Patent Document

BACKGROUND  
       [0001]     Manufacturers may perform various tests to rate each processor for a particular clock frequency. Based on these tests, the manufacturer may determine the maximum clock frequency at which the processor may operate without errors. However, many manufacturers conservatively rate their processors in order to introduce further safety margin of error. For example, a processor that successfully operates during tests at 3 GHz may be rated at only 2.8 GHz.  
         [0002]     Moreover, consumers demand processors across a wide variety of clock frequencies. As a result, manufacturers typically rate processors at frequencies that are significantly lower than the processor&#39;s maximum clock frequency to meet consumer demand. For example, 80% of a manufacturer&#39;s processors may operate correctly at 3 GHz. However, the manufacturer may mark and rate these 3 GHz processors as slower processors (e.g. 2.4, 2.6, and 2.8 GHz) to satisfy market demand.  
         [0003]     Because many processors may be clocked at frequencies significantly greater than their rated (marked) clock frequency, resellers and distributors may remark processors with a higher frequency and may resell the remarked processors as the higher speed part at a higher price. Further, computer manufacturers and consumers may configure their systems to operate a processor at a higher clock frequency than originally rated. This operating a processor at a higher clock frequency is commonly referred to as overcocking and may result in a substantial cost savings to computer manufacturers and consumers at the expense of a processor manufacturer attempting to meet market demand for lower rated processors. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0004]     The invention described herein is illustrated by way of example and not by way of limitation in the accompanying figures. For simplicity and clarity of illustration, elements illustrated in the figures are not necessarily drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some elements may be exaggerated relative to other elements for clarity. Further, where considered appropriate, reference labels have been repeated among the figures to indicate corresponding or analogous elements.  
         [0005]      FIG. 1  illustrates an embodiment of a computing device with an overclock detector.  
         [0006]      FIG. 2  illustrates an embodiment of the overclock detector of  FIG. 1 .  
         [0007]      FIG. 3  illustrates an embodiment of the detection period generator of the overclock detector shown in  FIG. 2 .  
         [0008]      FIG. 4  illustrates an embodiment of the operating counter, overclocking detector, and fresh cycle detector of the overclock detector shown in  FIG. 2 .  
         [0009]      FIG. 5  illustrates an embodiment of the clock drift filter of the overclock detector shown in  FIG. 2 .  
         [0010]      FIG. 6  illustrates a signal diagram of the overclock detector of  FIG. 2  in response to an operating clock signal that is not being overclocked.  
         [0011]      FIG. 7  illustrates a signal diagram of the overclock detector of  FIG. 2  in response to an operating clock signal that is being overclocked.  
         [0012]      FIG. 8  illustrates a signal diagram of the overclock detector of  FIG. 2  in response to an operating clock signal that is not being overclocked but is experiencing clock drift. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0013]     The following description describes techniques and arrangements to detect overcocking. In the following description, numerous specific details such as logic implementations, opcodes, means to specify operands, resource partitioning/sharing/duplication implementations, types and interrelationships of system components, and logic partitioning/integration choices are set forth in order to provide a more thorough understanding of the present invention. It will be appreciated, however, by one skilled in the art that the invention may be practiced without such specific details. In other instances, control structures, gate level circuits and full software instruction sequences have not been shown in detail in order not to obscure the invention. Those of ordinary skill in the art, with the included descriptions, will be able to implement appropriate functionality without undue experimentation.  
         [0014]     References in the specification to “one embodiment”, “an embodiment”, “an example embodiment”, etc., indicate that the embodiment described may include a particular feature, structure, or characteristic, but every embodiment may not necessarily include the particular feature, structure, or characteristic. Moreover, such phrases are not necessarily referring to the same embodiment. Further, when a particular feature, structure, or characteristic is described in connection with an embodiment, it is submitted that it is within the knowledge of one skilled in the art to effect such feature, structure, or characteristic in connection with other embodiments whether or not explicitly described.  
         [0015]     The following description further describes signals as being activated, deactivated, in an active state, or in a inactive state. It should be understood that such terminology is referring to a “logical” status of the signal and is not referencing the underlying electrical nature of the signal. For example, a reset signal may be activated to indicate a reset condition and deactivated to indicate a non-reset condition. The underlying electrical nature of an activated reset signal may however be a high signal, a low signal, a positive differential signal, a negative differential signal, or some other signal encoding mechanism.  
         [0016]     Embodiments of the invention may be implemented in hardware, firmware, software, or any combination thereof. Embodiments of the invention may also be implemented as instructions stored on a machine-readable medium, which may be read and executed by one or more processors. A machine-readable medium may include any mechanism for storing or transmitting information in a form readable by a machine (e.g., a computing device). For example, a machine-readable medium may include read only memory (ROM); random access memory (RAM); magnetic disk storage media; optical storage media; flash memory devices; electrical, optical, acoustical or other forms of propagated signals (e.g., carrier waves, infrared signals, digital signals, etc.), and others. Further, firmware, software, routines, instructions may be described herein as performing certain actions. However, it should be appreciated that such descriptions are merely for convenience and that such actions in fact result from computing devices, processors, controllers, or other devices executing the firmware, software, routines, instructions, etc.  
         [0017]     An embodiment of a computing device is shown in  FIG. 1 . The computing device may comprise one or more processors  102  and a chipset  104 . The chipset  104  may include one or more integrated circuit packages or chips that couple the processor  102  to a memory  106 . The chipset  104  may further couple the processor  102  to other components. In one embodiment, the chipset  104  may comprise an I/O interface  108  to connect I/O devices  110  to the processor  102  and/or memory  106 . For example, the chipset  104  may comprise a PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect) interface, PCI Express interface, USB (Universal Serial Bus) interface, and/or some other interface that operatively connect keyboards, mice, storage devices, audio devices, etc. to the processor  102  and/or memory  106 .  
         [0018]     The chipset  104  may further comprise a memory interface  112  to read from and/or write data to the memory  106  in response to read and write requests of the processor  102  and/or other components of the computing device. The memory  106  may comprise one or more memory devices that provide addressable storage locations from which data may be read and/or to which data may be written. The memory  106  may also comprise one or more different types of memory devices such as, for example, DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory) devices, SDRAM (Synchronous DRAM) devices, DDR (Double Data Rate) SDRAM devices, or other volatile and/or non-volatile memory devices.  
         [0019]     The chipset  104  may further comprise a video interface  114  for a display  116 . In one embodiment, the video interface  114  may generate analog display signals suitable for display by an analog display  116  such as, for example, a VGA (Video Graphics Array) CRT (cathode ray tube) monitor. The video interface  114  may also generate digital display signals suitable for display by a digital display  116  such as, for example, a DVO (Digital Video Output) or SDVO (serial DVO) flat panel display.  
         [0020]     As shown, the computing device may also include a clock  118 . In one embodiment, the clock  118  may generate a reference clock signal L_CLK having a fixed frequency such as, for example, 250 MHz. The clock  118  may provide its reference clock signal L_CLK to the chipset  104  to drive one or more I/O interfaces  108  of the chipset  104  such as, for example, a PCI Express interface. In one embodiment, the PCI Express interface requires a reference clock signal with a 250 MHz frequency in order to generate signals in compliance with the PCI Express Base Specification, Revision 1.0 of Jul. 22, 2002. As a result, the chipset  104  may use the reference clock signal L_CLK as a basis for detecting overclocking of the computing device since the chipset  104  may reasonably expect the reference clock signal L_CLK to maintain a frequency of 250 MHz.  
         [0021]     The clock  118  may further generate a processor or operating clock signal H_CLK that defines the operating rate of the processor  102  and/or some other components of the computing device. The clock  118  may generate the operating clock signal H_CLK with a selectable or programmable frequency. In particular, the clock  118  may comprise select lines BSEL 0 , BSEL 1  to select the frequency of the operating clock signal H_CLK. The status of the select lines BSEL 0 , BSEL 1  may select a frequency for the operating clock signal H_CLK from a group of supported clock frequencies (e.g. 100 MHz, 133 MHz, 200 MHz) and may configure the processor  102  and chipset  104  to operate based upon the selected frequency. Further, the operating clock signal H_CLK generated by the clock  118  may drive the processor  102 , portions of the chipset  104 , and/or other subsystems of the computing device at the selected frequency.  
         [0022]     Also as depicted, the chipset  104  may include an overclock detector  120 . The overclock detector  120  may detect whether the processor  102  and/or other components are operating faster than desired. In one embodiment, the overclock detector  120  may detect whether the processor  102  and/or other components of the computing device are being overclocked or driven beyond supported operating frequencies or beyond licensed ratings. The overclock detector  120  may detect such an overclock condition based upon the reference clock signal L_CLK and the operating clock signal H_CLK. In particular, the overclock detector  120  may determine that an overclock condition has occurred in response to determining that the operating clock signal H_CLK has more cycles than allowed for multiple detection periods.  
         [0023]     One embodiment of the overclock detector  120  is depicted in  FIG. 2 . As depicted, the overclock detector  120  may comprise a detection period generator  210 , an operating counter  230 , an overclocking detector  240 , a fresh cycle detector  250 , and clock drift filter  260 . The detection period generator  210  may periodically activate a detection period reset signal DP_RST based upon a detection period defined by the reference clock signal L_CLK. The detection period generator  210  may further activate the detection period reset signal DP_RST such that the transitions of the detection period reset signal DP_RST are synchronized with transitions of the operating clock signal H_CLK.  
         [0024]     The operating counter  230  may generate an operating count signal O_CNT that is indicative of the number of cycles of operating clock signal H_CLK that have occurred during a detection period defined by the detection period reset signal DP_RST. In one embodiment, the operating counter  230  may increment its operating count O_CNT in response to each clock cycle of the operating clock signal H_CLK. Further, the operating counter  230  may reset the operating count O_CNT in response to the detection period generator  210  activating the detection period reset signal DP_RST.  
         [0025]     The overclocking detector  240  may select a threshold based upon the status of the select lines BSEL 0 , BSEL 1 . Further, the overclocking detector  240  may activate an overclocking signal OC to indicate that the operating clock signal H_CLK is operating faster than allowed by the selected threshold. The fresh cycle detector  250  may activate a fresh cycle signal FC to indicate the overclocking detector  240  has begun a fresh cycle.  
         [0026]     The clock drift filter  260  may activate an overclocking response signal OC_RSP to initiate an overclock response. In particular, the clock drift filter  260  may filter the overclocking signal OC generated by the overclocking detector  240  to prevent an overclock response due to brief changes in the operating clock frequency that may be due to clock drift or other reasons.  
         [0027]     Referring now to  FIG. 3 , an embodiment of the detection period generator  210  is depicted. The detection period generator may comprise a 4-bit reference counter  310  having four D flip-flops  312  to store a 4-bit count. The 4-bit reference counter  310  may comprise logic circuitry  314  such as AND gates, XOR gates, OR gates, and NOT gates that cause the D flip-flops  312  to increment the stored reference count R_CNT by one in response to each rising edge of the reference clock signal L_CLK. Moreover, the reference counter  310  may comprise a comparator  316  to activate a roll-over signal RO that causes the D flip-flops  312  to roll-over or reset to a reference count R_CNT of 0 (0000 binary). The comparator  310  may activate the roll-over signal RO in response to the reference count R_CNT of the reference counter  310  having a predetermined relationship to a roll-over value. In particular, the comparator  316  may activate the roll-over signal RO in response to the reference count R_CNT being equal to 14 (1110 binary).  
         [0028]     Due to the above configuration, the reference counter  310  in one embodiment cyclically increments its reference count R_CNT from 0 to 14 in response to each rising edge of the reference clock signal L_CLK. Accordingly, if the reference clock signal L_CLK has a frequency of 250 MHz, then reference count R_CNT rolls over every 60 nanoseconds (ns) or 15 cycles of the reference clock signal L_CLK. The signal diagrams of  FIGS. 6-8  depict the reference count R_CNT cycling from 0 to 14 in response to rising edges of the reference clock signal L_CLK.  
         [0029]     As depicted, the detection period generator  210  may further comprise a pulse generator  318  to generate a pulse signal having one pulse each roll-over cycle of the reference counter  310 . The detection period generator  210  may further comprise a D flip-flop  320  to capture the state of the pulse signal in response the rising edge of the reference clock signal L_CLK and present the detection period signal DP which represents the pulse signal synchronized with the referenced clock signal L_CLK.  
         [0030]     In one embodiment, the pulse generator  318  may generate the pulse with a width that covers multiple cycles of the reference clock signal L_CLK so that the detection period signal DP may be reliably transferred to the operating clock domain. In particular, since the reference clock signal L_CLK and the operating clock signal H_CLK may operate in an asynchronous manner, the pulse of the detection period signal DP should last for at least two cycles of the slowest supported frequency of the operating clock signal H_CLK. In one embodiment, the reference clock signal L_CLK is 250 MHz (4 ns/cycle) and the slowest operating clock signal H_CLK has a frequency of 133 MHz (about 7.52 ns/cycle), thus two cycles of the slowest H_CLK is roughly 15.04 ns and four cycles of the L_CLK is about 16 ns. Thus, the pulse generator  318  may generate a pulse having a width of at least four cycles of the reference clock signal L_CLK in order for the pulse of the detection period signal DP to be reliably transferred to the operating clock signal H_CLK domain.  
         [0031]     To this end, the pulse generator  218  in one embodiment comprises a comparator that generates an active signal when the two most significant bits of the reference count R_CNT are equal to 0 (‘00’ binary). Accordingly, the pulse generator  218  generates an active signal when the reference count R_CNT is equal to 0, 1, 2, and 3 as depicted by the detection period signal DP in  FIGS. 6-8 .  
         [0032]     Still referring to  FIG. 3 , the detection period generator  210  may also include a clock crossing circuit  322 . The clock crossing circuit  322  may receive the detection period signal DP from the reference clock signal L_CLK domain and may generate therefrom a detection period reset signal DP_RST in the operating clock domain H_CLK. In particular, the clock crossing circuit  322  may comprise two D flip-flops  330 ,  332  that reliably capture the pulse of the detection period signal DP in response to rising edges of the operating clock signal H_CLK. Further, the clock crossing circuit  322  may comprise another D flip-flop  334  and supporting logic  336  such as, for example, a NAND gate and a NOT gate that cause the D flip-flop  334  to detect the rising edge of the captured pulse. Further, the D flip-flop  334  and logic  336  may generate the detection period signal DP_RST with a pulse that goes low for one cycle of the operating clock signal H_CLK in response to each detected rising edge of the detection period signal as depicted by the detection period reset signal DP_RST in  FIGS. 6-8 .  
         [0033]     An embodiment of the operating counter  230 , the overclocking detector  240 , and the fresh cycle detector  250  is shown in  FIG. 4 . The operating counter  230  may further comprise a 5-bit counter having five D flip-flops  412  to store a 5-bit operating count O_CNT. The 5-bit operating counter  230  may comprise logic circuitry  414  such as AND gates, XOR gates, OR gates, and NOT gates that cause the D flip-flops  412  to increment the stored operating count O_CNT by one in response to each rising edge of the operating clock signal H_CLK. Moreover, the logic circuitry  414  may cause the D flip-flops  412  to roll-over to an operating count O_CNT of 0 (00000 binary) from an operating count O_CNT of 31 (11111 binary). Further, the logic circuitry  414  may reset the operating count O_CNT to 0 (00000 binary) when the detection period reset signal DP_RST is activated (e.g. 0). In one embodiment, the detection period generator  210  activates the detection period reset signal DP_RST (e.g. force to 0) for one clock cycle of the operating clock signal H_CLK every 60 ns. Accordingly, the operating counter  230  in one embodiment is reset to an operating count O_CNT of 0 every 60 ns by the detection period reset signal DP_RST as shown in  FIGS. 6-8 .  
         [0034]     The overclocking detector  240  may determine whether the operating clock signal H_CLK is operating at a frequency greater than desired and/or licensed. In one embodiment, the overclocking detector  240  may comprise a multiplexer  420  and a comparator  422 . The multiplexer  420  may select an operating count limit based upon the status of the select lines BSEL 0 , BSEL 1 . In one embodiment, select lines BSEL 0 , BSEL 1  of 0 corresponds to an operating frequency of 133 MHz (about 7.5 ns/cycle) or about 8 cycles per every detection period of 60 ns. Similarly, select lines BSEL 0 , BSEL 1  of 1 corresponds to an operating frequency of 167 MHz (about 6 ns/cycle) or about 10 cycles per every 60 ns, of  2  corresponds to an operating frequency of 200 MHz (about 5 ns/cycle) or about 14 cycles per every 60 ns, and of 3 corresponds to an operating frequency of 267 MHz (about 3.75 ns/cycle) or about 16 cycles every 60 ns. As a result, the multiplexer  420  in one embodiment is configured to respectively select limits of 8, 10, 14, and 16 in response to select lines BSEL 0 , BSEL 1  of 0, 1, 2, and 3.  
         [0035]     The comparator  422  may activate the overclocking signal OC in response to the operating count O_CNT having a predetermined relationship to (e.g. equal to) the selected limit and may deactivate the overclocking signal otherwise. For example,  FIG. 6  shows a non-overclocking situation for an operating clock signal of 200 MHz. As illustrated, the operating count O_CNT never reaches a count of 12. Thus, the operating clock signal H_CLK does not generate more than 12 cycles during the 60 ns detection period. Conversely,  FIG. 7  shows a situation where an operating clock signal H_CLK is overclocked beyond the expected frequency of 200 MHz. Accordingly, the operating count O_CNT reaches a count of 12 or higher during each 60 ns detection period.  
         [0036]     Referring now to  FIG. 5 , an embodiment of clock drift filter  260  is depicted. The clock drift filter  260  may filter the overclocking signal OC to prevent activating the overclocking response signal OC_RSP due to deviations in the frequency of the operating clock signal H_CLK that are unlikely a result of someone intentionally overclocking the operating clock signal H_CLK. In one embodiment, the clock drift filter  260  may comprise logic circuitry  510  and a D flip-flop  512  that generate a first overclocking this cycle signal OC_TC 1  and a second overclocking this cycle signal OC_TC 2 . In particular, the logic circuitry  510  may activate the first overclocking this cycle signal OC_TC 1  in response to the overclocking signal OC or the second overclocking this cycle signal OC_TC 2  being active. Further, the logic circuitry  510  may deactivate the first overclocking this cycle signal OC_TC 1  in response to the fresh cycle signal FC being activated. The D flip-flop  512  may store the status of the first overclocking this cycle signal OC_TC 1  in response to a rising edge of the operating clock signal H_CLK. Further, the D flip-flop  512  may generate the second overclocking signal OC_TC 2  such that it represents the stored status of the first overclocking signal OC_TC 1 .  
         [0037]     As shown in the non-overclocking diagram of  FIG. 6 , the overclocking this cycle signals OC_TC 1 , OC_TC 2  remain in an inactive state since the operating clock signal H_CLK is not overclocked and the overclocking signal OC remains in an inactive state. However, as shown in the overclocking diagram of  FIG. 7 , the overclocking this cycle signals OC_TC 1 , OC_TC 2  are activated in response to the overclocking signal OC being activated and are deactivated in response to the fresh cycle signal FC being activated.  
         [0038]     The clock drift filter  260  may further include logic circuitry  514  such as, for example, a NOT gate and an AND gate that in conjunction with the D flip-flop  512  may detect a rising edge of the second overclocking this cycle signal OC_TC 2 . Further, the D flip-flop  512  and logic circuitry  514  may further activate a drift increment signal D_INC for one cycle of the operating clock H_CLK in response to detecting the rising edge. As shown in the non-overclocking diagram of  FIG. 6 , the drift increment signal D_INC may remain in an inactive state since the overclocking this cycle signals OC_TC 1 , OC_TC 2  are not activated. However, in the overclocking diagrams of  FIG. 7 , the drift increment signal D_INC is activated in response to each rising edge of the second overclocking this cycle signal OC_TC 2 .  
         [0039]     The clock drift filter  260  may also include logic circuitry  516  such as, for example, an OR gate that activates a drift reset signal D_RST in response to the overcocking this cycle signals OC_TC 1 , OC_TC 2  being deactivated and the detection period reset signal DP_RST being activated. As shown, in the non-overclocking diagram of  FIG. 6 , the drift reset signal D_RST is activated (e.g. forced low) in response to the detection period reset signal DP_RST being active (e.g. low) and the overcocking this cycle signals OC_TC 1 , OC_TC 2  being deactivated (e.g. low). In the overclocking diagram of  FIG. 7 , however, the drift reset signal D_RST remains in an inactive state (e.g. high) since the first overclocking this cycle signal OC_TC 1  is active when the detection period reset signal DP_RST is active.  
         [0040]     The clock drift filter  260  may further comprise a 2-bit drift counter  520  having two D flip-flops  522  to store a 2-bit drift count D_CNT. The drift counter  520  may also comprise logic circuitry  524  such as AND gates, XOR gates, and OR gates that cause the D flip-flops  522  to increment the stored drift count D_CNT by one in response to each rising edge of the operating clock signal H_CLK that occurs when the drift increment signal D_INC is active. Moreover, the logic circuitry  524  may reset the drift count D_CNT to 0 (00 binary) when the drift reset signal D_RST is active (e.g. low). In one embodiment, the logic circuitry  516  essentially activates (e.g. forces low) the drift reset signal D_RST at least once each non-overclocked cycle of the operating counter  230 .  
         [0041]     As depicted in the non-overclocking diagram of  FIG. 6 , the drift count D_CNT remains a 0 since the drift increment signal D_INC remains inactive. However, in the overclocking diagram of  FIG. 7 , the drift count D_CNT increments from 0 to 3 in response to the drift increment signal D_INC.  FIG. 8  depicts a non-overclocking situation wherein the operating clock signal H_CLK incurs an extra cycle during a detection period. As a result, the drift count D_CNT is incremented to 1 in response to the extra cycle causing activation of the drift increment signal D_INC. However, the operating clock signal H_CLK incurs only the allotted number of cycles during the subsequent detection period. The drift count D_CNT is therefore reset to 0 by the activation of the drift reset signal D_RST.  
         [0042]     The clock drift filter  260  may further include a comparator  530  to compare the drift count D_CNT to a drift threshold. The clock drift filter  260  may also include a D flip-flop  540  to capture the status of the comparator  530 . Further, the D flip-flop  540  may activate an overclocking response signal OC_RSP in response to the captured status of the comparator  530 . In particular, the comparator  530  may generate an active signal in response to the drift count D_CNT having a predetermined relationship to (e.g. equal to) a drift threshold (e.g. 3). Therefore, in one embodiment, the D flip-flop  540  may activate the overclocking response signal OC_RSP in response to the drift count D_CNT being equal to 3 (‘11’ binary). In such an embodiment, the clock drift filter  260  may filter out the overclocking signal OC when indicative of brief or intermittent changes in the frequency of the operating clock signal H_CLK as depicted in  FIG. 8 . Further, the clock drift filter  260  may activate the overclocking response signal OC_RSP when the overclocking signal OC is indicative of purposeful overclocking such as when the overclocking is detected for three successive detection periods as depicted in  FIG. 7 .  
         [0043]     The computing device may take various actions in response to the overclocking response signal OC_RSP being activated. For example, the computing device may force a system shutdown or a system reboot. In another embodiment, the computing device may activate a throttling mechanism that lowers the frequency of the operating clock H_CLK or lowers the effective performance of the computing device. In yet another embodiment, the computing device may halt the processor thus stopping the computing device.  
         [0044]     Certain features of the invention have been described with reference to example embodiments. However, the description is not intended to be construed in a limiting sense. Various modifications of the example embodiments, as well as other embodiments of the invention, which are apparent to persons skilled in the art to which the invention pertains are deemed to lie within the spirit and scope of the invention. For example, the counters  230 ,  310 ,  520  may be implemented with a different number of bits and/or to update their counts by decrementing. Further, logic may be inversed (e.g. active high signals may become active low signals) and signal names be changed without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

Technology Category: 3