Non-intrusive performance monitoring

A method of measuring a performance parameter in an integrated circuit, comprising:

• providing a first input signal indicative of the performance parameter to an adaptive adder circuit;
• determining a count value in the adaptive adder circuit as a probability measure of the performance parameter;
• wherein determining the count value further comprises,
• generating a random number in a random number generator circuit;
• providing a counter circuit providing the count value;
• comparing the random number and the count value and providing a compare signal indicative thereof, the compare signal being provided to the counter circuit as a first control signal;
• and
• logically combining the performance parameter and the compare signal to provide a second control signal for controlling operation of the counter circuit.

An apparatus for measuring a performance parameter of a computer system, comprising:

• means for providing a first input signal indicative of the performance parameter to an adaptive adder circuit;
• and
• means for generating a count value as a probability measure of the performance parameter;
• and
• wherein the means for generating the count value comprises:
• means for generating a random number;
• a counter circuit providing the count value;
• means for comparing the random number and the count value and for providing a compare signal indicative thereof;
• and
• means for controlling the counter circuit according to the compare signal and the first input signal.

An integrated circuit comprising:

• a performance monitoring circuit including an adaptive adder circuit coupled to receive a first input signal indicative of a performance parameter of the integrated circuit and to provide a count value as a measure of the performance parameter;
• and wherein
• integrated circuit includes a processor;
• and wherein
• the adaptive adder circuit is accessible by the processor to receive the first input signal indicative of the performance parameter of the integrated circuit, generate a probability stream corresponding to a probability of the performance parameter, and adapt the probability stream to match the input data stream.

A method of measuring a performance parameter in an integrated circuit, comprising:

• providing a first input signal indicative of the performance parameter to an adaptive adder circuit;
• determining a count value in the adaptive adder circuit as a probability measure of the performance parameter;
• sampling circuit operation to generate the first input signal;
• comparing the first input signal to a probability signal to provide a compared signal;
• logically combining the compared signal with a clock signal;
• and
• repeating the comparing and the logically combining for a predetermined number of samples.