In-Core Temperature Sensing with Shared Currents and Less Wiring
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing temperature sensing systems for computing cores are bulky and complex due to the need for individual temperature sensing systems for each core, leading to increased chip size and wiring complexity.
Innovation Solution
A temperature sensing system comprising an in-core temperature sensing component and an out-of-core temperature-evaluation device that uses time-sharing currents to generate potentials, eliminating the need for extensive wiring by calculating temperature data based on potential differences without requiring currents to flow out of the computing core, and utilizing an analog-to-digital converter to simplify circuitry.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If each computing core is equipped with an exclusive temperature sensing system, then temperature sensing accuracy is improved, but chip size and wiring complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The temperature sensing component within the computing core is designed to be universal, serving multiple purposes: it can sense temperature for multiple cores simultaneously and work with different current sources (internal or external). This multi-functional design eliminates the need for dedicated sensing systems for each core, reducing wiring complexity while maintaining sensing accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of physically replicating complete temperature sensing systems for each core, the invention uses a single sensing component that can be selectively activated or shared among multiple cores. The sensing component effectively 'copies' its function across multiple cores through time-sharing or multiplexing, reducing the physical hardware required while maintaining individual core monitoring capability.
2Measurement precision
If each computing core is equipped with an exclusive temperature sensing system, then temperature sensing accuracy is improved, but chip size increases
Solution Approach 1:
The temperature sensing component is merged with the computing core structure, sharing the same physical space and ground reference. By combining the sensing function with the core architecture rather than adding separate external sensing circuits, the chip area required for temperature monitoring is minimized while maintaining accurate per-core temperature sensing capability.
Solution Approach 2:
A single temperature sensing component serves multiple computing cores, eliminating the need for separate sensing hardware for each core. This universal sensing approach significantly reduces the total chip area required for temperature monitoring while maintaining the ability to accurately sense temperatures across multiple cores through selective activation or time-sharing.
3Device complexity
If currents are provided from out-of-core to in-core, then wiring is simplified, but voltage difference between grounds affects measurement accuracy
Solution Approach 1:
The current source function is extracted from the computing core and placed outside the core, in the temperature evaluation device. This allows the current to be supplied from an external ground reference, simplifying the wiring architecture. The voltage difference issue is resolved by performing differential measurement, which extracts only the temperature-related voltage component while rejecting the ground offset.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses feedback through differential measurement to compensate for ground voltage differences. By measuring the voltage difference between two points and using this feedback to calculate temperature, the system automatically rejects common-mode ground offsets, maintaining measurement accuracy despite the simplified external current sourcing architecture.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution reduces wiring complexity and allows for accurate temperature sensing within computing cores while minimizing the impact of voltage differences between internal and external grounds, enabling efficient performance monitoring without increasing chip size.
Implementation Method 1
The in-core temperature sensing component receives a plurality of currents in a time-sharing manner and thereby generates a plurality of potentials
Data Source
AI summary
A temperature sensing system with simplified wiring comprises an in-core temperature sensing component and an out-of-core temperature-evaluation device. The out-of-core temperature-evaluation device provides a plurality of currents to the in-core temperature sensing module in a time-sharing manner. Corresponding to the plurality of currents, the in-core temperature sensing component generates a plurality of potentials to the out-of-core temperature-evaluation device. The out-of-core temperature-evaluation device evaluates a temperature data by performing a difference calculation on the plurality of potentials.