Hardware Access Stop Control for Dynamic Clock Frequency Adjustment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional data processing apparatuses cannot simultaneously continue applications requiring real-timeness and change clock frequencies for reduced power consumption, as they require stopping all masters and complex software procedures, leading to increased costs and limited code placement.
Innovation Solution
A hardware-based access stop control apparatus temporarily stops access requests during clock frequency changes, allowing automatic execution of procedures to change clock cycles, frequency, and resume access without stopping master operations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If the clock frequency is changed by software to reduce power consumption, then power consumption is reduced, but all masters accessing the resource must be stopped and complex software procedures are required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the software-based clock frequency change mechanism with a hardware-based automatic control mechanism. The resource control apparatus includes a detection unit that automatically detects access requests and a control unit that automatically adjusts the number of clock cycles based on the detected access state, eliminating the need for complex software procedures while enabling power consumption reduction through dynamic clock frequency adjustment.
2Power
If the clock frequency is changed by stopping all masters, then the clock frequency can be changed, but real-time applications are interrupted and access to the resource must be stopped
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic adjustment of clock frequency based on real-time access detection. The resource control apparatus continuously monitors access requests from masters and dynamically changes the number of clock cycles according to the current access state, allowing the system to adapt between high-performance mode (when access is needed) and low-power mode (when access is not needed) without interrupting real-time applications.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a feedback mechanism where the detection unit monitors the access state of masters and provides this information to the control unit, which then adjusts the clock frequency accordingly. This closed-loop control ensures that clock frequency changes are made only when appropriate, maintaining real-time application continuity while enabling power savings during idle periods.
3Power
If complex software procedures are used to change clock frequency, then clock frequency can be changed, but code placement is limited and memory capacity requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces software-based clock frequency control with hardware-based automatic control logic integrated into the resource control apparatus. This eliminates the need to store complex software codes in memory, reducing memory capacity requirements and removing code placement limitations while maintaining the ability to change clock frequency for power management.
Data Source
AI summary
An access stop control apparatus is provided in a resource control apparatus so that reception of access from a master apparatus is temporarily stopped during changing of a clock frequency and the clock frequency is changed at safe timing. Thereby, the operation of the master apparatus does not need to be stopped during changing of the clock frequency and a period for which access to a resource is stopped can be suppressed. Therefore, execution of an application requiring real-timeness is not affected.