Approach to reducing voltage noise in a stalled data pipeline
AssigneeNVIDIA Corporation
InventorsPhilip Payman SHIRVANI, Peter SOMMERS, Eric T. ANDERSON
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Computer and graphics processing elements, connected generally in series, form a pipeline. Circuit elements known as di/dt throttles are inserted within the pipeline at strategic locations where the potential exists for data flow to transition from an idle state to a maximum data processing rate. The di/dt throttles gently ramp the rate of data flow from idle to a typical level. Disproportionate current draw and the consequent voltage droop are thus avoided, allowing an increased frequency of operation to be realized.
Claims20
A computer-implemented method for reducing voltage noise in a data pipeline, the method comprising:
- determining that a rate of data throughput from a first processing element to a second processing element within the data pipeline has been decreased below a nominal level due to a stall event;
- determining that the stall event has been cleared;
- and
- increasing the rate of data throughput to the nominal level over a time interval to control the amount of power consumed by the first processing element.
A subsystem configured to reduce voltage noise in a data pipeline, including:
- a first processing element;
- a second processing element;
- and
- a throttle unit configured to:
- determine that a rate of data throughput from the first processing element to the second processing element has been decreased below a nominal level due to a stall event,
- determine that the stall event has been cleared, and
- increase the rate of data throughput to the nominal level over a time interval to control the amount of power consumed by the first processing element.
A computing device configured to reduce voltage noise in a data pipeline, including:
- a first processing element;
- a second processing element;
- and
- a throttle unit configured to:
- determine that a rate of data throughput from the first processing element to the second processing element has been decreased below a nominal level due to a stall event,
- determine that the stall event has been cleared, and
- increase the rate of data throughput to the nominal level over a time interval to control the amount of power consumed by the first processing element.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.