Processor Instruction Throttling via Power Dial Register
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current processor power management techniques face challenges in dynamically adjusting power consumption while maintaining performance, particularly in balancing energy efficiency and performance across varying workloads and conditions.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of instruction throttling through a power dial register that controls the rate of instruction flow in a processor pipeline, allowing for dynamic adjustment of power consumption by stalling instructions in queues, which reduces peak power usage while minimizing performance impact, and is triggered by events like cache misses.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If instruction throttling is applied to reduce power consumption, then power consumption is reduced, but processor performance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic instruction throttling by introducing a power dial register that allows software to dynamically adjust the throttling level based on current workload and power requirements. The throttle logic continuously monitors processor state and dynamically modifies instruction flow rates, transitioning between different power performance levels without requiring system restart or manual intervention.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameter of instruction flow rate through the power dial register, which controls the number of instructions processed per clock cycle. By adjusting this parameter, the system can operate at different power consumption levels while maintaining functional correctness, effectively trading off performance for power savings when needed.
2Use of energy by moving object
If clock rate is reduced to manage power consumption, then power consumption is reduced, but system performance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the clock cycle into active processing phases and throttled phases. Instead of uniformly reducing the clock rate, the system processes a certain number of instructions at full clock speed and then inserts idle cycles, creating a segmented execution pattern that reduces average power consumption while maintaining peak performance capability when needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements periodic instruction processing where the processor alternates between active instruction processing periods and idle periods. The power dial register controls the duty cycle of this periodic action, determining how many instructions are processed before inserting idle cycles, thereby creating a rhythmic pattern of activity that manages power consumption.
3Use of energy by moving object
If voltage scaling is applied to reduce power consumption, then power consumption is reduced, but processing capability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary mechanism (the power dial register and associated throttle logic) that mediates between the voltage supply and instruction processing. This intermediary allows the system to maintain voltage at levels that support full processing capability while controlling the actual utilization of that capability through instruction throttling, avoiding the performance degradation that would result from voltage reduction.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods are disclosed for processor power management using instruction throttling. For example, an integrated circuit may include a processor core including a processor pipeline configured to execute instructions; a register configured to store a power dial value that indicates a portion of available clock cycles for throttling of instruction flow through the processor pipeline; and an instruction throttling circuit configured to periodically stall removal of instructions from a queue in the processor pipeline for a number of clock cycles that is determined based on the power dial value.