Memory leakage power savings
In some aspects, a method for managing leakage power includes coupling a first supply rail to a cache memory if a processor is in a first performance mode, wherein the processor accesses the cache memory, and coupling a second supply rail to the cache memory if the processor is in a second performance mode. The method also includes detecting gating of a clock signal to the cache memory or the processor, and, upon detecting gating of the clock signal, switching the cache memory from the second supply rail to the first supply rail if the cache memory is currently coupled to the second supply rail.
1. A system, comprising:
a cache memory, wherein a processor accesses the cache memory;
a multiplexer configured to selectively couple a first supply rail or a second supply rail to the cache memory;
a controller configured to instruct the multiplexer to couple the first supply rail to the cache memory if the processor is in a first performance mode, and to instruct the multiplexer to couple the second supply rail to the cache memory if the processor is in a second performance mode; and
a trigger device configured to detect gating of a clock signal to the cache memory or the processor, and, upon detecting gating of the clock signal, to instruct the controller to switch the cache memory from the second supply rail to the first supply rail if the cache memory is currently coupled to the second supply rail,
wherein the trigger device is configured to receive a signal indicating whether the second supply rail is being power collapsed, and to refrain from instructing the controller to switch the cache memory from the second supply rail to the first supply rail if the signal indicates that the second supply rail is being power collapsed.
2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the second supply rail is coupled to the processor.
3. The system of claim 1 , wherein a supply voltage on the second supply rail is set to a higher voltage level in the second performance mode than the first performance mode.
4. The system of claim 1 , wherein a first supply voltage on the first supply rail is lower than a second supply voltage on the second supply rail in the second performance mode.
5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the trigger device is configured to detect ungating of the clock signal, and, upon detecting ungating of the clock signal, to instruct the controller to switch the cache memory from the first supply rail to the second supply rail if the processor is to return to an active mode in the second performance mode.
6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the clock signal is gated by a clock gating device according to a gate control signal, and the trigger device is configured to detect gating of the clock signal based on a logic state of the gate control signal.
7. A system, comprising:
a cache memory, wherein a processor accesses the cache memory;
a multiplexer configured to selectively couple a first supply rail or a second supply rail to the cache memory;
a controller configured to instruct the multiplexer to couple the first supply rail to the cache memory if the processor is in a first performance mode, and to instruct the multiplexer to couple the second supply rail to the cache memory if the processor is in a second performance mode; and
a trigger device configured to detect gating of a clock signal to the cache memory or the processor, and, upon detecting gating of the clock signal, to instruct the controller to switch the cache memory from the second supply rail to the first supply rail if the cache memory is currently coupled to the second supply rail; and
a comparator configured to compare a first supply voltage on the first supply rail with a second supply voltage on the second supply rail, and to output an output signal based on the comparison indicating whether the second supply voltage is greater than the first supply voltage;
wherein, upon detecting gating of the clock signal, the trigger device is configured to instruct the controller to switch the cache memory from the second supply rail to the first supply rail if the output signal of the comparator indicates that the second supply voltage is greater than the first supply voltage.
8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the second supply voltage on the second supply rail is set to a higher voltage level in the second performance mode than the first performance mode.
9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to generate a signal indicating whether a switch between the first performance mode and the second performance mode is in progress, and the trigger device is configured to refrain from instructing the controller to switch the cache memory from the second supply rail to the first supply rail if the signal indicates that the switch between the first performance mode and the second performance mode is in progress.
10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to switch the cache memory from the second supply rail to the first supply rail by instructing the multiplexer to couple the first supply rail to the cache memory.
11. A method for managing leakage power, comprising:
coupling a first supply rail to a cache memory if a processor is in a first performance mode, wherein the processor accesses the cache memory;
coupling a second supply rail to the cache memory if the processor is in a second performance mode;
detecting gating of a clock signal to the cache memory or the processor; and
upon detecting gating of the clock signal, switching the cache memory from the second supply rail to the first supply rail if the cache memory is currently coupled to the second supply rail; and
comparing a first supply voltage on the first supply rail with a second supply voltage on the second supply rail,
wherein switching the cache memory from the second supply rail to the first supply rail comprises switching the cache memory from the second supply rail to the first supply rail if the second supply voltage is greater than the first supply voltage.
12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the second supply rail is coupled to the processor.
13. The method of claim 11 , further comprising setting a supply voltage on the second supply rail to a higher voltage level in the second performance mode than the first performance mode.
14. The method of claim 11 , wherein a first supply voltage on the first supply rail is lower than a second supply voltage on the second supply rail in the second performance mode.
15. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
detecting ungating of the clock signal; and
upon detecting ungating of the clock signal, switching the cache memory from the first supply rail to the second supply rail if the processor is to return to an active mode in the second performance mode.
16. The method of claim 11 , wherein the clock signal is gated by a clock gating device according to a gate control signal, and detecting gating of the clock signal comprises detecting gating of the clock signal based on a logic state of the gate control signal.
17. The method of claim 11 , wherein the second supply voltage on the second supply rail is set to a higher voltage level in the second performance mode than the first performance mode.
18. The method of claim 11 , wherein the second supply voltage is set to a higher voltage level than the first supply voltage in the second performance mode.