59 results about "Adaptive voltage scaling" patented technology

There is disclosed a digital circuit comprising a digital processing component, an adjustable power supply and power supply adjustment circuitry. The digital processing component is capable of operating at a plurality of selected clock frequencies, wherein a maximum delay time of a critical path in the digital processing component is determined by a level of a power supply, VDD, of the digital processing component. The adjustable power supply is capable of supplying VDD to the digital processing component. The power supply adjustment circuitry is operable to receive a first selected clock signal and adjusts the level of VDD such that the maximum delay time of the critical path of the digital processing component is less than a pulse-width duration between a first clock edge of the first selected clock signal and a second clock edge of the first selected clock signal immediately following the first clock edge.

Techniques for enhancing the performance of an IC are provided. A method of enhancing IC performance includes the steps of: associating at least one performance result of at least one performance monitor, formed on the IC, with deterministic combinations of IC performance and a processing parameter, a supply voltage, and / or a temperature of the IC; determining an IC processing characterization of the IC as a function of the performance result for at least one prescribed supply voltage and temperature of the IC, the IC processing characterization being indicative of a type of processing received by the IC during fabrication of the IC; and controlling a voltage supplied to at least a portion of the IC, the voltage being controlled as a function of the IC processing characterization and / or the temperature of the IC so as to satisfy at least one prescribed performance parameter of the IC.

Provided is a highly energy-efficient processor architecture. The architecture employs 2-stage dynamic voltage scaling (DVS) and a sleep mode for high energy efficiency, dynamically controls the power supply voltage and activation of an embedded processor with instructions, and thus can prevent performance deterioration while reducing power consumption.A highly energy-efficient processor employing the processor architecture includes: a function unit block for performing an operation according to instructions input from the outside; at least one peripheral unit block for performing data communication with an external device; an instruction decoder for interpreting the input instructions and determining operation modes of the function unit block and peripheral unit block required for executing the interpreted instructions; a function unit block driver for applying a different power supply voltage according to the operation mode of the function unit block to the function unit block; and a peripheral unit block driver for applying a different power supply voltage according to the operation mode of the peripheral unit block to the peripheral unit block.

Adaptive voltage scalers (AVSs), systems, and related methods are disclosed. The AVSs are configured to adaptively adjust voltage levels powering a functional circuit(s) based on target operating frequencies and delay variation conditions to avoid or reduce voltage margin. In one embodiment, the AVS includes a database. The database can be configured to store voltage levels for various operating frequencies of a functional circuit(s) to avoid or reduce voltage margin. The database allows rapid voltage level decisions. In one embodiment, a voltage offset is added to a voltage level retrieved from the database corresponding to a target operating frequency of the functional circuit(s). In another embodiment, a voltage level is retrieved from the database corresponding to a target operating frequency for and a temperature level of the functional circuit(s). The AVS may partially or fully controllable by a software-based module that consults the database to make voltage level decisions.

Adaptive voltage scalers (AVSs), systems, and related methods are disclosed. The AVSs are configured to adaptively adjust voltage levels powering a functional circuit(s) based on target operating frequencies and delay variation conditions to avoid or reduce voltage margin. In one embodiment, the AVS includes an AVS database. The AVS database can be configured to store voltage levels for various operating frequencies of a functional circuit(s) to avoid or reduce voltage margin. The AVS database allows rapid voltage level decisions. The voltage levels stored in the AVS database may be initial, minimum, learned, populated, explored, backed out, temperature-based, and / or age-based voltage levels according to disclosed embodiments to further avoid or reduce voltage margin. An AVS module may be a software-based module that consults the AVS database to make voltage level decisions. Providing the AVS module as a software-based module may allow flexibility in configuring the AVS module and / or the AVS database.

AVS (Adaptive Voltage Scaling) technique, by which variability and uncertainty are both taken into account. In the system arranged for AVS technique, a detection circuit optimum for each type of process variation is set. Examples of the detection circuit so arranged include a first measurement circuit for detection of variability, which produces a relative value with respect to the gate delay mean value, and a second measurement circuit for detection of uncertainty, which produces a relative value related to the gate delay standard deviation. The first and second measurement circuits are provided separately from each other. The control information for deciding the supply voltage is prepared based on relative values produced by the detection circuits. When preparing the control information, reference is made to e.g. a table data.