DVFS Controller Active Time Sub-Block Power Monitoring
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current integrated circuits face challenges in efficiently managing power consumption and performance in mobile devices, particularly in multi-thread environments where dynamic voltage and frequency scaling (DVFS) operations do not adequately account for varying workload and power usage across sub-blocks, leading to suboptimal performance and power management.
Innovation Solution
An integrated circuit with sub-blocks, active counters, and a DVFS controller that calculates power consumption based on active time and adjusts operating conditions by adjusting clock signal frequency and power voltage, optimizing performance and power usage through dynamic voltage and frequency scaling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If DVFS operation adjusts frequency and voltage to control performance, then power consumption is reduced, but performance improvement is limited due to not reflecting power margin
Solution Approach 1:
The DVFS controller implements feedback by continuously monitoring power consumption of sub blocks and using this information to dynamically adjust operating conditions. The controller calculates power consumption based on active time measurements and feeds this information back to make informed decisions about frequency and voltage adjustments, ensuring optimal balance between power savings and performance.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts operating conditions based on real-time power consumption measurements. The DVFS controller modifies frequency and voltage levels adaptively rather than using fixed settings, allowing the system to respond to changing workload conditions and maximize both power efficiency and performance as needed.
2Productivity
If frequency and voltage are increased to improve performance, then productivity increases, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The DVFS controller changes operating parameters (frequency and voltage) based on measured power consumption and calculated power margin. By adjusting these parameters dynamically according to actual conditions rather than using fixed high settings, the system achieves high performance when needed while minimizing power consumption during lower workload periods.
3Ease of operation
If DVFS operation uses general power consumption data, then power management is simplified, but suboptimal performance results due to not accounting for individual sub block power usage
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments power consumption monitoring by individual sub blocks, with each sub block's power usage tracked separately through its active time measurements. This segmentation allows the DVFS controller to make precise, targeted adjustments for each sub block based on its specific power characteristics and workload, optimizing overall system performance while maintaining manageable complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The DVFS operation applies different operating conditions to different sub blocks based on their individual power consumption characteristics. Each sub block can operate at optimized frequency and voltage levels tailored to its specific requirements, rather than applying a uniform setting across the entire system, thereby achieving better overall performance optimization.
Data Source
AI summary
An integrated circuit includes a plurality of sub blocks configured to process an instruction according to an operating condition, a plurality of active counters configured to count an active time, which is a time for each of the plurality of sub blocks to process an instruction, and a Dynamic Voltage and Frequency Scaling (DVFS) controller configured to calculate power consumption of the plurality of sub blocks during a sample period based on the active time and adjust an operating condition of the plurality of sub blocks based on the power consumption.