Method and apparatus for providing telemetry for power management functions

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9529403-B2
Application number	US-201414466205-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 22, 2014
Priority date	Aug 22, 2014
Publication date	Dec 27, 2016
Grant date	Dec 27, 2016

Abstract

A method and apparatus for providing telemetry for use in power control functions is disclosed. A system includes an integrated circuit (IC) having a first power management circuit. The IC also includes a number of functional circuit blocks within a number of different power domains. A second power management circuit is implemented external to the IC and includes a number of voltage regulators. Each of the power domains is coupled to receive power from one voltage regulators. During operation, the first power management circuit may send commands requesting the change of one or more voltages provided to the IC. The second power management circuit may respond by performing the requested voltage change(s), and may also provide telemetry data to the first power management circuit. The second power management circuit may also provide telemetry data responsive to receiving a no operation command from the first power management circuit.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system comprising:
an integrated circuit (IC) having a plurality of functional circuit blocks and a first power management circuit implemented thereon, wherein the first power management circuit is configured to perform power control functions for the plurality of functional circuit blocks on the IC;
a second power management circuit external to the IC, wherein the second power management circuit is coupled to the first power management circuit via a first interface and is configured to provide telemetry data to the first power management circuit, via the first interface, responsive to receiving a command from the first power management circuit via the first interface, irrespective of the type of command received from the first power management circuit.

2. The system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the telemetry data includes system temperature data.

3. The system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the telemetry data includes data indicative of power consumption by at least one functional circuit block in the integrated circuit.

4. The system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the telemetry data includes data indicative of current consumption by at least one functional circuit block in the integrated circuit.

5. The system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the first power management circuit is configured to send to the second power management circuit commands requesting a change of at least one voltage, and wherein the second power management circuit is configured to change the at least one voltage and provide the telemetry data to the first power management circuit responsive to the request.

6. The system as recited in claim 5 , wherein the first power management circuit is configured to send to the second power management circuit commands requesting that two voltages be changed concurrently, and wherein the second power management circuit is configured to change the two voltages concurrently and provide the telemetry data to the first power management circuit responsive to the request.

7. The system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the first power management circuit is configured to send a no operation command to the second power management circuit, and wherein the second power management circuit is configured to provide the telemetry data to the first power management circuit responsive to receiving the no operation command.

8. The system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the integrated circuit includes a plurality of voltage domains, wherein each of the plurality of functional circuit blocks is in one of the plurality of voltage domains, and wherein the second power management circuit includes a plurality of voltage regulator circuits each configured to provide voltage to a corresponding one of the plurality of voltage domains.

9. The system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the first power management circuit is configured to set one or more performance parameters for one or more of the plurality of functional circuit blocks based on the telemetry data received from the second power management circuit.

10. A method comprising:
conveying commands from a first power manager implemented on a first integrated circuit, through a first interface, to a second power manager implemented on a second integrated circuit;
conveying telemetry data from the second power manager to the first power manager, through the first interface, responsive to receiving the commands irrespective of a type of command received;
the first power manager performing power control functions for one or more of a plurality of functional circuit blocks on the first IC responsive to receiving the telemetry data.

11. The method as recited in claim 10 , wherein the telemetry data includes one or more of the following:
information indicative of temperature data for a system in which the first and second integrated circuits are implemented;
information indicative of current consumption for one or more of the plurality of functional circuit blocks;
information indicative of power consumption for one or more of the plurality of functional circuit blocks; and
information indicative of a voltage level of one or of the plurality of functional circuit blocks.

12. The method as recited in claim 10 , further comprising:
the first power manager conveying, to the second power manager, a command indicative of a request to change at least one voltage provided to at least one of the plurality of functional circuit blocks;
the second power manager changing the at least one voltage responsive to receiving the command; and
the second power manager providing the telemetry data responsive to receiving the command.

13. The method as recited in claim 12 , further comprising:
the first power manager conveying, to the second power manager, a command indicative of a request to concurrently change two voltages, wherein a first of the two voltages is provided to a first of the plurality of functional circuit blocks and wherein a second of the two voltages is provided to a second of the plurality of functional circuit blocks; and
the second power manager concurrently changing the two voltages; and
the second power manager providing the telemetry data responsive to receiving the command.

14. The method as recited in claim 10 , further comprising:
the first power manager conveying a no operation command to the second power manager;
the second power manager providing the telemetry data to the first power manager responsive to receiving the no operation command.

15. An apparatus comprising:
a first integrated circuit including a first power manager implemented thereon, wherein the first integrated circuit includes a plurality of functional circuit blocks, wherein each of the plurality of functional circuit blocks is implemented in one of a plurality of power domains;
a second integrated circuit including a second power manager and plurality of voltage regulators each coupled to provide power to a corresponding one of the plurality of power domains, wherein the second power manager is coupled to receive commands from the first power manager through a first interface and is configured to provide telemetry data through the first interface to the first power manager responsive to receiving the commands and irrespective of a type of command received.

16. The apparatus as recited in claim 15 , wherein the telemetry data includes one or more of the following:
information indicative of temperature data for a system in which the first and second integrated circuits are implemented;
information indicative of current consumption for one or more of the plurality of functional circuit blocks;
information indicative of power consumption for one or more of the plurality of functional circuit blocks;
information indicative of a voltage level of one or of the plurality of functional circuit blocks.

17. The apparatus as recited in claim 15 , wherein the first power management unit is configured to determine a performance state for one or more of the plurality of functional circuit blocks based on the telemetry data.

18. The apparatus as recited in claim 15 , wherein the first power management unit is configured to convey, to the second power management unit:
commands of a first type, wherein the second power management unit is configured to change a voltage provided to one of the power domains responsive to receiving a command of the first type; and
commands of a second type, wherein the second power management unit is configured to concurrently change voltages provided to two of the power domains respon

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Gulati Manu
• Patel Parin
• Cox Keith
• Iwamoto Derek
• De La Cropte De Chanterac Cyril
• Young Christopher J

Classifications

• G06F1/3203 Primary

  Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode · CPC title

• G06F1/3296

  by lowering the supply or operating voltage · CPC title

• Y02D10/00

  Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management · CPC title