Current sensor based closed loop control apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9612613-B2
Application number	US-201514751875-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 26, 2015
Priority date	Jun 26, 2015
Publication date	Apr 4, 2017
Grant date	Apr 4, 2017

Abstract

A method and apparatus for performing current control for an integrated circuit are described. In one embodiment the apparatus comprises core logic coupled to receive a first current; a clock generator to generate a first clock signal; and a closed loop current controller coupled to the clock generator and coupled to provide a second clock signal to the core logic based on the first clock signal, the current controller to control an amount of the first current received by the core logic by changing the first clock signal to generate the second clock signal.

First claim

We claim:

1. An apparatus comprising:
core logic coupled to receive a first current;
a clock generator to generate a first clock signal; and
a closed loop current controller coupled to the clock generator and coupled to provide a second clock signal to the core logic based on the first clock signal, the current controller to control an amount of the first current received by the core logic by changing the first clock signal to generate the second clock signal, wherein the closed loop controller comprises a clock adjustment unit to change the first clock into the second clock to limit the first current into the core logic based on results of a comparison between a measure of current into the core logic and a target current.

2. The apparatus defined in claim 1 wherein the first current is based on a voltage regulator (VR) current, and control of the first current controls the VR current.

3. The apparatus defined in claim 1 wherein the closed loop current controller comprises:
a current sensing unit to measure current into the core logic;
a processing unit coupled to the current sensing unit to generate an output based on comparison between a current value associated with the measured current from the current sensing unit with a target current,
wherein the clock adjustment unit is coupled to receive the output from the processing unit, coupled receive the first clock signal from the clock generator and coupled to provide the second clock signal to the core logic, the clock adjustment unit to change the first clock signal into the second clock signal based on the output from the processing unit.

4. The apparatus defined in claim 3 wherein the clock adjustment unit is to remove pulses of the first clock signal to create the second clock signal.

5. The apparatus defined in claim 3 wherein the current measurement and sensing unit is to measure current passing through circuitry coupled to the core logic by measuring voltage over the circuitry.

6. The apparatus defined in claim 5 wherein the circuitry comprises a power gate.

7. The apparatus defined in claim 5 wherein the current sensing unit further comprises an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) to convert the voltage into a digital value.

8. The apparatus defined in claim 3 wherein the processing unit comprises:
current calculation logic to output a calculated current based on a voltage output from the current sensing unit;
an error amplifier and compensation network to compare calculated current to a target current and generate clock adjustment commands based on results of comparing the calculated current to a target current.

9. The apparatus defined in claim 8 wherein the error amplifier and compensation network includes a proportional integral (PI) compensation network.

10. The apparatus defined in claim 3 wherein the closed loop current controller includes a clock repetitive cycle adjustment unit to generate the second clock signal by adjusting dynamically an effective frequency of the first clock signal.

11. A method for use in an integrated circuit (IC) having a core with core logic, the method comprising:
generating and providing a first clock signal to the core logic;
measuring current in the core;
comparing a current value associated with the measured current with a target current;
generating a clock adjustment command based on results of the current comparison; and
(adjusting the first clock to the core logic based on the clock adjustment command, wherein adjusting the first clock to the core logic comprises removing pulses of the first clock signal to create the second clock signal; and
providing the second clock signal to the core logic.

12. The method defined in claim 11 wherein measuring the current in the core comprises:
measuring voltage over the circuitry in the core through which the current passes.

13. The method defined in claim 12 wherein the circuitry comprises a power gate.

14. The method defined in claim 12 further comprising converting, with an analog-to-digital converter (ADC), the voltage into a digital value.

15. The method defined in claim 11 wherein generating the clock adjustment command based on results of comparison between the measured current and the target current comprises:
generating a calculated current based on a voltage measured over circuitry through which the current passes; and
comparing calculated current to a target current, wherein the clock adjustment command is generated based on results of comparing the calculated current to a target current.

16. A method for use in an integrated circuit (IC) having a core with core logic, the method comprising:
measuring current in the core;
comparing a current value associated with the measured current with a target current;
generating a clock adjustment command based on results of the current comparison; and
adjusting a clock to the core logic based on the clock adjustment command,
wherein adjusting the clock to the core logic based on the clock adjustment command comprises generating the second clock signal by adjusting dynamically an effective frequency of the first clock signal.

17. The method defined in claim 11 wherein measuring the current in the core comprises:
measuring voltages over a plurality of the circuitries in the core through which the current passes;
generating an averaged voltage by averaging the measured voltages; and
wherein generating the clock adjustment command based on results of comparison between the measured current and the target current comprises
generating a calculated current based on the averaged voltage measured over the plurality of circuitries, and
comparing calculated current to a target current, wherein the clock adjustment command is generated based on results of comparing the calculated current to a target current.

18. An apparatus comprising:
a voltage regulator (VR) to generate a VR current;
an integrated circuit (IC) coupled to the VR, the IC comprising
core logic coupled to receive a first current, the first current based on the VR current;
a clock generator to generate a first clock signal; and
a closed loop current controller coupled to the clock generator and coupled to provide a second clock signal to the core logic based on the first clock signal, the current controller to control an amount of the first current received by the core logic by changing the first clock signal to generate the second clock signal wherein the closed loop controller comprises a clock adjustment unit to change the first clock into the second clock to limit the first current into the core logic based on results of a comparison between a measure of current into the core logic and a target current.

19. The apparatus defined in claim 18 wherein the closed loop current controller comprises:
a current sensing unit to measure current into the core logic;
a processing unit coupled to the current sensing unit to generate an output based on comparison between a current value associated with the measured current from the current sensing unit with a target current,
wherein the clock adjustment unit is coupled to receive the output from the processing unit, coupled receive the first clock signal from the clock generator and coupled to provide the second clock signal to the core logic, the clock adjustment unit to change the first clock signal into the second clock signal based on the output from the processing unit.

20. The apparatus defined in claim 19 wherein the clock adjustment unit is to remove pulses of the

Assignees

• Intel Corp

Inventors

• Gendler Alexander
• Luria Kosta
• Albahari Arye
• Nachshon Ohad

Classifications

• G06F1/06

  Clock generators producing several clock signals {(G06F1/08 - G06F1/14 take precedence)} · CPC title

• G01R1/203

  Resistors used for electric measuring, e.g. decade resistors standards, resistors for comparators, series resistors, shunts (resistors in general H01C; microwave or radiowave terminations H01P1/26; coupling devices H01R) · CPC title

• G01R19/0092

  Measuring current only · CPC title

• G06F1/08 Primary

  Clock generators with changeable or programmable clock frequency · CPC title

• G06F1/3206

  Monitoring of events, devices or parameters that trigger a change in power modality · CPC title