Abstract:
Energy efficiency is managed in a multi-cluster system. The system detects an event in which a current operating frequency of an active cluster enters or crosses any of one or more predetermined frequency spots of the active cluster, wherein the active cluster includes one or more first processor cores. When the event is detected, the system performs the following steps: (1) identifying a target cluster including one or more second processor cores, wherein the each first processor core in the first cluster and each second processor core in the second cluster have different energy efficiency characteristics; (2) activating at least one second processor core in the second cluster; (3) determining whether to migrate one or more interrupt requests from the first cluster to the second cluster; and (4) determining whether to deactivate at least one first processor core of the active cluster based on a performance and power requirement.
Abstract:
A low-power memory access method and associated apparatus are provided. The apparatus includes a memory controller and a processing unit. The memory controller is coupled to a first memory and a second memory, and includes: a memory management circuit, for allocating physical memory addresses of the first memory and the second memory and controlling access of the first memory and the second memory; and a direct-memory-access (DMA) controller. The processing unit is for accessing the first memory and the second memory via the memory controller. When the apparatus is in an active mode, the memory management circuit copies a portion of data stored in the second memory to the first memory for use by the processing unit, and records dirty data information when the portion of data in the first memory differs from that in the second memory.
Abstract:
A controller and a memory-access method for use in the controller are provided. The controller includes a sensor-processing system, and the sensor-processing system includes a memory, and a buffer, wherein the controller is coupled to an external memory and a sensor. The method includes the steps of: gathering the sensor data from the sensor and writing the gathered sensor data into the memory; writing information associated with the sensor data into the buffer; determining whether a fill level of the buffer has reached a predetermined threshold; and retrieving the sensor data from the memory and writing the retrieved sensor data to the external memory according to the information associated with the stored sensor data in the buffer when it is determined that the fill level has reached the predetermined threshold.
Abstract:
A low-power operation method and associated electronic device are provided. The electronic device includes a display unit, a first control system, and a second control system. The display unit includes a first display area and a second display area. The first control system and the second control system control displaying of the first display area and the second display area, respectively. Activation of the first control system and the second control system is based on a hardware configuration of the electronic device. The first display area is larger than the second display area, and the second control system has lower active power than the first control system.