Controller-Based Link Power Management for Integrated Circuits
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current System on Chip (SoC) technologies face challenges in efficiently managing power supply for Low Latency Interfaces (LLI) between integrated circuits, leading to potential instability when transitioning to low power states, as outstanding transactions may not be completed before power reduction, affecting latency and system reliability.
Innovation Solution
A method for controlling transaction exchanges between two integrated circuits involves a controller that receives orders to lower power supply, sends instructions to prevent new transactions, and only reduces power once pending transactions are executed, ensuring secure and reliable termination of data exchange, utilizing a link management system with a 'System Master' controlling both chips and monitoring pending transactions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If the link is powered down or put into low power supply states to reduce power consumption, then power consumption is reduced, but transaction exchanges may be interrupted and system reliability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The controller prevents new transactions from being initiated before powering down the link. This preliminary action ensures that the link is only powered down when no transactions are pending, thereby maintaining system reliability while enabling power savings.
Solution Approach 2:
The system monitors the status of pending transactions and uses this feedback to control the power supply to the link. The link remains powered on when transactions are pending and is powered down when no transactions are pending, optimizing power consumption while ensuring reliability.
2Use of energy by moving object
If the link is powered down to reduce power consumption, then power consumption is reduced, but transaction completion may be interrupted and data loss may occur
Solution Approach 1:
The controller prevents new transactions from being initiated before powering down the link. This ensures that no new data transactions are started that could be interrupted by power down, preventing data loss while enabling power savings.
Solution Approach 2:
The system automatically monitors its own transaction status and controls power supply accordingly, ensuring that power is only reduced when it is safe to do so without causing data loss.
3Reliability
If the link remains powered on to ensure reliable transaction completion, then system reliability is improved, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The power supply to the link is made dynamic rather than static. The link is powered on when transactions are pending and powered down when no transactions are pending, allowing the system to adapt power consumption to actual operational needs while maintaining reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the power supply parameter to 'low power state' or 'powered down' when no transactions are pending, rather than maintaining a constant high power state. This parameter change reduces power consumption without affecting reliability since no transactions are being processed.
4Productivity
If new transactions are allowed to be initiated while power down order is received, then transaction throughput is maintained, but system stability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The controller prevents new transactions from being initiated as a preliminary action before power down. This ensures system stability by avoiding the introduction of new transactions during the power transition period, while allowing existing transactions to complete for maintained throughput.
Solution Approach 2:
The system applies a preliminary anti-action by blocking new transaction initiation before power down. This counteracts the potential instability that would arise from allowing transactions to be initiated during power transition, while preserving throughput by allowing completed transactions to proceed.
Data Source
AI summary
Transaction exchanges are controlled between two integrated circuits in a system having the integrated circuits (ICs), a power supply supplying power to a link between the ICs, thereby enabling transaction exchanges between both ICs and a controller controlling the ICs and the power supply. This involves receiving an order at the controller, wherein the order requires the link to be closed. An instruction is sent from the controller to each of the two ICs, wherein the instruction causes each of the ICs to stop initiating new transaction requests. For each one of the ICs, in response to detecting that the one of the two ICs has stopped initiating new transactions, it is detected when all pending transactions initiated by the one of the two ICs have been executed. The link is closed in response to detecting that all pending transactions of both of the two ICs have been executed.