18514807. FREQUENCY OVERSHOOT AND VOLTAGE DROOP MITIGATION APPARATUS AND METHOD simplified abstract (Intel Corporation)

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FREQUENCY OVERSHOOT AND VOLTAGE DROOP MITIGATION APPARATUS AND METHOD

Organization Name

Intel Corporation

Inventor(s)

Praveen Mosalikanti of Portland OR (US)

Nasser A. Kurd of Portland OR (US)

Alexander Gendler of Kiriat Motzkin (IL)

FREQUENCY OVERSHOOT AND VOLTAGE DROOP MITIGATION APPARATUS AND METHOD - A simplified explanation of the abstract

This abstract first appeared for US patent application 18514807 titled 'FREQUENCY OVERSHOOT AND VOLTAGE DROOP MITIGATION APPARATUS AND METHOD

Simplified Explanation

The patent application describes an apparatus and method for requesting a temporary supply voltage and/or current boost prior to an event that could result in frequency overshoot, allowing for on-the-fly changes in supply voltage and clock frequency for a processor with minimal impact on Vmin.

  • The apparatus sends a signal to a voltage regulator or generator requesting a temporary supply voltage and/or current boost before a potential frequency overshoot event.
  • This enables a clocking source, such as a phase locked loop (PLL), to lock fast without needing long-term voltage guard bands.
  • The temporary boost in supply voltage allows for absorbing the impact of clock frequency overshoot, with the voltage level being reduced back to the expected level afterwards in a step-wise fashion to avoid undershoot.

Potential Applications

This technology could be applied in:

  • High-performance computing systems
  • Mobile devices
  • Internet of Things (IoT) devices

Problems Solved

This technology addresses the following issues:

  • Frequency overshoot in processors
  • Impact on Vmin during clock frequency changes

Benefits

The benefits of this technology include:

  • Improved performance of processors
  • Efficient use of power supply
  • Minimal impact on Vmin during clock frequency changes

Potential Commercial Applications

Optimizing Supply Voltage and Clock Frequency for Processor Performance

Unanswered Questions

How does this technology impact overall system reliability?

The article does not provide information on the potential effects of this technology on the reliability of the overall system.

Are there any limitations to the frequency at which the supply voltage can be boosted and reduced?

The article does not mention any restrictions on the frequency at which the supply voltage can be adjusted.


Original Abstract Submitted

An apparatus and method are described, which prior to an event that could result in frequency overshoot, sends a signal to a voltage regulator or generator requesting a temporary supply voltage and/or current boost. This enables a clocking source, such as a phase locked loop (PLL) to lock fast while not needing any long-term voltage guard bands. The apparatus and scheme allows for on-the-fly change in supply voltage and/or clock frequency for a processor with little to no impact on Vmin. During the clock frequency overshoot, the supply voltage is temporarily boosted and then reduced down to the expected voltage level of the power supply. Such boost allows for absorbing the clock frequency overshoot impact. The supply voltage level can be reduced in a step-wise fashion to avoid any potential undershoot in clock frequency.