Variable Sampling Frequency for Digital Power Indicators
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional power management systems in integrated circuit devices face challenges in accurately measuring power consumption due to the lack of granularity and repeatability in thermal measurement mechanisms, often leading to inaccurate representations of energy usage when sampling frequencies align with software harmonics.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a method that varies the sampling frequency by introducing a variable delay time, generated using a pseudo-random number generator, to avoid software harmonics and achieve more precise power monitoring, allowing for accurate energy value calculation and improved power management.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a fixed sampling frequency is used to monitor power consumption, then the measurement process is simple and consistent, but the measurements become inaccurate when the sampling frequency aligns with software harmonics
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by transitioning from a fixed sampling frequency to a variable sampling frequency that changes over time. The sampling frequency is dynamically adjusted using a pseudo-random number generator to avoid alignment with software harmonics, thereby improving measurement accuracy without requiring complex manual tuning or multiple fixed-frequency systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements parameter changes by modifying the sampling frequency parameter based on pseudo-random values. Instead of using a constant sampling rate, the system varies the sampling frequency parameter to prevent systematic errors that occur when the sampling rate coincides with software loop frequencies, thus resolving the measurement accuracy issue.
2Measurement precision
If thermal measurement mechanisms are used to monitor power consumption, then the implementation is straightforward, but the measurements lack granularity and repeatability
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the thermal measurement mechanism (which relies on physical temperature sensing) with a digital sampling-based power monitoring system. This substitution allows for more granular and repeatable measurements by directly sampling power-related signals at variable frequencies, avoiding the inherent limitations of thermal measurement granularity while maintaining implementation feasibility.
3Measurement precision
If conventional analog power measurement is used to achieve accurate power consumption data, then the measurement accuracy improves, but the hardware complexity and circuit requirements increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a digital copying approach by sampling and recording power-related signal characteristics (such as activity factors of digital signals) rather than directly measuring analog power consumption. This creates a digital representation or copy of the power usage pattern that can be processed and analyzed digitally, achieving accurate power measurement without requiring complex analog-to-digital conversion hardware.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs lightweight digital sampling techniques that use minimal hardware resources compared to conventional analog power measurement systems. By using simple digital signal sampling and processing, the system achieves accurate power measurement without investing in expensive and complex analog measurement circuitry, effectively using simpler, less resource-intensive methods to solve the measurement problem.
Data Source
AI summary
A method and system for varying sampling frequency to avoid software harmonics when sampling digital power indicators are described herein. A power monitor may repetitively sample, at a variable sampling rate based on a variable delay time, multiple signals of an IC device to obtain energy values. The variable delay time may be based on a pseudo-random value or a predictable value. The variable delay time may indicate a number of delay cycles that may be inserted between the repetitive samples of the energy values. The variable number of delay cycles between energy value samples may produce a variable sampling rate. A variable sampling rate may avoid alignment with software harmonics which can cause an inaccurate representation of power consumption. The multiple samples obtained by repetitively sampling energy value for the portion of the IC may be summed to generate a cumulative energy value for the portion of the IC.