Patent ID: 7519925
Filing Date: 2009-04-14
Classification: G01R,G06F

Abstract:
1. An electronic system, comprising: circuitry for receiving a system voltage from a voltage supply; circuitry, responsive to the system voltage, for providing data processing functionality, wherein the circuitry for providing data processing functionality comprises a critical path and wherein the critical path comprises a plurality of transistors, wherein at least some transistors in the plurality of transistors have a corresponding predetermined voltage operating limit; circuitry for indicating a potential capability of operational speed of the critical path; circuitry for coupling the system voltage to the critical path; and circuitry for adjusting the system voltage, as provided by the voltage supply, in response to the circuitry for indicating a potential capability; wherein in selected instances the circuitry for adjusting adjusts the voltage supplied by the voltage supply to be a voltage greater than the predetermined voltage operating limit; wherein the system is on a single integrated circuit; wherein each transistor in the plurality of transistors has a gate length of 90 nanometers; wherein a single integrated circuit comprises the circuitry for indicating a potential capability and the critical path; and wherein a distance between the circuitry for indicating the potential capability and the critical path is no greater than 100 microns apart on the single integrated circuit.