IC Signal Path Control Using ECC Feedback at Target Error Rate
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing integrated circuit technologies face challenges in managing operating parameters to balance energy consumption and latency, often requiring retransmission of signals due to error detection, which complicates communication mechanisms and increases system performance impact.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a dynamic control mechanism that uses error correction codes to maintain a target non-zero error rate, adjusting parameters like signal voltage, clock frequency, and body bias voltage based on detected errors, thereby reducing energy consumption without increasing latency or complicating communication mechanisms.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If voltage reduction measures are taken to reduce energy consumption, then energy consumption is reduced, but transmission errors occur more frequently
Solution Approach 1:
Error correction codes are added to the data before transmission at the source. This preliminary action prepares the data to withstand potential transmission errors that may occur due to voltage reduction, allowing the receiver to correct errors without retransmission.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts operating parameters (voltage, clock frequency, body bias) based on detected error rates. When errors are detected, the controller modifies these parameters in real-time to maintain reliable communication while minimizing energy consumption.
2Reliability
If retransmission mechanism is implemented to handle transmission errors, then transmission reliability is improved, but latency increases
Solution Approach 1:
Error correction codes are pre-added to the data before transmission. This allows the receiver to independently correct errors without needing to request retransmission, thereby eliminating the time delay associated with error detection and retransmission cycles.
3Reliability
If retransmission mechanism is implemented to handle transmission errors, then transmission reliability is improved, but system performance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
Error correction codes are added in advance to the transmitted data. This enables the receiver to correct errors autonomously without initiating retransmission protocols, thereby maintaining high system performance and throughput without the overhead of retransmission handling.
4Use of energy by moving object
If operating parameters are reduced to minimize energy consumption, then energy consumption is minimized, but error rates increase
Solution Approach 1:
Error correction codes are added to the data before transmission at reduced voltage. This preliminary encoding ensures that even if transmission errors occur due to low voltage, the original information can be recovered, thus maintaining low error rates while minimizing energy consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically monitors error rates and adjusts operating parameters (voltage, clock frequency, body bias) in real-time. This dynamic control allows the system to operate at minimal energy consumption while maintaining acceptable error rates through adaptive parameter modification.
Data Source
AI summary
An integrated circuit (2) includes a signal source (4, 6) and a signal destination (10, 12) linked by a signal path (8). Error correction codes (e.g. Hamming codes) are applied to the signals to be transmitted. Errors detected in the signal transmission are used to control an operating parameter of the signal path, such as signal voltage level, body bias voltage, clock frequency and/or temperature. The control applied is closed-loop feedback control seeking to maintain a finite non-zero predetermined error rate. The technique can also be used between a memory accessing integrated circuit (54) and a separate memory integrated circuit (56). Furthermore, the technique can be used to provide fixed, but differing operating parameters for signal lines within a signal path. Control signals which may be timing critical are passed with appropriate operating parameters, such as a high signal voltage level, where as other signals, such as address and data signals, are passed with a different appropriate operating parameter, such as a low signal voltage level.