Predictive on-chip voltage simulation to detect near-future under voltage conditions
AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation
InventorsThomas Strach, Preetham M. Lobo, Tobias Webel
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to detecting undervoltage conditions at a subcircuit. A power supply current of a first subcircuit is determined over a first number of previous clock cycles. A cross current flowing between the first subcircuit and a second subcircuit is determined over the first number of previous clock cycles. An estimated momentary supply voltage present at the first subcircuit is then determined based on the power supply current of the first subcircuit over the first number of previous clock cycles and the cross current flowing between the first subcircuit and the second subcircuit over the first number of previous clock cycles.
Claims15
A semiconductor circuit comprising:
- a first subcircuit;
- a second subcircuit;
- and
- a power management circuitry, wherein the power management circuitry is configured to determine an estimated momentary supply voltage present at the first subcircuit based on a power supply current of the first subcircuit over a first number of previous clock cycles and a cross current flowing between the first subcircuit and the second subcircuit over the first number of previous clock cycles.
A method for predicting undervoltage conditions at a semiconductor circuit, the semiconductor circuit including a first subcircuit and a second subcircuit, the method comprising:
- determining a power supply current of the first subcircuit over a first number of previous clock cycles;
- determining a cross current flowing between the first subcircuit and the second subcircuit over the first number of previous clock cycles;
- and
- determining an estimated momentary supply voltage present at the first subcircuit based on the power supply current of the first subcircuit over the first number of previous clock cycles and the cross current flowing between the first subcircuit and the second subcircuit over the first number of previous clock cycles.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.