Intelligent frequency and voltage margining
View Patent ↗A system and method for voltage and frequency margining of a digital system such as a digital processing system. Various implementations of the present invention may be utilized to programmatically vary the voltage and or frequency utilized by one or more components within a processing system to effect changes in system and or component margining.
1. A processor-based system comprising:
an electrical component installed in the processor-based system for operation in the processor-based system;
a first programmable circuit utilizing a frequency input and having a variable frequency output;
a second programmable circuit utilizing a voltage input and having a variable voltage output; and
wherein, in response to a command from a system management controller, the first programmable circuit is operative to vary the frequency over a predefined range to the electrical component while the electrical component is operating in the processor-based system to determine a frequency margin associated with the processor-based system.
2. The system as in claim 1 wherein, in response to a command from the system management controller, the second programmable circuit is operative to vary the voltage output over a predefined range to the electrical component while the electrical component is operating in the processor-based system to determine a voltage margin of the processor-based system.
3. The system as in claim 2 wherein the system management controller sends commands to either the first or the second programmable circuit utilizing a bi-directional bus.
4. The system as in claim 1 wherein the first programmable circuit is coupled to a bus controller.
5. The system as in claim 4 wherein the first programmable circuit is coupled to a PCI bus controller.
6. The system as in claim 2 wherein the second programmable circuit is coupled to a voltage reference module.
7. The system as in claim 6 wherein the second programmable circuit is coupled to a CPU.
8. The system as in claim 2 wherein the second programmable circuit controls a digital potentiometer.
9. A processor-based method for use in a processor-based system, comprising:
a control device receiving a program input;
the control device changing a frequency output in response to the program input;
the control device changing a voltage output in response to the program input;
providing a first electrical component installed in the processor-based system, the first electrical component utilizing the changed frequency output as an input while operating in the processor-based system;
providing a second electrical component installed in the processor-based system, the second electrical component utilizing the changed voltage output as an input while operating in the processor-based system;
monitoring a response of the processor-based system to the changed frequency output;
determining a frequency margin of the first electrical component based on the monitored response;
monitoring a response of the processor-based system to the changed voltage output; and
determining a voltage margin of the second electrical component based on the monitored response.
10. The method as in claim 9 further comprising the control device sending a command to a first circuit and the first circuit changing a frequency output in response to receiving the command.
11. The method as in claim 10 further comprising the control device sending the command to the first circuit utilizing a bi-directional bus.
12. The method as in claim 9 further comprising the first circuit changing the frequency of a bus coupled to the first circuit.
13. The method as in claim 12 further comprising the first circuit changes the frequency of a PCI bus coupled to the first circuit.
14. The method as in claim 9 further comprising the control device sending a command to a second circuit and the second circuit changing a voltage output in response to the command.
15. The method as in claim 14 further comprising the control device changing the voltage to a CPU coupled to the second circuit.
16. The system as in claim 1 wherein the first programmable circuit has a plurality of variable frequency outputs, and wherein, in response to a command from the system management controller, the first programmable circuit varies the plurality of frequency outputs to a plurality of electrical components while operating in the processor-based system to determine a frequency margin associated with each of the electrical components.
17. The system as in claim 16 wherein each of the plurality of frequency outputs has a different frequency.
18. The system as in claim 2 wherein the second programmable circuit has a plurality of variable voltage outputs and wherein, in response to a command from the system management controller, the second programmable circuit varies the plurality of voltage outputs to a plurality of electrical components while operating in the processor-based system to determine a voltage margin associated with each of the devices.
19. The system as in claim 18 wherein each of the voltage outputs has a different voltage.