System level reduction of clock skew based on local thermal profiling

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a first temperature sensor arranged to indicate a first temperature value of a region of an integrated circuit;

a temperature processing unit operatively connected to the first temperature sensor and responsive to the first temperature value;

a first bias generator arranged to generate at least one first bias signal dependent on the temperature processing unit; and

a first tunable buffer arranged to adjust a first signal skew in the integrated circuit dependent on the at least one first bias signal.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first signal skew comprises a clock skew.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:

a temperature system polling unit operatively connected to the temperature processing unit.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the temperature processing unit is disposed on a first integrated circuit, and wherein the temperature system polling unit is disposed on a second integrated circuit.

5. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the temperature system polling unit is arranged to determine an operating condition of the first tunable buffer.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first tunable buffer is arranged within a clock tree.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:

a second temperature sensor arranged to indicate a second temperature value;

a second bias generator arranged to generate at least one second bias signal dependent on the temperature processing unit; and

a second tunable buffer arranged to adjust a second signal skew dependent on the at least one second bias signal.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the temperature processing unit is arranged to monitor the first temperature sensor and the second temperature sensor.

9. The apparatus of claim 7 , further comprising:

a temperature system polling unit operatively connected to the temperature processing unit, wherein the temperature system polling unit is arranged to determine a first adjustment value with which to adjust the first tunable buffer and a second adjustment value with which to adjust the second tunable buffer.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the temperature system polling unit is arranged to maintain information about a location of the first temperature sensor, a location of the second temperature sensor, a location of the first tunable buffer, and a location of the second tunable buffer.

11. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the second tunable buffer is arranged within a clock tree.

12. A method, comprising:

indicating a first value representative of a first temperature at a first location, wherein the indicating comprises sensing the first temperature;

monitoring the first value;

communicating the first value, wherein the communicating is responsive to the monitoring;

determining a first adjustment value dependent on the first value; wherein the determining is dependent on the communicating; and

adjusting a skew of a first signal dependent on the first adjustment value.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:

generating a bias signal dependent on the monitoring, wherein the adjusting is dependent on the bias signal.

14. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:

indicating a second value representative of a second temperature at a second location;

monitoring the second value;

communicating the second value, wherein the communicating is responsive to the monitoring;

determining a second adjustment value dependent on the second value; wherein the determining is dependent on the communicating; and

adjusting a skew of a second signal dependent on the second adjustment value.

15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:

generating a bias signal dependent on the monitoring, wherein the adjusting is dependent on the bias signal.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein the indicating comprises sensing the second temperature.

17. An apparatus, comprising:

means for indicating a value representative of a temperature at a location of the apparatus, wherein the means for indicating comprises means for sensing the temperature;

means for monitoring the value;

means for communicating the value, wherein the means for communicating is responsive to the means for monitoring;

means for determining an adjustment value dependent on the value, wherein the means for determining is dependent on the means for communicating; and

means for adjusting a skew of a first signal in the apparatus dependent on the adjustment value.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the means for adjusting is dependent on a bias signal.