IC Thermal Predictor Using Performance Counters

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Solution Overview

Problem

Integrated circuits (ICs) face temporary malfunctions and potential permanent failures due to excessive operating temperatures, necessitating effective temperature management to prevent thermal-related issues.

Innovation Solution

Incorporating hardware performance counters and thermal sensors within the IC, a micro-controller generates thermal predictors to forecast future temperatures, enabling proactive measures to maintain safe operating conditions by throttling the processing unit or adjusting cooling mechanisms when temperatures approach critical levels.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If the IC operates at high performance levels, then productivity is improved, but temperature rises causing temporary malfunction or permanent failure

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprocessing performanceVSAvoidoperational reliability

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary thermal analysis by collecting historical temperature and performance data, then generates thermal predictors before critical temperatures are reached. This allows proactive throttling decisions to prevent thermal failures while maintaining high performance during safe operating conditions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system continuously monitors temperature sensors and performance counters, feeds this data to the thermal predictor, and adjusts processing frequency dynamically. This closed-loop feedback mechanism enables the IC to maintain optimal performance while preventing thermal runaway through real-time adaptive control.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

2Reliability

If thermal predictors are generated continuously to predict future temperatures, then reliability is improved, but use of energy increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetemperature management reliabilityVSAvoidenergy consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The system generates thermal predictors selectively rather than continuously - using partial thermal analysis when temperature trends indicate potential issues, and reducing prediction frequency when temperatures are stable and well within safe ranges. This balances reliability with energy conservation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Solution Approach 2:

The thermal predictor adapts its computation parameters dynamically, adjusting the frequency and depth of thermal analysis based on current operating conditions. When temperature margins are large, parameter changes reduce computational intensity; when approaching critical thresholds, the system increases prediction granularity for higher reliability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentUS10948955B2Chip transient temperature predictor

Publication Date: 2021.03.16 INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINE CORPORATION

AI summary

An integrated circuit (IC) includes: a plurality of hardware performance counters; a thermal sensor; and a micro-controller. The micro-controller generates a plurality of thermal predictors based on values of the counters and temperatures sensed by the thermal sensor. The thermal predictors include first and second rising thermal delta predictors to predict rising temperature deltas and first and second falling thermal delta predictors to predict falling temperature deltas. The micro-controller predicts a future temperature of the IC based on an idle temperature of the IC and a selected one of the temperature deltas.