Abstract:
In an embodiment, a system on a chip (SOC) includes a component that remains powered when a central processing unit (CPU) processor and a memory controller of the SOC are powered off. The component may include a sensor capture unit to capture audio samples from an audio detector circuit and write them to a memory of the component. A processor of the component may be configured to search the audio samples for a predetermined pattern during a time when the CPU processor and the memory controller are powered down. In some embodiments, based on the audio samples filling to a threshold level in the memory of the component and a lack of detection of the predetermined pattern, the component is configured to wake up the memory controller and a path to the memory controller in order to write the audio sample to a memory controlled by the memory controller.
Abstract:
In an embodiment, a system on a chip (SOC) includes a component that remains powered when the remainder of the SOC is powered off. The component may include a sensor capture unit to capture data from various device sensors, and may filter the captured sensor data. Responsive to the filtering, the component may wake up the remainder of the SOC to permit the processing. The component may store programmable configuration data, matching the state at the time the SOC was most recently powered down, for the other components of the SOC, in order to reprogram them after wakeup. In some embodiments, the component may be configured to wake up the memory controller within the SOC and the path to the memory controller, in order to write the data to memory. The remainder of the SOC may remain powered down.
Abstract:
In an embodiment, a system on a chip (SOC) includes a component that remains powered when the remainder of the SOC is powered off. The component may include a sensor capture unit to capture data from various device sensors, and may filter the captured sensor data. Responsive to the filtering, the component may wake up the remainder of the SOC to permit the processing. The component may store programmable configuration data, matching the state at the time the SOC was most recently powered down, for the other components of the SOC, in order to reprogram them after wakeup. In some embodiments, the component may be configured to wake up the memory controller within the SOC and the path to the memory controller, in order to write the data to memory. The remainder of the SOC may remain powered down.
Abstract:
In one embodiment, an interrupt controller may implement an interrupt distribution scheme for distributing interrupts among multiple processors. The scheme may take into account various processor state in determining which processor should receive a given interrupt. For example, the processor state may include whether or not the processor is in a sleep state, whether or not interrupts are enabled, whether or not the processor has responded to previous interrupts, etc. The interrupt controller may implement timeout mechanisms to detect that an interrupt is being delayed (e.g. after being offered to a processor). The interrupt may be re-evaluated at the expiration of a timeout, and potentially offered to another processor. The interrupt controller may be configured to automatically, and atomically, mask an interrupt in response to delivering an interrupt vector for the interrupt to a responding processor.
Abstract:
In an embodiment, a system on a chip (SOC) includes a component that remains powered when the remainder of the SOC is powered off. The component may include a sensor capture unit to capture data from various device sensors, and may filter the captured sensor data. Responsive to the filtering, the component may wake up the remainder of the SOC to permit the processing. The component may store programmable configuration data, matching the state at the time the SOC was most recently powered down, for the other components of the SOC, in order to reprogram them after wakeup. In some embodiments, the component may be configured to wake up the memory controller within the SOC and the path to the memory controller, in order to write the data to memory. The remainder of the SOC may remain powered down.
Abstract:
Various method and apparatus embodiments for selecting tunable operating parameters in an integrated circuit (IC) are disclosed. In one embodiment, an IC includes a number of various functional blocks each having a local management circuit. The IC also includes a global management unit coupled to each of the functional blocks having a local management circuit. The management unit is configured to determine the operational state of the IC based on the respective operating states of each of the functional blocks. Responsive to determining the operational state of the IC, the management unit may provide indications of the same to the local management circuit of each of the functional blocks. The local management circuit for each of the functional blocks may select one or more tunable parameters based on the operational state determined by the management unit.
Abstract:
Techniques are disclosed relating to power management within an integrated circuits. In one embodiment an apparatus is disclosed that includes a circuit and a power management unit. The power management unit is configured to provide, based on a programmable setting, an indication of whether an attempted communication to the circuit is permitted to cause the circuit to exit from a power-managed state. In some embodiments, the apparatus includes a fabric configured to transmit the attempted communication to the circuit from a device. In such an embodiment, the circuit is configured to exit the power-managed state in response to receiving the attempted communication. The fabric is configured to determine whether to transmit the attempted communication based on the indication provided by the power management unit.
Abstract:
Systems and methods for arbitrating among traffic from a coherence point to a switch fabric. A multi-level arbiter is used to avoid starvation while providing fairness and high bandwidth on the connection path between the coherence point and the switch fabric. A first level of arbitration selects packets with enough available credits for forwarding from the switch fabric on a downstream channel. The second level of arbitration arbitrates among short packets at a first arbiter and arbitrates among long packets at a second arbiter. The selected short packet and the selected long packet are forwarded to a third level of arbitration. The third level of arbitration alternates between long and short packets and forwards the selected packet to the switch fabric.
Abstract:
Techniques are disclosed relating to reducing power consumption in integrated circuits. In one embodiment, an apparatus includes a cache having a set of tag structures and a power management unit. The power management unit is configured to power down a duplicate set of tag structures in responsive to the cache being powered down. In one embodiment, the cache is configured to provide, to the power management unit, an indication of whether the cache includes valid data. In such an embodiment, the power management unit is configured to power down the cache in response to the cache indicating that the cache does not include valid data. In some embodiments, the duplicate set of tag structures is located within a coherence point configured to maintain coherency between the cache and a memory.
Abstract:
An SOC implements a security enclave processor (SEP). The SEP may include a processor and one or more security peripherals. The SEP may be isolated from the rest of the SOC (e.g. one or more central processing units (CPUs) in the SOC, or application processors (APs) in the SOC). Access to the SEP may be strictly controlled by hardware. For example, a mechanism in which the CPUs/APs can only access a mailbox location in the SEP is described. The CPU/AP may write a message to the mailbox, which the SEP may read and respond to. The SEP may include one or more of the following in some embodiments: secure key management using wrapping keys, SEP control of boot and/or power management, and separate trust zones in memory.