System Architectures for and Methods of Scheduling On-Chip and Across-Chip Noise Events in an Integrated Circuit

A method of controlling instantaneous current noise in an integrated circuit having a predetermined instantaneous current draw threshold and that includes a plurality of noise contributors each configured to generate a request-to-operate signal and each configured to perform at least one predefined operation, the method comprising:

• receiving substantially simultaneously a plurality of request-to-operate signals from corresponding ones of the plurality of noise contributors;
• determining when ones of the plurality of predefined operations corresponding to said corresponding ones of the plurality of noise contributors execute relative to one another as a function of the predetermined instantaneous current draw threshold and a pre-determined priority scheme;
• and
• notifying each of said corresponding ones of the plurality of noise contributors to perform the corresponding at least one predefined operation in accordance with the preceding determining step.