Semiconductor integrated circuit and control method for the same
AssigneeFujitsu Limited
InventorHiroshi Okano
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A semiconductor integrated circuit includes a user circuit and a power supply noise suppression circuit. The user circuit includes a plurality of circuit modules each containing an operation ratio control circuit. The power supply noise suppression circuit judges an amount of current fluctuation occurring in the user circuit by monitoring an operation ratio of each of the plurality of circuit modules, and controls, via each of the operation ratio control circuits, the operation ratio of a corresponding one of the circuit modules in accordance with a result of the judgment of the amount of current fluctuation.
Claims16
A semiconductor integrated circuit comprising:
- a user circuit configured to include a plurality of circuit modules each containing an operation ratio control circuit;
- and
- a power supply noise suppression circuit operably coupled to the user circuit and configured to judge an amount of current fluctuation occurring in the user circuit by monitoring an operation ratio of each of the plurality of circuit modules, and to control, via each of the operation ratio control circuits, the operation ratio of a corresponding one of the circuit modules in accordance with a result of the judgment of the amount of current fluctuation, wherein
- the power supply noise suppression circuit comprises:
- an operation ratio monitoring unit configured to receive a signal indicating high correlation with a power value produced during operation of each of the plurality of circuit modules, and to output an operation ratio information signal carrying operation ratio information;
- a current evaluation unit configured to receive the operation ratio information signal and to output a current value information signal carrying corresponding current value information;
- a current fluctuation amount judging unit configured to receive the current value information signal and to output a current fluctuation amount limit exceeded signal indicating that the amount of current fluctuation has exceeded a fluctuation limit value;
- and
- an operation ratio control unit configured to receive the current fluctuation amount limit exceeded signal and to supply an operation ratio control signal to the operation ratio control circuit, wherein
- the current fluctuation amount judging unit judges whether a previous first current value in the user circuit is not larger than a first limit value defining a lower limit or is not smaller than a second limit value defining an upper limit, wherein
- when the first current value is judged to be not larger than the first limit value, the current fluctuation amount judging unit then judges whether a current value difference taken between the first current value and a present second current value is not smaller than the fluctuation limit value, and
- when the first current value is judged to be not smaller than the second limit value, the current fluctuation amount judging unit then judges whether the current value difference taken between the first current value and the present second current value is not greater than the fluctuation limit value.
A method for controlling a semiconductor integrated circuit, the circuit comprising a user circuit including a plurality of circuit modules and a power supply noise suppression circuit operably coupled to the user circuit and configured to control an operation ratio of each of the circuit modules, wherein the method, using the power supply noise suppression circuit performs:
- detecting a fluctuation in current value in the user circuit from the operation ratio of each of the plurality of circuit modules;
- and
- controlling the operation ratio of each of the circuit modules so as to shift the fluctuation of the current value in the user circuit from a cycle corresponding to a resonant frequency of a power supply system, wherein the controlling includes:
- receiving a signal indicating high correlation with a power value produced during operation of each of the plurality of circuit modules and generating an operation ratio information signal carrying operation ratio information;
- receiving the operation ratio information signal and generating a current value information signal carrying corresponding current value information;
- receiving the current value information signal and generating a current fluctuation amount limit exceeded signal indicating that an amount of current fluctuation has exceeded a fluctuation limit value;
- and
- receiving the current fluctuation amount limit exceeded signal and generating an operation ratio control signal to be supplied to the operation ratio control circuit, wherein
- the power supply noise suppression circuit judges whether a previous first current value in the user circuit is not larger than a first limit value defining a lower limit or is not smaller than a second limit value defining an upper limit, and wherein
- when the first current value is not smaller than the second limit value, and when a current value difference taken between the first current value and a present second current value is not greater than the fluctuation limit value, the operation ratio of at least one of the circuit modules is increased, and
- when the first current value is not larger than the first limit value, and when the current value difference taken between the first current value and the present second current value is not smaller than the fluctuation limit value, the operation ratio of the at least one of the circuit modules is reduced.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.