Adaptive temperature dependent feedback clock control system and method

A clock control system for generating a clock signal having an operating frequency set to a nominal operating frequency corresponding to a maximum rated junction temperature, comprising:

• a thermal sensor operative to produce a temperature signal corresponding to a junction temperature of at least a portion of a circuit on a die;
• a thermal sensor control circuit, operatively coupled to the thermal sensor, and operative to produce temperature data in response to the temperature signal and to provide an interrupt control signal in response to the temperature data;
• a clock generator circuit operative to produce the clock signal;
• a dynamic overclock frequency control data generator, operatively coupled to the thermal sensor control circuit and the clock generator circuit, and operative to provide dynamic overclock frequency control data to the clock generator circuit in response to the interrupt control signal and the received temperature data to cause the clock generator circuit to increase the operating frequency of the clock signal above the nominal operating frequency, when the detected junction temperature is less than the maximum rated junction temperature;
• and
• memory comprising data representing junction temperatures over a temperature operating range with corresponding clock signal frequencies, wherein the data representing junction temperatures over the temperature operating range with corresponding clock signal frequencies are organized as at least one lookup table.

A clock control system for generating a clock signal having an operating frequency set to a first frequency corresponding to a first junction temperature, comprising:

• a thermal sensor operative to detect a junction temperature corresponding to at least a portion of a circuit on a die;
• a temperature dependent dynamic overclock generator circuit, operatively coupled to the thermal sensor, and operative to increase the operating frequency of the clock signal above the nominal operating frequency, when the detected junction temperature is below the maximum rated junction temperature;
• and
• memory comprising data representing junction temperatures over a temperature operating range with corresponding clock signal frequencies, wherein the data representing junction temperatures over a temperature operating range with corresponding clock signal frequencies account for a predetermined physical installation of the circuit on the die, and are organized as at least one lookup table.