Delay Line Clock Modulation for Voltage Droop Mitigation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Integrated circuit devices face functional failures due to voltage droops caused by sudden changes in workload, leading to increased power consumption and reduced performance, which existing solutions fail to address effectively.
Innovation Solution
Adaptive clock modulation techniques using multiple delay line circuits to detect frequency changes and adjust clock signal frequency in response to supply voltage fluctuations, mitigating voltage droops and optimizing power consumption and performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If standard approaches are used to deal with voltage droops, then voltage droop mitigation is achieved, but power consumption increases and device performance decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic clock frequency adjustment based on real-time voltage monitoring. The clock signal frequency is modulated adaptively in response to detected voltage droops, allowing the system to optimize power consumption while maintaining operational reliability during voltage fluctuations.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the frequency parameter of the clock signal dynamically. By detecting voltage droops and adjusting the clock frequency accordingly, the system optimizes power consumption characteristics while preventing functional failures, thus resolving the contradiction between reliability and power usage.
2Reliability
If standard approaches are used to deal with voltage droops, then voltage droop mitigation is achieved, but device performance decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts clock frequency based on voltage conditions rather than using static mitigation approaches. This allows the device to maintain optimal performance during normal operation while adapting to voltage droops in real-time, preventing performance degradation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a feedback mechanism where voltage droops are detected and used to modulate the clock signal frequency. This closed-loop control ensures that performance is maintained by adjusting operational parameters based on actual voltage conditions, rather than applying fixed mitigation strategies that would degrade performance.
3Use of energy by moving object
If clock frequency is dynamically adjusted to mitigate voltage droops, then power consumption is reduced, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary voltage detection and control mechanism that mediates between the power supply and the clock generation circuitry. This intermediary layer detects voltage droops and translates them into appropriate clock frequency adjustments, managing the complexity through a dedicated control interface rather than redesigning the entire system.
Data Source
AI summary
Techniques and mechanisms for using multiple delay line circuits to detect a change to the frequency of a periodic signal. In an embodiment, a first delay line receives the periodic signal from a phase locked loop, and generates first bits which include an indication of a first edge segment of the delay line. Another two delay lines receive respective bits which are variously based on a sampling of the first bits. The other two delay lines each output a respective one of two bit sequences, which are sampled or otherwise used to determine the transitioning of a clock signal. In another embodiment, the frequency of the clock signal is determined based on one of a threshold minimum period of time that the frequency of the periodic signal is stable, a threshold minimum frequency of the periodic signal, or a threshold minimum increase to the frequency of the periodic signal.