SoC Cluster Power Control Using Dynamic Voltage Reallocation
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Solution Overview
Problem
High-performance processors in electronic devices consume significant power, necessitating efficient power management to prevent excessive power consumption, which existing power management integrated circuits (PMICs) struggle to effectively manage across multiple processing units within a system on chip (SoC).
Innovation Solution
An electronic circuit that calculates and adjusts power distribution to multiple clusters within an SoC, using a converter and controller to generate interrupt signals based on available power thresholds, ensuring that each cluster operates within its designated power limits while allowing for high-performance processing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a large amount of works is allocated to one core to process a large amount of data, then the processing capability is improved, but the power consumption increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The processor is divided into multiple cores, and the power management system is segmented to independently manage power allocation for each core. This allows selective activation and power distribution to specific cores based on workload requirements, enabling high-performance processing when needed while reducing overall power consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The power management system dynamically adjusts power allocation to cores based on real-time workload conditions. When a core requires high performance for processing large amounts of data, power is increased; when performance requirements are lower, power is reduced. This dynamic adaptation resolves the contradiction between maintaining high productivity and minimizing power consumption.
2Use of energy by moving object
If power is efficiently managed across multiple processing units, then power consumption is controlled, but the complexity of the power management system increases
Solution Approach 1:
Each core is equipped with its own power management circuit that can independently monitor its own power consumption and adjust its power allocation. This self-service approach allows efficient power management across multiple processing units without requiring a centralized complex control system, as each unit manages itself autonomously.
Solution Approach 2:
The power management integrated circuit is designed with universal functionality to handle power management for multiple different types of processing units (CPU, GPU, NPU, etc.) through a standardized interface. This multi-functionality reduces overall system complexity by using a single versatile power management architecture rather than separate specialized circuits for each processor type.
3Loss of energy
If voltage levels are dynamically adjusted to maintain power within limits, then power management efficiency is improved, but the stability of operation may be affected
Solution Approach 1:
The power management system incorporates feedback mechanisms that continuously monitor power consumption levels and adjust voltage allocations accordingly. When power consumption approaches predefined thresholds, the system automatically reduces voltage to maintain efficiency. The feedback loop ensures that these adjustments are made smoothly and reversibly, maintaining operational stability while improving power management efficiency.
Data Source
AI summary
An electronic circuit includes a converter and a controller. The converter outputs a first voltage for a first cluster and a second voltage for a second cluster. When a first power to be provided to the first cluster based on the first voltage is lower than a first available power of the first cluster and a second power to be provided to the second cluster based on the second voltage is higher than a second available power of the second cluster, the controller outputs a first interrupt signal such that a level of the second voltage is adjusted based on a sum of the first power and the second power and a first threshold value determined based on the first available power and the second available power.