Debug apparatus and methods for dynamically switching power domains

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9262293-B2
Application number	US-201314027725-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 16, 2013
Priority date	Sep 16, 2013
Publication date	Feb 16, 2016
Grant date	Feb 16, 2016

Abstract

Methods and apparatus are provided that facilitate debugging operations for components in dynamic power domains. In an embodiment, an integrated circuit includes hardware sectors associated with observability circuits served by a debug data bus of a debug circuit. A controlled sector residing in a dynamically-controlled power domain may be turned off while the power domain of another sector remains on. To continue to have debug observability all the way through and after these power events, a debug data register is configured to provide data, such as configuration and/or programming data, to the observability circuit of the controlled sector via the debug data bus. A shadow register is configured to capture the data provided to the controlled sector's observability circuit. The shadow register data is used upon restoring power to the controlled sector to restore the controlled sector's observability circuit to a state when the controlled sector was previously powered on.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An integrated circuit (IC) comprising:
a plurality of hardware sectors, each hardware sector associated with a debug observability circuit that is served by a debug data bus of a debug circuit, wherein the plurality of hardware sectors includes one or more steady state sectors residing in an always on power domain that remains on whenever the debug circuit is operable;
the plurality of hardware sectors including a controlled sector residing in a dynamically-controlled power domain that may be turned off while the power domain of another sector remains on;
a debug data register configured to provide data to the debug observability circuit of the controlled sector via the debug data bus;
a shadow register configured to receive and store the data provided to the debug observability circuit of the controlled sector; and
control circuitry configured to utilize the data stored in the shadow register upon a restoration of power to the controlled sector to restore the debug observability circuit associated with the controlled sector to a state reflective of its state when the controlled sector was previously powered on.

2. The IC according to claim 1 wherein:
the plurality of hardware sectors include a plurality of controlled sectors residing in dynamically-controlled power domains that may be turned off while the power domain of another sector remains on;
the debug data register is configured to provide data to the debug observability circuit of each of the controlled sectors via the debug data bus;
the shadow register is configured to receive and store the data provided to the debug observability circuit of each of the controlled sectors; and
the control circuitry is configured to utilize the data stored in the shadow register upon a restoration of power to a respective controlled sector to restore the debug observability circuit associated with the respective controlled sector to a state reflective of its state when the respective controlled sector was previously powered on.

3. The IC according to claim 2 wherein:
the plurality of hardware sectors includes one or more steady state sectors residing in an always on power domain that remains on whenever the debug circuit is operable.

4. The IC according to claim 1 wherein the debug observability circuits are configured as debug wrapper circuits.

5. The IC according to claim 1 where the data is configuration and/or programming data wherein the control circuitry includes:
a debug system register bus manager (SRBM) slave client configured to control the debug data register and the shadow register;
a SRBM master controller configured to instruct the SRBM slave client; and
a power management controller configured to control the dynamically-controlled power domain of the controlled sector and to provide instructions with respect to utilizing the data stored in the shadow register to restore the state of the debug observability circuit state of the controlled sector.

6. The IC of claim 5 , wherein the control circuitry includes programmable register circuitry configured to indicate to the power management controller if data stored in the shadow register should be utilized to avoid performance penalty in functional modes.

7. The IC according to claim 1 wherein the plurality of hardware sectors are associated with the debug data bus in a ring configuration.

8. The IC according to claim 1 wherein the plurality of hardware sectors are associated with the debug data bus in a star configuration.

9. A debug method for integrated circuit (IC) comprising:
providing a plurality of hardware sectors, each hardware sector associated with a debug observability circuit that is served by a debug data bus of a debug circuit where the plurality of hardware sectors includes a controlled sector residing in a dynamically-controlled power domain that may be turned off while the power domain of another sector remains on and includes one or more steady state sectors residing in an always on power domain that remains on whenever the debug circuit is operable;
providing data to the debug observability circuit of the controlled sector via the debug data bus;
receiving and storing the data provided to the debug observability circuit of the controlled sector in a shadow register; and
utilizing the data stored in the shadow register upon a restoration of power to the controlled sector to restore the debug observability circuit associated with the controlled sector to a state reflective of its state when the controlled sector was previously powered on.

10. The method according to claim 9 where the plurality of hardware sectors include a plurality of controlled sectors residing in dynamically-controlled power domains that may be turned off while the power domain of another sector remains on, further comprising:
providing data to the debug observability circuit of each controlled sector via the debug data bus;
receiving and storing the data provided to the debug observability circuit of each controlled sector in a shadow register; and
utilizing the data stored in the shadow register upon a restoration of power to a respective controlled sector to restore the debug observability circuit associated with the respective controlled sector to a state reflective of its state when the respective controlled sector was previously powered on.

11. The method according to claim 9 where the data is configuration and/or programming data wherein the utilizing the data stored in the shadow register is performed by:
a debug system register bus manager (SRBM) slave client configured to control the shadow register;
a SRBM master controller configured to instruct the SRBM slave client; and
a power management controller configured to control the dynamically-controlled power domain of the controlled sector and to provide instructions with respect to utilizing the data stored in the shadow register to restore the state of the debug observability circuit state of the controlled sector.

12. The method according to claim 11 where the utilizing the data stored in the shadow register is further performed by programmable register circuitry configured to indicate to the power management controller if data stored in the shadow register should be utilized to avoid performance penalty in functional modes.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a set of instructions for execution by a general purpose computer to facilitate manufacture of an integrated circuit that includes:
a plurality of hardware sectors, each hardware sector associated with a debug observability circuit that is served by a debug data bus of a debug circuit, wherein the plurality of hardware sectors includes one or more steady state sectors residing in an always on power domain that remains on whenever the debug circuit is operable;
the plurality of hardware sectors including a controlled sector residing in a dynamically-controlled power domain that may be turned off while the power domain of another sector remains on;
a debug data register configured to provide data to the debug observability circuit of the controlled sector via the debug data bus;
a shadow register configured to receive and store the data provided to the debug observability circuit of the controlled sector; and
control circuitry configured to utilize the data stored in the shadow register upon a restoration of power to the controlled sector to restore the debug observability circuit associated with the controlled sector to a state reflective of its state when the controlled sector was previously powered on.

14. The non-transitory computer-rea

Assignees

• Advanced Micro Devices Inc

Inventors

• Sarangi Shantanu K
• Rentschler Eric
• Dev Rahul
• Chopra Vikram
• Doctor Mihir

Classifications

• G01R31/31705

  Debugging aspects, e.g. using test circuits for debugging, using dedicated debugging test circuits (generation of test sequences therefor G01R31/31835, using scan test therefor G01R31/318544) · CPC title

• G06F11/27 Primary

  Built-in tests · CPC title

• G01R31/31721 Primary

  Power aspects, e.g. power supplies for test circuits, power saving during test (for scan test G01R31/318575) · CPC title