Changing clock frequency
AssigneeIntel Corporation
InventorsJohn T. Orton, Cau L. Nguyen, Gurbir Singh, Xia Dai, Raviprakash Nagaraj, Edwin J. Pole, II
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system includes a component (e.g., a processor) that includes a clock generator that generates an internal clock running at a frequency. A controller generates a clock frequency change indication and places the component into a low activity state (e.g., deep sleep, stop grant, or other state). The clock generator is reset by the clock frequency change indication to change the clock's frequency while the component is in the low activity state. Storage elements containing different values are selectable to set the clock frequency. The storage elements include fuse banks and input pins.
Claims35
A system comprising:
- a component receiving a reference clock and including a clock generator to generate an internal clock running at a first frequency;
- and
- a controller to generate a clock frequency change indication and to place the component into a low activity state,
- the clock generator having a setting changed in response to the clock frequency change indication to change the frequency of the internal clock to a second frequency while the component is in the low activity state,
- the clock generator at a first setting providing the internal clock at the first frequency based on the reference clock, and the clock generator at a second setting providing the internal clock at the second frequency based on the same reference clock.
A device comprising:
- an input pin;
- a clock generator receiving a first clock to generate an internal clock having a first frequency;
- a receiving circuit to sample a state of the input pin in response to a low activity state of the device,
- the clock generator to adjust the clock frequency to a second frequency based on the sampled state of the input pin,
- the internal clock at either the first or second frequency being based on the first clock.
A method of changing a frequency of a clock in a component, the clock being based on a reference clock received by the component, comprising:
- generating a clock frequency change indication;
- placing the component into a low activity state;
- resetting an internal clock generator to adjust an internal clock frequency while the component is in the low activity state in response to the clock frequency change indication;
- and
- providing the internal clock based on the reference clock at a new frequency.
A component comprising:
- an input for a reference clock;
- a clock generator responsive to the reference clock to produce an internal clock, the clock generator capable of changing a frequency of the internal clock while in a low activity state;
- a first element having a first value;
- a second element having a second value;
- and
- the internal clock frequency that is based on the reference clock being dependent on which of the first and second values is received by the clock generator.
The component comprising:
- an input for a reference clock;
- a clock generator responsive to the reference clock to produce an internal clock, the clock generator capable of changing a frequency of the internal clock while in a low activity state;
- and
- an element programmable to one of plural values,
- the internal clock having plural frequencies based on the reference clock corresponding to the plural programmable values of the element.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.