International Business Machines Corporation

Tobias Webel

Preetham M Lobo

Alper Buyuktosunoglu

Scott Barnett Swaney

Pradeep Bhadravati Parashurama

Ramon Bertran Monfort

Ulrich Weiss

Phillip John Restle

Dietmar Schmunkamp

Thomas Strach

Matthias Woehrle

Ralf Ludewig

Walter Niklaus

Christian Jacobi

Pradip Bose

Giora Biran

Charles Robert Lefurgy

Malcolm Scott Allen-Ware

Kenneth Lundy Ward

Timothy Gerard McNamara

Christos Vezyrtzis

Richard Frank Rizzolo

Pierce I-Jen Chuang

Tobias Ulrich Bergmann

Sean Michael Carey

Karl Evan Smock Anderson

Patrick James Meaney

Franco Motika

Gerard M Salem

Andrew A Turner

Eberhard Engler

Guenter Gerwig

Thuyen Le

Srinivas Bangalore Purushotham

Edward C McCain

Mitesh A Agrawal

Kennedy K Cheruiyot

John D Parker

Ching-Lung L Tong

Alejandro Alberto Cook Lobo

Kevin P Low

Adolf Martens

Daniel Kiss

Isidore G Bendrihem

Ian Krispin Carmichael

Thomas E Gilbert

Karin Rebmann

Chung-Lung K Shum

Daniel Mark Dreps

Anthony Saporito

Karthick Rajamani

Michael Stephen Floyd

Frank David Ferraiolo

Michael F Fee

Martin Recktenwald

William Vincent Huott

Pak-kin Mak

James Douglas Warnock

Adam B Collura

Alan J Drake

Brian William Curran

Gregory Scott Still

Michael J Cadigan, Jr

Hubert Harrer

Stefan Payer

Andreas Wagner

Lawrence D Curley

Pawel Owczarczyk

Eric Jason Fluhr

Christopher Raymond Conklin

Ulrich Baur

Ronald J Frishmuth

Klaus P Gungl

Ching Lung Tong

Paul Jacob Logsdon

Michael Romain

Daniel Becker

Jeffrey A Magee

Mark Cichanowski

Ramon Betran Monfort

Archit Kapoor

Rafael Keggenhoff

Embodiments include in response to monitoring a processor during operation, detecting a first number of throttling amounts in the processor, determining that the first number of throttling amounts fulfills a first condition regarding a throttling amounts threshold, and modifying a voltage level of the processor by a first amount. Embodiments include in response to modifying the voltage level of the processor by the first amount, detecting a second number of throttling amounts in the processor, determining that the second number of throttling amounts fulfills a second condition regarding the throttling amounts threshold, and modifying the voltage level of the processor by a second amount.

Dynamic guard band with timing protection and with performance protection

Embodiments include in response to monitoring a processor during operation, detecting a first number of core recovery events in the processor, determining that the first number of core recovery events fulfills a first condition for the first core recovery events threshold, and modifying a value of at least one droop sensor parameter of the processor by a first amount. The at least one droop sensor parameters affects a sensitivity to a voltage droop. In response to modifying the value of the droop sensor parameter by the first amount, a second number of core recovery events is detected in the processor. It is determined that the second number of core recovery events fulfills a second condition for a second core recovery events threshold, and the value of the at least one droop sensor parameter is modified by a second amount.

The method and systems described herein provide for identifying and mitigating undesirable power or voltage fluctuations in regions of a semiconductor device. For example, embodiments include detecting a region, such as an individual processor, of a processor chip is exhibiting a reduced power draw and a resulting localized voltage spike (e.g., a spike that exceeds Vmax) that would accelerate overall device end-of-life (EOL). The described systems respond by activating circuits or current generators located in the given region to draw additional power via a protective current. The protective current lowers the local voltages spikes back to within some pre-specified range (e.g., below a Vmax). The resulting reduction in the time above Vmax in testing reduces the number of devices that will need to be discarded due to Vmax violations as well as increases the expected reliability and lifespan of the device in operation.

Method to limit the time a semiconductor device operates above a maximum operating voltage

Embodiments relate to a system, program product, and method for mitigating voltage overshoot in one or more cores in a multicore processing device including a plurality of cores. The method includes determining, in real-time, an indication of power consumption within each core of the one or more cores. The method also includes determining, through the indication of power consumption, a voltage overshoot condition in the one or more cores. The method further includes increasing, for the one or more cores, a power demand thereof. The method also includes increasing, subject to the increasing the power demand, power delivery to the one or more cores, thereby at least arresting the rate of increase of the voltage overshoot.

Voltage overshoot management

Techniques facilitating voltage droop reduction and/or mitigation in a processor core are provided. In one example, a system can comprise a memory that stores, and a processor that executes, computer executable components. The computer executable components can comprise an observation component that detects one or more events at a first stage of a processor pipeline. An event of the one or more events can be a defined event determined to increase a level of power consumed during a second stage of the processor pipeline. The computer executable components can also comprise an instruction component that applies a voltage droop mitigation countermeasure prior to the increase of the level of power consumed during the second stage of the processor pipeline and a feedback component that provides a notification to the instruction component that indicates a success or a failure of a result of the voltage droop mitigation countermeasure.

Proactive voltage droop reduction and/or mitigation in a processor core

Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to managing power provided to a semiconductor circuit to prevent undervoltage conditions. A measured voltage value describing a measured supply voltage at a first subcircuit of a semiconductor circuit can be received, the measured voltage value having a first resolution. A selected metric indicative of a supply voltage present at the first subcircuit can be received, the selected metric having a second resolution higher than the first resolution. The selected metric is calibrated to obtain a calibrated metric when a transition of the measured voltage value occurs.

Fine resolution on-chip voltage simulation to prevent under voltage conditions

Embodiments relate to a system, program product, and method for proactively initiating throttle action on one or more cores in a multicore processing device to mitigate voltage droop therein. The method includes determining, in real-time, an indication of stall events within the core and determining one or more resolutions of the stall events. The method also includes determining, in real-time, a timing margin value for the core and predicting inducement of a voltage droop on the core. The method further includes integrating the resolutions of the stall events and the timing margin value for the core, determining, subject to the predicting, a throttle action for the core, and executing the throttle action on the core.

Voltage droop management through microarchitectural stall events

Various embodiments are provided for providing optimized margins of processors in a computing environment. Margins of voltage, frequency, or a combination thereof may be dynamically monitored and adjusted for a executing a processor based a workload scheduled during an event.

Dynamically optimizing margins of a processor

Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to detecting undervoltage conditions at a subcircuit. A power supply current of a first subcircuit is determined over a first number of previous clock cycles. A cross current flowing between the first subcircuit and a second subcircuit is determined over the first number of previous clock cycles. An estimated momentary supply voltage present at the first subcircuit is then determined based on the power supply current of the first subcircuit over the first number of previous clock cycles and the cross current flowing between the first subcircuit and the second subcircuit over the first number of previous clock cycles.

Predictive on-chip voltage simulation to detect near-future under voltage conditions

Embodiments are disclosed for managing voltage droop. The techniques include performing a first determination that a timing margin is less than a first threshold. The techniques also include performing a second determination that an increase in processor activity exceeds a second threshold. Additionally, the techniques include determining that a voltage droop is indicated based on the first determination and the second determination. Further, the techniques include signaling a plurality of throttling circuits for a corresponding plurality of cores of a computer processor to actuate.

Mitigating voltage droop

An aspect includes a plurality of throttle controllers having a modular hierarchy comprising a plurality of levels within each of a plurality of processor cores that control a plurality of throttling actions. The throttling actions include dynamic adjustment of execution suspension within the processor cores. A plurality of input throttle events at each of the processor cores is resolved based on the modular hierarchy. A chip controller coupled to the processor cores can synchronize the throttling actions between the processor cores.

Multi-layered processor throttle controller

A semiconductor circuit including a first subcircuit, at least a second subcircuit, and power management circuitry. The power management circuitry is operable for estimating a metric indicative of a momentary supply voltage present at the first subcircuit based on a power supply current of the first subcircuit and a cross current flowing between the first subcircuit and the second subcircuit.

Distributed on chip network to mitigate voltage droops

Embodiments include methods, and computer system, and computer program products for performing test and calibration of integrated sensors on a processor chip. Aspects include: initializing, by a tester program, an on-chip service engine of processor chip, performing and completing, by on-chip service engine, test and calibration of integrated sensors. The method may also include: loading and decoding tester program into an on-chip service engine memory, testing and calibrating each integrated sensor, which may include: selecting an integrated sensor for test and calibration, loading sensor test and calibration patterns and parameters, and sensor test code, and executing the sensor test code to test and calibrate integrated sensors, writing results of the test and calibration to a predetermined location of the on-chip service engine memory, and writing a return code of test and calibration to another predetermined location of on-chip service engine memory, when every integrated sensor is tested and calibrated.

Methods and systems for performing test and calibration of integrated sensors

Growing community of inventors

Schwaebisch-Gmuend, Germany

Tobias Webel