IP Library › Granted Patent US 10,990,155
Granted Patent B2
US 10,990,155 · App. 16/663,658 · Granted Apr 27, 2021

System, apparatus and method for loose lock-step redundancy power management

Inventors: Efraim Rotem (Haifa, IL); Eliezer Weissmann (Haifa, IL); Doron Rajwan (Rishon le-Zion, IL); Nir Rosenzweig (Givat Ella, IL); Yoni Aizik (Haifa, IL)
Assignee: Intel Corporation
G06F1/324G06F1/3296
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,990,155
App. No.
16/663,658
Granted
Apr 27, 2021
Kind
B2
Abstract

A processor includes a plurality of cores, at least two of which may execute redundantly, a configuration register to store a first synchronization domain indicator to indicate that a first core and a second core are associated with a first synchronization domain, and a power controller having a synchronization circuit to cause a dynamic adjustment to a frequency of at least one of the first and second cores to cause these cores to operate at a common frequency, based at least in part on the first synchronization domain indicator.

Claims (43)

1. A system comprising:

a processor comprising:

a first core;

a second core, wherein the first core and the second core are to execute a task redundantly;

a configuration circuit having a first indicator with a first value to indicate that the first core and the second core are to redundantly execute the task;

a controller to cause the first core and the second core to operate at a common frequency to redundantly execute the task based at least in part on the first value of the first indicator, and to cause the first core and the second core to operate at independent frequencies based at least in part on a second value of the first indicator;

a system memory coupled to the processor; and

a display coupled to the processor.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the configuration circuit comprises a storage.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the storage comprises a configuration register.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the configuration register is to store the first indicator comprising one or more configuration bits.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is to dynamically control the first core and the second core to operate at the common frequency to redundantly execute the task.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein one of the first core and the second core is to complete the redundant execution of the task prior to the other of the first core and the second core, and within a predetermined time duration.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processor further comprises a redundancy circuit to compare a first result of the redundant execution of the task on the first core to a second result of the redundant execution of the task on the second core, and raise an error if the first result does not at least substantially match the second result.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the system comprises an automotive system.

9. A system comprising:

a processor comprising:

a first core;

a second core, wherein the first core and the second core are to execute a task redundantly, wherein the second core is to redundantly execute the task within 1 to 10,000 execution cycles of execution of the task by the first core;

a configuration circuit having a first indicator with a first value to indicate that the first core and the second core are to redundantly execute the task; and

a controller to cause the first core and the second core to operate at a common frequency to redundantly execute the task based at least in part on the first value of the first indicator, and to cause the first core and the second core to operate at independent frequencies based at least in part on a second value of the first indicator;

a system memory coupled to the processor; and

a display coupled to the processor.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the configuration circuit comprises a storage.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the storage comprises a configuration register to store the first indicator comprising one or more configuration bits.

12. The system of claim 9 , wherein the controller is to dynamically control the first core and the second core to operate at the common frequency to redundantly execute the task.

13. The system of claim 9 , wherein the processor further comprises a redundancy circuit to compare a first result of the redundant execution of the task on the first core to a second result of the redundant execution of the task on the second core.

14. The system of claim 9 , wherein the system comprises an automotive system.

15. A system comprising:

a system on chip (SoC) comprising:

a first core;

a second core;

a configuration storage to store a first indicator, wherein the first indicator is to indicate that the first core and the second core are to redundantly execute a task when the first indicator has a first value; and

a controller coupled to the configuration storage, the first core and the second core, wherein the controller is to cause the first core and the second core to be switched between redundancy in lockstep operation and independent core operation,

wherein in the redundancy in lockstep operation the first core and the second core are to operate at a common frequency to redundantly execute the task based at least in part on the first value of the first indicator, and

wherein in the independent core operation the first core and the second core are to operate at independent frequencies based at least in part on a second value of the first indicator;

a system memory coupled to the SoC; and

a display coupled to the SoC.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the configuration circuit comprises a storage.

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the storage comprises a configuration register to store the first indicator comprising one or more configuration bits.

18. The system of claim 15 , wherein the system comprises an automotive system.

19. The system of claim 15 , wherein one of the first core and the second core is to complete the redundant execution of the task prior to the other of the first core and the second core, and within a predetermined time duration.

20. The system of claim 15 , wherein the SoC further comprises a redundancy circuit to compare a first result of the redundant execution of the task on the first core to a second result of the redundant execution of the task on the second core, and raise an error if the first result does not at least substantially match the second result.

Continuity (3)
Continuation 16546441 · Aug 21, 2019
Continuation 15635307 · Jun 28, 2017
Related Publication 20200057481A1 · Feb 20, 2020
Cited By (1)
US 12,265,440