Semiconductor Device Score-Based Module Activation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing semiconductor devices face malfunctions due to sharp current fluctuations, leading to voltage drops or increases, which are typically addressed by upsizing chips to absorb these fluctuations, reducing cost competitiveness.
Innovation Solution
A semiconductor device with a table storing operating frequencies and associated scores, a score specifying unit, and an output unit that instructs modules to activate at different times if scores exceed a threshold, preventing malfunctions while maintaining circuit size and cost competitiveness.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If power supply capacity is increased or internal capacity is added to prevent voltage fluctuations, then reliability is improved, but chip size increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system calculates scores for each module based on their operating frequencies before activation, and uses these scores to determine the activation sequence. By performing this preliminary scoring and sequencing, the system prevents simultaneous activation of high-current modules, thereby avoiding voltage fluctuations without requiring additional power supply capacity or internal capacity circuits.
2Productivity
If modules are activated simultaneously to meet performance requirements, then productivity is improved, but current fluctuations increase causing malfunctions
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts the activation timing of modules based on their calculated scores. Instead of fixed simultaneous activation or static sequential activation, the system uses the score-based sequencing to adaptively control activation timing, allowing modules with lower current impact to activate first while prioritizing high-performance modules, thus balancing productivity and reliability.
3Reliability
If power supply margin is increased to absorb current fluctuations, then reliability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the power management function from the power supply hardware and relocates it to the control logic. Instead of adding hardware components to the power supply unit to absorb current fluctuations, the system uses software-based score calculation and sequencing to prevent the fluctuations in the first place, thereby maintaining reliability while avoiding increased device complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A malfunction caused by sharp fluctuations in current is prevented while suppressing an increase in circuit size. A semiconductor device includes a plurality of modules. The semiconductor device includes: a table that stores a plurality of operating frequencies in each of the modules and a plurality of scores determined based on the operating frequencies such that the operating frequencies and the scores are associated with each other for each of the modules; a score specifying unit that acquires the clock operating frequencies of the modules and specifies the scores based on the clock operating frequencies with reference to the table; and an output unit that outputs an instruction to activate the modules at different times if the specified scores exceed a predetermined threshold value.