Microcontroller Energy Profiling via Event and Duration Counters
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for managing energy consumption in microcontrollers lack accurate estimation of energy usage by specific components, leading to potential unnecessary reduction in functionality, especially in battery-powered applications and environments with limited heat dissipation.
Innovation Solution
A method and apparatus that estimate energy consumption by identifying and measuring 'event' and 'duration' activities of microcontroller components using energy coefficients, with the ability to dynamically adjust operations for power management, employing counters, clocks, analog circuitry, and logic circuitry to monitor and calculate energy usage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If operational settings are adjusted to reduce energy consumption (e.g., reducing clock speeds or disabling components), then energy consumption is reduced, but functionality is unnecessarily reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments energy monitoring into component-level measurements using separate counters for different activity types (event activities vs. duration activities). Each component's energy consumption is tracked independently through dedicated counter circuits, allowing selective optimization without affecting overall functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes operational parameters dynamically based on actual energy measurements. Energy coefficients are applied to convert counted events and measured durations into energy consumption values, enabling adaptive adjustment of operational settings based on real-time energy usage data rather than static configurations.
2Measurement precision
If component energy consumption is accurately measured and monitored, then energy management is optimized, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The counter circuits serve multiple functions: they count event activities, measure duration activities, and provide data for energy consumption calculations. The energy profiler unit integrates these counting functions with energy coefficient applications in a single unified system, reducing overall device complexity despite enhanced measurement capabilities.
Solution Approach 2:
The monitoring system uses the microcontroller's existing operational signals (clock signals, activity indicators) to drive the counters. The system monitors itself using its own operational data without requiring external measurement equipment, thereby adding minimal complexity while achieving accurate energy measurement.
Data Source
AI summary
A method is disclosed to estimate energy consumed by a component in a microcontroller during operation including identifying “event” activities, where the energy consumed by the component may be determined by the number of events executed by the component, and “duration” activities, where the energy consumed may be determined by the duration of time required to execute of the activity, and determining the energy consumed by the component based on the number of events/duration of time and an energy coefficient which corresponds to the amount of energy consumed by the component to execute the activity, under given operating conditions. In an embodiment, data transfers at a bus interface may represent event activities. Apparatus to estimate the energy consumed is disclosed including bus monitors to receive signals representing data transfers at a bus interface and provide signals indicating the number of data transfers executed.