Processor Clock Management Circuit Direct Interface
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Solution Overview
Problem
In systems on chip (SoC), dynamic power management is inefficient due to the lack of direct and immediate control over clock signals for processor circuits, leading to unnecessary power consumption when clock gating is implemented.
Innovation Solution
An electronic device with a clock management circuit and processor circuit directly connected, allowing for immediate and selective control of clock signals based on the operation status of the processor, enabling or disabling the clock as needed to optimize power usage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If clock gating is performed through a driver interface, then power management is enabled, but signal processing delays occur and dynamic power reduction is inefficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the clock control function from the traditional driver interface and creates a direct interface between the processor circuit and clock management circuit. This allows the processor to directly control clock gating without going through the driver, eliminating signal processing delays while maintaining power management capabilities
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a dedicated clock control interface as an intermediary between the processor circuit and clock management circuit. This specialized interface enables efficient direct communication for clock control purposes, bypassing the general-purpose driver interface and reducing signal processing overhead
2Speed
If direct connection between processor and clock management circuit is implemented, then immediate clock control is achieved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The direct interface between processor and clock management circuit is designed with multi-functionality, handling both clock control and status communication through a unified connection. This reduces the need for separate dedicated circuits while achieving immediate clock control response
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the clock control functionality into the existing processor-circuit interface structure, combining multiple control functions into a single integrated interface. This approach achieves fast clock control without proportionally increasing device complexity
3Ease of operation
If clock gating is implemented through driver access, then power management control is possible, but control efficiency is reduced due to job queue checking
Solution Approach 1:
The processor circuit directly manages clock control operations through the dedicated interface, eliminating the need to access driver code and check job queues. The system serves its own clock management needs internally, improving control efficiency while maintaining ease of operation through direct hardware control
Data Source
AI summary
An electronic device according to some example embodiments includes a clock management circuit configured to control a clock signal and a processor circuit directly connected to the clock management circuit and configured to provide a clock control request for the clock signal to the clock management circuit according to an operation status of the processor circuit.