determined that the first pulse has passed through the m-th first delay unit within the monitoring duration T, but has not reached the (m+1)-th delay unit. When the first pulse pulse1 begins to propagate on the first delay chain for the second time, timing begins. When the first pulse pulse1 reaches the m-th first delay unit, the second pulse pulse2 begins to propagate on the second delay chain. When the timer reaches the monitoring duration, the third pulse pulse3 begins to propagate on the third delay chain, and continues until the propagation of the second pulse pulse2 on the second delay chain and the propagation of the third pulse pulse3 on the third delay chain meet the target condition.

[0082] like Figure 4 As shown, the delay from the start of propagation on the first delay chain by the first pulse pulse1 until it reaches the m-th first delay unit is denoted as 'a'. The delay from the start of propagation on the first delay chain by the start of propagation by the first pulse pulse1 at the m-th first delay unit until the timer reaches the monitoring duration is denoted as 'b'. The value to be measured is a+b, which is the transmission delay. Since 'a' can be determined, therefore... Figure 4 b is calculated using c and d to obtain the transmission delay. c is the delay caused by the second pulse pulse2 propagating on the second delay chain until the target condition is met, and d is the delay caused by the third pulse pulse3 propagating on the third delay chain until the target condition is met. b can be obtained from c and d, and the value of c and d can be determined by the propagation of the pulse signals on the second and third delay chains satisfying the target condition.

[0083] Additionally, it should be noted that the value of cd must be less than the delay value of each first delay unit in the first delay chain, i.e., cd = b < t1, where t1 is the delay value of each first delay unit. If cd ≥ t1, there may be a situation where the accuracy of the transmission delay of the first delay chain obtained by this scheme is not improved. Only when cd < t1 can the accurate improvement of the transmission delay of the determined first delay chain be guaranteed.

[0084] Furthermore, in the monitoring circuit disclosed in this embodiment, it is also necessary to determine that the delay value of the third delay unit is less than the delay value of the second delay unit.

[0085] In the case that the delay value of the third delay unit is less than the delay value of the second delay unit, the transmission speed of the third pulse through the third delay chain is faster than the transmission speed of the second pulse through the second delay chain, and thus, only in the case that the delay value of the third delay unit is less than the delay value of the second delay unit, the second delay chain is controlled to transmit the second pulse first, and then the third delay chain is controlled to transmit the third pulse, so that the propagation of the pulse signals on the second delay chain and the third delay chain can meet the target condition, thereby achieving the acquisition of the second propagation data and further determining the delay parameter of the first delay chain, so as to improve the accuracy of the transmission delay determined by the first delay chain.

[0086] The monitoring circuit disclosed by the embodiment comprises a first delay chain, a second delay chain, a third delay chain, a controller and a timer, the timer is configured to record the time length of the propagation of the first pulse on the first delay chain, the controller is configured to control the second pulse to start propagating on the second delay chain when the first pulse propagates on the first delay chain to the mth first delay unit, and control the third pulse to start propagating on the third delay chain when the time length recorded by the timer reaches the monitoring time length. The scheme records the time length of the propagation of the first pulse on the first delay chain by the timer, so that the controller can control the time when the second pulse starts propagating on the second delay chain and the time when the third pulse starts propagating on the third delay chain, so as to ensure that the propagation of the pulse signals on the second delay chain and the third delay chain meets the target condition, thereby determining the delay parameter of the first delay chain.

[0087] The monitoring circuit disclosed by the embodiment has a structure diagram as shown in Figure 5 The monitoring circuit disclosed by the embodiment has a structure diagram as shown in

[0088] The monitoring circuit disclosed by the embodiment has a structure diagram as shown in

[0089] In addition to the same structure as the previous embodiment, the monitoring device 55 is further added in the embodiment.

[0090] The monitoring device 55 is configured to monitor whether the propagation of the pulse signals on the second delay chain and the third delay chain matches.

[0091] The controller 54 is configured to determine that the propagation of the pulse signals on the second delay chain and the third delay chain meets the target condition when the monitoring device determines that the propagation of the pulse signals on the second delay chain and the third delay chain matches.

[0092] The first pulse is transmitted through the first delay units in series on the first delay chain to obtain first propagation data, which is represented by a position of the first pulse propagating on the first delay chain within a monitoring duration; the controller controls the second delay chain and the third delay chain to start propagating pulse signals at different time points, so that the second propagation data is obtained when the propagation of the pulse signals on the second delay chain and the third delay chain satisfies a target condition, and the delay parameter of the first delay chain is determined based on the first propagation data and the second propagation data, so as to improve the accuracy of the transmission delay determined by the first delay chain.

[0093] The target condition that the propagation of the pulse signals on the second delay chain and the third delay chain satisfies can be determined by the monitoring device.

[0094] The monitoring device is used to monitor whether the propagation of the pulse signals on the second delay chain and the third delay chain matches, and when the propagation matches, the controller can determine that the propagation of the pulse signals on the second delay chain and the third delay chain satisfies the target condition, at which time the second pulse and the third pulse stop propagating; if the propagation does not match, the controller can determine that the target condition is not satisfied, at which time the second delay chain continues to propagate the second pulse and the third delay chain continues to propagate the third pulse until the propagation of the pulse signals on the second delay chain and the third delay chain matches.

[0095] The propagation of the pulse signals on the second delay chain and the third delay chain matches can specifically mean that, during the propagation of the second pulse and the third pulse, if it is determined that the phases of the second pulse on the second delay chain and the third pulse on the third delay chain align, it is determined that the propagation of the pulse signals on the second delay chain and the third delay chain matches; if it is determined that the phases of the second pulse on the second delay chain and the third pulse on the third delay chain do not align, it is determined that the propagation of the pulse signals on the second delay chain and the third delay chain does not match.

[0096] The phases of the second pulse on the second delay chain and the third pulse on the third delay chain align, that is, the second pulse propagating on the second delay chain propagates to a certain specific phase at a certain time point, and at the same time point, the third pulse propagating on the third delay chain also propagates to the specific phase, that is, the third pulse propagating on the third delay chain and the second pulse propagating on the second delay chain reach a certain position on the pulse signal at the same time point; in other words, although the third pulse propagating on the third delay chain starts propagating later, since the delay value of the third pulse is smaller than the delay value of the second pulse, even if the second pulse on the second delay chain starts propagating earlier, after the third pulse starts propagating for a certain duration, at a certain time point, the third pulse will catch up with the second pulse, that is, at the time point, the phase of the third pulse propagating aligns with the phase of the second pulse propagating.

[0097] If the pulse signal is a high level signal, the phase alignment is that a certain second delay unit on the second delay chain detects a high level at a certain time, at the time, a third delay unit on the third delay chain which is in the same position as the second delay unit also detects a high level, at this time, the high level reaches the same position on the second delay chain and the third delay chain at the same time.

[0098] When the phase of the second pulse pulse2 on the second delay chain and the third pulse pulse3 on the third delay chain is aligned, it can be determined that at this time, the third pulse pulse3 has passed through n third delay units, and the delay value of each third delay unit is t3, at this time, the second pulse pulse2 has also passed through n second delay units, and the delay value of each second delay unit is t2, so it can be known that Δt = n × t2 - n × t3 = n × (t2 - t3), wherein Δt is the delay value of the first delay chain, and b is the delay value of the first delay unit. Figure 4 , and the delay parameter of the first delay chain is , that is: , wherein t1 is the delay value of each first delay unit, n is a positive integer, and n represents the number of delay units through which the second pulse and the third pulse pass, at this time, the delay parameter of the first delay chain is , and the delay parameter of the first delay chain is , and the delay parameter of the first delay chain is

[0099] In addition, since c-d = b < t1, that is, n × (t2 - t3) < t1, the value of n depends on the value obtained by rounding down t1 / (t2 - t3).

[0100] The monitoring circuit disclosed in the embodiment comprises a first delay chain, a second delay chain, a third delay chain, a controller and a monitoring device, the monitoring device is used to monitor whether the propagation of pulse signals on the second delay chain and the third delay chain matches, and the controller is used to determine that the propagation of pulse signals on the second delay chain and the third delay chain meets a target condition when the monitoring device determines that the propagation of pulse signals on the second delay chain and the third delay chain matches. The scheme monitors whether the propagation of pulse signals on the second delay chain and the third delay chain matches through the monitoring device, and when the propagation matches, it can be determined that the target condition is met, so that the second propagation data can be determined based on the matching of the propagation of pulse signals on the second delay chain and the third delay chain, and the delay parameter of the first delay chain is determined based on this, so as to improve the accuracy of the transmission delay determined by the first delay chain.

[0101] Further, in the monitoring circuit disclosed in the embodiment, the monitoring device can comprise a plurality of latches.

[0102] Each latch is provided with a second delay unit and a third delay unit matched with each other, an output signal of the second delay unit is an input signal of the corresponding latch, and an output signal of the third delay unit is a clock signal of the corresponding latch.

[0103] The controller is configured to determine that the propagation of the pulse signals on the second delay chain and the third delay chain is matched when it is determined that one of the plurality of latches has output data.

[0104] The second delay chain includes a plurality of second delay units connected in series, and the third delay chain includes a plurality of third delay units connected in series. To determine that the propagation of the pulse signals on the second delay chain and the third delay chain meets the target condition, it is necessary to determine whether the second pulse on the second delay chain and the third pulse on the third delay chain are in phase alignment, and whether the two pulses are in phase alignment can be determined by the latch.

[0105] In the monitoring circuit, a plurality of latches can be provided, each latch having a corresponding set of delay units, the set of delay units including a second delay unit and a third delay unit, and the position of the second delay unit included in the set of delay units in the second delay chain and the position of the third delay unit included in the set of delay units in the third delay chain need to be matched.

[0106] For example, the first second delay unit in the second delay chain and the first third delay unit in the third delay chain form a set of delay units, which correspond to a latch, and through the latch, it is determined whether the second pulse and the third pulse are in phase alignment in the first second delay unit and the first third delay unit; the second second delay unit in the second delay chain and the second third delay unit in the third delay chain form a set of delay units, which correspond to a latch, and through the latch, it is determined whether the second pulse and the third pulse are in phase alignment in the second second delay unit and the second third delay unit.

[0107] Specifically, in a set of delay units, an output signal of the second delay unit is an input signal of the latch corresponding to the set of delay units, and an output signal of the third delay unit is a clock signal of the latch corresponding to the set of delay units, as shown in Figure 6 The corresponding relationship between the second delay unit in the second delay chain, the third delay unit in the third delay chain, and the latch is shown in Figure 6The second delay unit K2 and the third delay unit K3 are taken as an example, and the corresponding latch is K1. The output terminal of the second delay unit K2 is connected to the input terminal of the latch K1, and the output terminal of the third delay unit K3 is connected to the clock terminal of the latch K1. That is, the output signal of the second delay unit K2 is the input signal of the latch K1, the output signal of the third delay unit K3 is the clock signal of the latch K1, and whether the output terminal of the latch K1 has a signal output is determined.

[0108] If the output terminal of the latch K1 has a signal output, it is determined that the second pulse and the third pulse are in phase alignment at the positions of the second delay unit K2 and the third delay unit K3 (that is, if the pulse signal is a high level signal, the second delay unit K2 and the third delay unit K3 detect the high level at the same time), that is, at the position of the third delay unit K3, the third pulse catches up with the second pulse. If the output terminal of the latch K1 has no signal output, it is determined that the second pulse and the third pulse are not in phase alignment at the positions of the second delay unit K2 and the third delay unit K3.

[0109] In the monitoring circuit disclosed in the embodiment, a plurality of latches are arranged to determine the position at which the second pulse and the third pulse are in phase alignment in the second delay chain and the third delay chain. For example, when the second pulse reaches the sixth second delay unit in the second delay chain, the third pulse reaches the sixth third delay unit in the third delay chain. At this time, the second pulse and the third pulse are in phase alignment, and the position of the alignment is the position of the sixth delay unit. The accurate determination of the pulse phase alignment is realized, and a data basis for determining the delay parameter of the first delay chain is provided.

[0110] Further, after the position at which the second pulse and the third pulse are in phase alignment in the delay chain is determined by the latch, the controller obtains the second propagation data, which can be specifically as follows:

[0111] The controller determines the position of the second delay unit corresponding to the latch with the output data in the second delay chain, and determines the second propagation data based on the position, the delay value of the second delay unit and the delay value of the third delay unit.

[0112] The position of the second delay unit corresponding to the latch with the output data in the second delay chain determined by the controller is actually the same as the position of the third delay unit corresponding to the latch with the output data in the third delay chain. Here, only the position of the second delay unit is described.

[0113] The controller determines the position of the second delay unit corresponding to the latch with output data on the second delay chain, which is n, and determines the delay value t2 of the second delay unit and the delay value t3 of the third delay unit as known data, and then determines the second propagation data based on the position, the delay value of the second delay unit and the delay value of the third delay unit, and the second propagation data can be specifically: , so as to determine the delay parameter of the first delay chain based on the first propagation data and the second propagation data, that is, the delay parameter of the first delay chain is obtained by using the formula: , so as to improve the accuracy of the transmission delay determined by the first delay chain.

[0114] The chip disclosed in the embodiment can include a monitoring circuit, a structure diagram of the monitoring circuit can be as shown in Figure 1 , which includes:

[0115] a first delay chain 11, a second delay chain 12, a third delay chain 13 and a controller 14.

[0116] The first delay chain 11 includes a plurality of first delay units connected in series, and is used to transmit a first pulse to obtain first propagation data, the first propagation data is represented by the fact that the first pulse passes through m first delay units and does not pass through m+1 first delay units on the first delay chain within a monitoring time length, and m is a positive integer;

[0117] The second delay chain 12 includes a plurality of second delay units connected in series, and is used to transmit a second pulse;

[0118] The third delay chain 13 includes a plurality of third delay units connected in series, and is used to transmit a third pulse, the difference between the delay value of the second delay unit and the delay value of the third delay unit is less than the delay value of the first delay unit, and the first pulse, the second pulse and the third pulse are the same pulse signal;

[0119] The controller 14 is used to control the second delay chain and the third delay chain to start propagating the pulse signal at different time points respectively, obtain second propagation data when the propagation of the pulse signal on the second delay chain and the third delay chain meets a target condition, and determine the delay parameter of the first delay chain based on the first propagation data and the second propagation data.

[0120] Further, a structure diagram of the chip disclosed in the embodiment can be as shown in Figure 7 , which includes:

[0121] a monitoring circuit 71 and a voltage control module 72.

[0122] The voltage control module 72 is used to obtain the delay parameter of the first delay chain determined by the monitoring circuit, and determine a voltage adjustment strategy based on the delay parameter of the first delay chain.

[0123] In the adaptive voltage scaling power supply scheme, adaptive voltage adjustment is performed by tracking the performance change of the processing chip. In this embodiment, the delay parameter of the first delay chain is determined by the monitoring circuit. When the delay parameter of the first delay chain changes, it indicates that the performance of the processing chip changes.

[0124] Therefore, when the monitoring circuit determines the delay parameter of the first delay chain, the voltage control module needs to determine the corresponding voltage adjustment strategy based on the delay parameter of the first delay chain, so as to be able to adjust the voltage based on the voltage adjustment strategy, thereby realizing the adjustment of the voltage based on the performance data of the processing chip.

[0125] Further, the chip disclosed in this embodiment can also include:

[0126] The sensor is used to detect the target parameter of the chip. When it is determined that the target parameter of the chip meets a certain specific condition, the monitoring circuit is controlled to determine the delay parameter of the first delay chain. The specific condition can be that the temperature of the chip changes, or the temperature change of the chip exceeds a certain threshold, etc.

[0127] In addition, the monitoring circuit can also not be controlled by the sensor to determine the delay parameter of the first delay chain, but every fixed time interval, the monitoring circuit is controlled to start the determination of the delay parameter of the first delay chain, so as to determine whether the delay parameter of the first delay chain changes.

[0128] In addition, since the temperature change of the chip will affect the delay parameter of the first delay chain, the adjustment strategy of the voltage, frequency and other working parameters of the chip can be determined based on the delay parameter of the first delay chain, so as to adjust the voltage, frequency and other working parameters of the chip based on the delay parameter of the first delay chain, thereby realizing the accurate control of the temperature of the chip and preventing the over-temperature of the chip.

[0129] The chip disclosed in this embodiment is realized based on the monitoring circuit disclosed in the above embodiment, which will not be described here.

[0130] The chip disclosed by the embodiment comprises a monitoring circuit, the monitoring circuit comprises a first delay chain, a second delay chain, a third delay chain and a controller, when a first pulse is transmitted through the first delay chain comprising a plurality of first delay units connected in series to obtain first propagation data, because the delay value of the first delay unit is large, a second pulse is transmitted through the second delay chain comprising a plurality of second delay units connected in series, a third pulse is transmitted through the third delay chain comprising a plurality of third delay units connected in series, the three pulses are the same pulse, and the second delay chain and the third delay chain are controlled to start transmitting pulse signals at different time points respectively to obtain second propagation data, and the delay parameter of the first delay chain is determined based on the first propagation data and the second propagation data, because the difference between the delay value of the second delay unit and the delay value of the third delay unit is smaller than the delay value of the first delay unit, that is, the delay value when the pulse signal is transmitted on the first delay chain is reduced through the second delay chain and the third delay chain, so as to improve the accuracy of the transmission delay determined by the first delay chain.

[0131] The monitoring method disclosed by the embodiment comprises the steps of Figure 8 as shown in the flowchart, comprising:

[0132] In step S81, first propagation data is obtained, the first propagation data is obtained by transmitting a first pulse on a first delay chain, and the first propagation data is characterized by the fact that the first pulse passes through m first delay units connected in series on the first delay chain without passing through m+1 first delay units within a monitoring time length, and m is a positive integer.

[0133] In step S82, the second delay chain and the third delay chain are controlled to start transmitting pulse signals at different time points respectively, the difference between the delay value of the second delay unit on the second delay chain and the delay value of the third delay unit on the third delay chain is smaller than the delay value of the first delay unit, and the first pulse, the second pulse transmitted on the second delay chain and the third pulse transmitted on the third delay chain are the same pulse signal.

[0134] In step S83, when the propagation of the pulse signals on the second delay chain and the third delay chain satisfies a target condition, second propagation data is obtained.

[0135] In step S84, the delay parameter of the first delay chain is determined based on the first propagation data and the second propagation data.

[0136] The monitoring method disclosed by the embodiment is realized based on the monitoring circuit disclosed by the above-mentioned embodiment, and will not be described here.

[0137] The monitoring method disclosed in the embodiment obtains first propagation data, the first propagation data being obtained by propagation of a first pulse on a first delay chain, the first propagation data being represented by the first pulse on the first delay chain passing through m first delay units in series and not passing through m+1 first delay units in a monitoring duration; the second delay chain and the third delay chain are controlled to start propagating pulse signals at different time points to obtain second propagation data, and a delay parameter of the first delay chain is determined based on the first propagation data and the second propagation data, since the difference between the delay value of the second delay unit and the delay value of the third delay unit is less than the delay value of the first delay unit, that is, the delay value when the pulse signal is transmitted on the first delay chain is reduced through the second delay chain and the third delay chain, so as to improve the accuracy of the transmission delay determined by the first delay chain.

[0138] The electronic device can include the monitoring circuit in any of the above embodiments.

[0139] The electronic device can be a mobile phone, a tablet computer, a wearable device, a vehicle-mounted device, an Augmented Reality (AR) / Virtual Reality (VR) device, a notebook computer, an ultra-mobile personal computer (UMPC), a netbook, a personal digital assistant (PDA), and the like, and the embodiments of the present application do not make any limitation thereto.

[0140] The electronic device can include a radio frequency unit, a memory, an input unit, a display unit, a camera (optional), an audio circuit (optional), a speaker (optional), a microphone (optional), an earphone jack (optional), a processor, an external interface, a power supply, and the like. Those skilled in the art can understand that the above components are only examples and do not constitute a limitation on the terminal or multi-functional device, and more or fewer components can be included, or some components can be combined or different components can be included.

[0141] The input unit can be used to receive input digital or character information, and generate key signal input related to user settings and function control of the portable multi-functional device. Specifically, the input unit can include a touch screen (optional) and / or other input devices. Specifically, the other input devices can include, but are not limited to, one or more of a physical keyboard, function keys (such as volume control buttons, on-off buttons, etc.), trackballs, mice, joysticks, etc.

[0142] The input device can receive input data and the like.

[0143] The display unit can be used to display information input by a user or provided to the user, various menus of the electronic device, an interactive interface, file display and / or playing of any kind of multimedia file. In the embodiments of the present application, the display unit can be used to display an interface of the monitoring method, processing results, etc.

[0144] The memory can be used to store software codes related to the monitoring method, and the processor can execute the steps of the monitoring method, or can also dispatch other units (such as the input unit and the display unit) to realize corresponding functions.

[0145] The radio frequency unit (optional) can be used for receiving and sending signals in the process of receiving or sending information or calls.

[0146] In the embodiments of the present application, the radio frequency unit can send data to a server and receive processing results sent by the server.

[0147] It should be understood that the radio frequency unit is optional, which can be replaced by other communication interfaces, for example, can be a network interface.

[0148] The electronic device further includes a power supply (such as a battery) for supplying power to each component.

[0149] The electronic device further includes an external interface, which can be a standard Micro USB interface, or can be a multi-pin connector, which can be used to connect the electronic device and other devices for communication, or can be used to connect a charger to charge the electronic device.

[0150] The server includes a bus, a processor, a communication interface and a memory. The processor, the memory and the communication interface communicate through the bus.

[0151] The memory can be used to store software codes related to the monitoring method, and the processor can execute the steps of the monitoring method, or can also dispatch other units to realize corresponding functions.

[0152] In addition, it should be noted that the apparatus embodiments described above are only schematic, and the units described as separate components can or can not be physically separate, and the components displayed as units can or can not be physical units, i.e. they can be located in one place, or can be distributed on multiple network units. Part or all of the modules can be selected according to actual needs to achieve the purpose of the embodiments. In addition, the connection relationship between the modules in the apparatus embodiments provided by the present application indicates that there is a communication connection between them, which can be realized as one or more communication buses or signal lines.

[0153] Those skilled in the art can clearly understand that the application can be implemented by means of software plus necessary universal hardware, and of course can also be implemented by means of dedicated hardware including special integrated circuit, special CPU, special memory, special component, etc. Generally, any function completed by computer program can be easily implemented by corresponding hardware, and the specific hardware structure for implementing the same function can also be various, such as analog circuit, digital circuit or special circuit, etc. However, for the application, software program implementation is a better embodiment. Based on such understanding, the technical solution of the application or the part of the application which makes contribution to the prior art can be embodied in the form of software product, which is stored in readable storage medium, such as computer floppy disk, U disk, mobile hard disk, ROM, RAM, magnetic disk or optical disk, etc., and includes a plurality of instructions for making a computer device (which can be personal computer, training device or network device, etc.) execute the method described in various embodiments of the application.

[0154] In the above embodiments, the implementation can be achieved by software, hardware, firmware or any combination thereof, entirely or partially. When implemented by software, the implementation can be achieved in the form of a computer program product, entirely or partially.

[0155] The computer program product includes one or more computer instructions. When the computer program instructions are loaded and executed on a computer, the flow or function described in the embodiments of the application is generated entirely or partially. The computer can be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network or other programmable device. The computer instructions can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transmitted from one computer-readable storage medium to another, for example, the computer instructions can be transmitted from one website, computer, training device or data center to another website, computer, training device or data center through wired (such as coaxial cable, optical fiber, digital subscriber line (DSL)) or wireless (such as infrared, wireless, microwave, etc.) mode. The computer-readable storage medium can be any available medium that can be stored by the computer or a data storage device such as training device, data center, etc. integrated with one or more available media sets. The available medium can be magnetic medium (such as floppy disk, hard disk, magnetic tape), optical medium (such as DVD) or semiconductor medium (such as solid state disk (SSD)) etc.

Claims

1. A monitoring circuit, comprising: a first delay chain comprising a plurality of first delay units connected in series, configured to transmit a first pulse to obtain first propagation data, the first propagation data being characterized by the first pulse passing through m first delay units and not passing through m+1 first delay units on the first delay chain within a monitoring duration, m being a positive integer; a second delay chain comprising a plurality of second delay units connected in series, configured to transmit a second pulse; a third delay chain comprising a plurality of third delay units connected in series, configured to transmit a third pulse, a difference between a delay value of the second delay unit and a delay value of the third delay unit being smaller than a delay value of the first delay unit, the first pulse, the second pulse and the third pulse being a same pulse signal; and a controller configured to control the second delay chain and the third delay chain to start propagating the pulse signal at different time points respectively, obtain second propagation data when the propagation of the pulse signal on the second delay chain and the third delay chain satisfies a target condition, and determine a delay parameter of the first delay chain based on the first propagation data and the second propagation data. 2.The monitoring circuit of claim 1, further comprising: a timer configured to record a duration of the propagation of the first pulse on the first delay chain; and the controller is configured to control the second pulse to start propagating on the second delay chain when the first pulse reaches the mth first delay unit on the first delay chain, and control the third pulse to start propagating on the third delay chain when it is determined that the duration recorded by the timer reaches the monitoring duration. 3.The monitoring circuit of claim 2, wherein a delay value of the third delay unit is smaller than a delay value of the second delay unit. 4.The monitoring circuit of claim 1, further comprising: a monitoring device configured to monitor whether the propagation of the pulse signal on the second delay chain and the third delay chain matches; and the controller is configured to determine that the propagation of the pulse signal on the second delay chain and the third delay chain satisfies the target condition when the monitoring device determines that the propagation of the pulse signal on the second delay chain and the third delay chain matches. 5.The monitoring circuit of claim 4, wherein the monitoring device is configured to: determine that the propagation of the pulse signal on the second delay chain and the third delay chain matches if it is determined that a phase of the second pulse on the second delay chain aligns with a phase of the third pulse on the third delay chain during the propagation of the second pulse and the third pulse; and determine that the propagation of the pulse signal on the second delay chain and the third delay chain does not match if it is determined that the phase of the second pulse on the second delay chain does not align with the phase of the third pulse on the third delay chain. 6.The monitoring circuit of claim 4, wherein the monitoring device comprises: a plurality of latches, each of which is configured to correspond to a second delay unit and a third delay unit that match each other, an output signal of the second delay unit being used as an input signal of the corresponding latch, and an output signal of the third delay unit being used as a clock signal of the corresponding latch. ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ The controller is configured to determine that the second delay chain and the third delay chain match the propagation of the pulse signal when it is determined that one of the plurality of latches has output data.

7. The monitoring circuit of claim 6, wherein the controller obtains second propagation data, including: The controller is configured to determine a position of the second delay unit corresponding to the latch with output data on the second delay chain, and determine the second propagation data based on the position, the delay value of the second delay unit and the delay value of the third delay unit.

8. A chip comprising: The monitoring circuit; The monitoring circuit includes: a first delay chain including a plurality of first delay units connected in series, configured to transmit a first pulse to obtain first propagation data, the first propagation data being represented by the first pulse passing through m first delay units and not passing through m+1 first delay units on the first delay chain within a monitoring duration, m being a positive integer; a second delay chain including a plurality of second delay units connected in series, configured to transmit a second pulse; a third delay chain including a plurality of third delay units connected in series, configured to transmit a third pulse, a difference between the delay value of the second delay unit and the delay value of the third delay unit being less than the delay value of the first delay unit, the first pulse, the second pulse and the third pulse being the same pulse signal; a controller configured to control the second delay chain and the third delay chain to start propagating the pulse signal at different time points, obtain second propagation data when the propagation of the pulse signal on the second delay chain and the third delay chain satisfies a target condition, and determine the delay parameter of the first delay chain based on the first propagation data and the second propagation data.

9. The chip of claim 8, further comprising: a voltage control module configured to obtain the delay parameter of the first delay chain determined by the monitoring circuit, and determine a voltage adjustment strategy based on the delay parameter of the first delay chain.

10. A monitoring method, comprising: obtaining first propagation data, the first propagation data being obtained by propagating a first pulse on a first delay chain, the first propagation data being represented by the first pulse passing through m first delay units connected in series and not passing through m+1 first delay units on the first delay chain within a monitoring duration, m being a positive integer; controlling a second delay chain and a third delay chain to start propagating a pulse signal at different time points, wherein a difference between the delay value of a second delay unit on the second delay chain and the delay value of a third delay unit on the third delay chain is less than the delay value of the first delay unit, the first pulse, a second pulse propagating on the second delay chain and a third pulse propagating on the third delay chain being the same pulse signal; obtaining second propagation data when the propagation of the pulse signal on the second delay chain and the third delay chain satisfies a target condition; determining a delay parameter of the first delay chain based on the first propagation data and the second propagation data.

11. An electronic device comprising: The monitoring circuit of any one of claims 1-7.

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