PATENT DOCUMENT

Publication Number: US-9411360-B2
Application Number: US-201414153296-A
Country: US
Kind Code: B2

Title: Method to manage current during clock frequency changes

Abstract:
A system for managing a change in a frequency of a clock signal, including a clock generator configured to output the clock signal, a clock divider coupled to the output of the clock generator, a processor configured to select the frequency of the clock signal, and a clock management circuit. The clock management circuit may be configured to set the clock generator to adjust the clock signal to the selected frequency. The clock management circuit may be further configured to adjust a divisor value of the clock divider in a plurality of steps in response to a determination the clock signal stabilized at the selected frequency. A new divisor value may be selected during each step in the plurality of steps and each step may occur after a given time period.

Claims:
What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A system, comprising:
 a clock generator configured to generate a clock signal, wherein a frequency of the clock signal has an initial frequency value; 
 a clock divider coupled to the clock generator, wherein the clock divider is configured to divide the frequency of the clock signal by a divisor value; 
 a processor coupled to the clock divider, wherein the processor is configured to select a new frequency value for the clock signal; and 
 a clock management unit, configured to:
 increase the divisor value in response to the processor selecting the new frequency value; 
 adjust the frequency of the clock signal to the new frequency value selected by the processor; and 
 adjust the divisor value in a series of adjustments in response to a determination that the frequency of the clock signal has stabilized at the new frequency value, wherein at least a predetermined time period elapses between each adjustment of the series of adjustments. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the new frequency value is greater than the initial frequency value. 
     
     
       3. The system of  claim 2 , wherein to adjust the divisor value in the series of adjustments, the clock management unit is further configured to increase the divisor value in a first adjustment of the series of adjustments. 
     
     
       4. The system of  claim 3 , wherein to adjust the divisor value in the series of adjustments, the clock management unit is further configured to decrease the divisor value in subsequent adjustments of the series of adjustments. 
     
     
       5. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the clock management unit is further configured to determine a number of adjustments in the series of adjustments dependent upon a difference between the new frequency value and the initial frequency value. 
     
     
       6. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the clock signal includes a plurality of clock pulses, and wherein to divide the frequency of the clock signal by a divisor value, the clock divider is further configured to remove a first number of clock pulses from the plurality of clock pulses during a given one of the plurality of time periods. 
     
     
       7. The system of  claim 6 , wherein to remove the first number of clock pulses from the plurality of clock pulses, the clock divider is further configured to determine a pattern for removing the first number of clock pulses dependent upon a previously determined pattern. 
     
     
       8. A method, comprising:
 generating, by a clock source, a clock signal, wherein a frequency of the clock signal has an initial value; 
 dividing, by a clock divider circuit, the frequency of the clock signal by a divisor value in response to a request for a new value for the frequency; 
 adjusting, by the clock source, the frequency of the clock signal to the new value; and 
 adjusting, by the clock divider circuit, the divisor value in a series of adjustments, in response to a determination that the frequency of the clock signal has stabilized at the new value, wherein at least a predetermined time period elapses between each adjustment of the series of adjustments. 
 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 8 , wherein the new value for the frequency is greater than the initial value for the frequency. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 9 , wherein adjusting the divisor value by the series of adjustments further comprises increasing the divisor value in a first adjustment of the series of adjustments and decreasing the divisor value in subsequent adjustments of the series of adjustments. 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 8 , wherein adjusting the divisor value by the series of adjustments further comprises determining a number of adjustments in the series of adjustments dependent upon a difference between the new value for the frequency of the clock signal and the initial value for the frequency of the clock signal. 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 8 , wherein the clock signal includes a plurality of clock pulses, and wherein dividing the new value of the frequency of the clock signal comprises removing a first number of clock pulses from the plurality of clock pulses during a given one of the plurality of time periods. 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 12 , wherein removing the first number of clock pulses from the plurality of clock pulses, comprises determining a pattern for removing the first number of clock pulses dependent upon a previously determined pattern. 
     
     
       14. An apparatus, comprising:
 a clock circuit, configured to generate a clock signal, wherein a frequency of the clock signal has a first value; 
 a frequency divider, coupled to the clock circuit, wherein the frequency divider is configured to divide the frequency of the clock signal by a divisor; and 
 a clock control unit, configured to:
 increase the divisor in response to selecting a second value for the frequency of the clock signal; 
 adjust the frequency of the clock signal to the second value; and 
 adjust the divisor in a series of adjustments in response to a determination that the frequency of the clock signal has stabilized at the second value, wherein at least a predetermined time period elapses between each adjustment of the series of adjustments. 
 
 
     
     
       15. The apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein the second value is less than the first value. 
     
     
       16. The apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein to adjust the divisor in the series of adjustments, the clock control unit is further configured to decrease the divisor in a first adjustment of the series of adjustments and to increase the divisor in subsequent adjustments of the series of adjustments. 
     
     
       17. The apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein the clock control unit is further configured to determine a number of adjustments in the series of adjustments dependent upon a difference between the second value and the first value. 
     
     
       18. The apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein the clock signal includes a plurality of clock pulses, and wherein to divide the frequency of the clock signal by a divisor, the frequency divider is further configured to remove a first number of clock pulses from the plurality of clock pulses during a given one of the plurality of time periods. 
     
     
       19. The apparatus of  claim 18 , wherein to remove a first number of clock pulses from the plurality of clock pulses, the frequency divider is further configured to determine a pattern for removing the first number of clock pulses dependent upon a previously determined pattern. 
     
     
       20. The apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein to adjust the divisor in the series of adjustments, the clock control unit is further configured to select a number of adjustments in the series of adjustments dependent upon a voltage level of a power source coupled to the clock circuit.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     1. Technical Field 
     This invention is related to the field of integrated circuit implementation, and more particularly to the implementation of clock management circuits. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     Computing systems may include one or more systems-on-a-chip (SoC), which may integrate a number of different functions, such as, graphics processing, onto a single integrated circuit. With numerous functions included in a single integrated circuit, chip count may be kept low in mobile computing systems, such as tablets, for example, which may result in reduced assembly costs, and a smaller form factor for such mobile computing systems. 
     Some SoC designs may support a variety of operational frequencies for a variety of reasons. For example, a specific frequency may be required for a certain communications protocol, such as, for example, Universal Serial Bus (USB) or Ethernet. In other embodiments, a system frequency may be increased or decreased to either increase performance of the system or reduce power consumption of the system depending on the needs of the system at any given time. In order to support adjustable frequencies, clock circuits may include a closed loop clock generating circuit such as, for example, a Phase-Locked Loop (PLL) or Frequency-Locked Loop (FLL). PLLs and FLLs may allow for a wide range of clock frequencies to be generated. 
     In some SoC designs, a voltage regulator may be used to maintain the voltage level of the power supply used throughout the SoC to prevent the voltage level from rising to a level which may damage the circuits. The method on which many voltage regulator designs operate may be susceptible to problems when there is a sudden change in the current consumption from the logic circuits to which the regulator is providing power. A sudden increase in current consumption may cause a temporary drop in the voltage level of the output of the regulator while the regulator adjusts to compensate. For example, if the SoC is consuming an average of 10 mA and the SoC suddenly increases power consumption to an average of 100 mA due to a performance shift such as an increase in the system frequency, then the output voltage of the voltage regulator may drop from the normal regulated voltage level until the regulator adjusts to compensate for the new current demand from the SoC and settles back to the normal regulated voltage level. This drop in the voltage level may be referred to as voltage droop. If the voltage droop results in a voltage level that is below a minimum voltage level necessary to operate the logic circuits, even briefly, a logic state within the logic circuits may be corrupted, which may lead to indeterminate behavior and a possible processing exception. 
     A method is desired in which a system frequency of an SoC may be modified from any supported frequency to any other supported frequency without risk of voltage droop of a voltage regulator falling below a minimum safe operating voltage level. Systems and methods for achieving a safe change in system frequency are presented below. 
     SUMMARY OF THE EMBODIMENTS 
     Various embodiments of a clock management circuit are disclosed. Broadly speaking, a system, an apparatus, and a method are contemplated in which the system includes a clock generator configured to output a clock signal at an initial frequency, a clock divider coupled to the output of the clock generator, a processor configured to select a new frequency of the clock signal, and a clock management circuit. The clock management circuit may be configured to set the clock generator to adjust the clock signal to the new frequency. The clock management circuit may be further configured to adjust a divisor value of the clock divider in a plurality of steps in response to a determination the clock signal stabilized at the new frequency. A new divisor value may be selected during each step in the plurality of steps and each step may occur after a given time period. 
     In a further embodiment of the system, the new frequency may be greater than the initial frequency and to adjust the divisor value in the plurality of steps, the clock management unit may be further configured to increase the divisor value in a first step of the plurality of steps and then to decrease the divisor value in subsequent steps of the plurality of steps. 
     In another embodiment, the clock management unit may be further configured to determine a number of steps in the plurality of steps based on a difference between the new frequency and the initial frequency. 
     In one embodiment, the clock divider may be configured to remove a number of clock pulses from the plurality of clock pulses during the given time period to divide the frequency of the clock signal by a divisor value. The clock divider may be further configured to determine a pattern for removing the number of clock pulses dependent upon a previously determined pattern. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The following detailed description makes reference to the accompanying drawings, which are now briefly described. 
         FIG. 1  illustrates an embodiment of a system-on-a-chip. 
         FIG. 2  illustrates an embodiment of a clock management unit. 
         FIG. 3  illustrates possible waveforms of an embodiment of a clock management unit. 
         FIG. 4  illustrates a flowchart of an embodiment of a method for managing a change in a clock signal frequency. 
         FIG. 5  illustrates another embodiment of a clock management unit. 
         FIG. 6  illustrates a flowchart of an embodiment of a method for dividing a clock signal. 
     
    
    
     While the disclosure is susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments thereof are shown by way of example in the drawings and will herein be described in detail. It should be understood, however, that the drawings and detailed description thereto are not intended to limit the disclosure to the particular form illustrated, but on the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the present disclosure as defined by the appended claims. The headings used herein are for organizational purposes only and are not meant to be used to limit the scope of the description. As used throughout this application, the word “may” is used in a permissive sense (i.e., meaning having the potential to), rather than the mandatory sense (i.e., meaning must). Similarly, the words “include,” “including,” and “includes” mean including, but not limited to. 
     Various units, circuits, or other components may be described as “configured to” perform a task or tasks. In such contexts, “configured to” is a broad recitation of structure generally meaning “having circuitry that” performs the task or tasks during operation. As such, the unit/circuit/component can be configured to perform the task even when the unit/circuit/component is not currently on. In general, the circuitry that forms the structure corresponding to “configured to” may include hardware circuits. Similarly, various units/circuits/components may be described as performing a task or tasks, for convenience in the description. Such descriptions should be interpreted as including the phrase “configured to.” Reciting a unit/circuit/component that is configured to perform one or more tasks is expressly intended not to invoke 35 U.S.C. §112, paragraph six interpretation for that unit/circuit/component. More generally, the recitation of any element is expressly intended not to invoke 35 U.S.C. §112, paragraph six interpretation for that element unless the language “means for” or “step for” is specifically recited. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS 
     A system on a chip (SoC) may include one or more functional blocks, such as, e.g., a processor and one or more memories, which may integrate the function of a computing system onto a single integrated circuit. In some SoC designs, one or more clock frequencies may be temporarily reduced when the functional blocks coupled to the clock do not currently require a full speed clock. When a functional block does require a full speed clock, a processor in the SoC may configure a clock generating circuit such as a PLL or an FLL to increase the system clock signal to the required frequency. 
     When the SoC begins operating at the higher system clock frequency, the circuits within the SoC may begin consuming more current. If the frequency change occurs quickly, for example, within tens, hundreds, or even thousands of clock cycles, a sudden current increase may be induced to power the high activity state. Such a sudden increase in current consumption may cause a droop in the voltage level of the output of a power supply or voltage regulator as the regulator adjusts to compensate. As previously discussed, if the voltage level drops below a minimum voltage level necessary to operate the circuits, even briefly, a state within the circuits may be corrupted, which may lead to indeterminate behavior and a possible failure. 
     Conversely, a sudden decrease in a system clock frequency may result in an SoC suddenly consuming less current. In some power supplies and voltage regulators, a sudden decrease in current consumption may result in a temporary increase in the voltage level of the supply voltage. Some SoCs may be designed in a technology that may be sensitive to voltages that exceed a maximum operational voltage level. Such an overvoltage may cause indeterminate operation of affected circuits and may even cause damage to the circuits. 
     Various embodiments of a clock generation circuit and method to avoid sudden changes in system clock frequency are discussed in this disclosure. The embodiments illustrated in the drawings and described below may provide techniques for managing a clock generation circuit within a computing system that may prevent clock frequency excursions resulting in erroneous operation of circuits included in an SoC. 
     System-on-a-Chip Overview 
     A block diagram of an embodiment of an SoC is illustrated in  FIG. 1 . In the illustrated embodiment, the SoC  100  includes a processor  101  coupled to memory block  102 , I/O block  103 , power management unit  104 , analog/mixed-signal block  105 , and clock management unit  106 , all coupled through bus  107 . In various embodiments, SoC  100  may be configured for use in a mobile computing application such as, e.g., a tablet computer or cellular telephone. 
     Processor  101  may, in various embodiments, be representative of a general-purpose processor that performs computational operations. For example, processor  101  may be a central processing unit (CPU) such as a microprocessor, a microcontroller, an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or a field-programmable gate array (FPGA). In some embodiments, processor  101  may include multiple CPU cores and may include one or more register files and memories. 
     In various embodiments, processor  101  may implement any suitable instruction set architecture (ISA), such as, e.g., PowerPC™, or x86 ISAs, or combination thereof. Processor  101  may include one or more bus transceiver units that allow processor  101  to communication to other functional blocks within SoC  100  such as, memory block  102 , for example. 
     Memory block  102  may include any suitable type of memory such as, for example, a Dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM), a Static Random Access Memory (SRAM), a Read-only Memory (ROM), Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-only Memory (EEPROM), a FLASH memory, a Ferroelectric Random Access Memory (FeRAM), or a Magnetoresistive Random Access Memory (MRAM), for example. Some embodiments may include a single memory, such as memory block  102  and other embodiments may include more than two memory blocks (not shown). In some embodiments, memory block  102  may be configured to store program instructions that may be executed by processor  101 . Memory block  102  may, in other embodiments, be configured to store data to be processed, such as graphics data, for example. 
     I/O block  103  may be configured to coordinate data transfer between SoC  100  and one or more peripheral devices. Such peripheral devices may include, without limitation, storage devices (e.g., magnetic or optical media-based storage devices including hard drives, tape drives, CD drives, DVD drives, etc.), audio processing subsystems, graphics processing subsystems, or any other suitable type of peripheral devices. In some embodiments, I/O block  103  may be configured to implement a version of Universal Serial Bus (USB) protocol, IEEE 1394 (Firewire®) protocol, or, and may allow for program code and/or program instructions to be transferred from a peripheral storage device for execution by processor  101 . In one embodiment, I/O block  103  may be configured to perform the data processing necessary to implement an Ethernet (IEEE 802.3) networking standard. 
     Power management unit  104  may be configured to manage power delivery to some or all of the functional blocks included in SoC  100 . Power management unit  104  may comprise sub-blocks for managing multiple power supplies for various functional blocks. In various embodiments, the power supplies may be located in analog/mixed-signal block  105 , in power management unit  104 , in other blocks within SoC  100 , or come from external to SoC  100 , coupled through power supply pins. Power management unit  104  may include one or more voltage regulators to adjust outputs of the power supplies to various voltage levels as required by functional blocks within SoC  100 . 
     Analog/mixed-signal block  105  may include a variety of circuits including, for example, a crystal oscillator, a phase-locked loop (PLL) or frequency-locked loop (FLL), an analog-to-digital converter (ADC), and a digital-to-analog converter (DAC) (all not shown). In some embodiments, analog/mixed-signal block  105  may also include, in some embodiments, radio frequency (RF) circuits that may be configured for operation with cellular telephone networks. Analog/mixed-signal block  105  may include one or more voltage regulators to supply one or more voltages to various functional blocks and circuits within those blocks. 
     Clock management unit  106  may be configured to select one or more clock sources for the functional blocks in SoC  100 . In various embodiments, the clock sources may be located in analog/mixed-signal block  105 , in clock management unit  106 , in other blocks with SoC  100 , or come from external to SoC  100 , coupled through one or more I/O pins. In some embodiments, clock management  106  may be capable of dividing a selected clock source before it is distributed throughout SoC  100 . Clock management unit  106  may include registers for selecting an output frequency of a PLL, FLL, or other type of adjustable clock source. In such embodiments, clock management unit  106  may manage the configuration of one or more adjustable clock sources and may be capable of changing clock output frequencies in stages in order to avoid a large change in frequency in a short period of time. 
     System bus  107  may be configured as one or more buses to couple processor  101  to the other functional blocks within the SoC  100  such as, e.g., memory block  102 , and I/O block  103 . In some embodiments, system bus  107  may include interfaces coupled to one or more of the functional blocks that allow a particular functional block to communicate through the bus. In some embodiments, system bus  107  may allow movement of data and transactions (i.e., requests and responses) between functional blocks without intervention from processor  101 . For example, data received through the I/O block  103  may be stored directly to memory block  102 . 
     It is noted that the SoC illustrated in  FIG. 1  is merely an example. In other embodiments, different functional blocks and different configurations of functions blocks may be possible dependent upon the specific application for which the SoC is intended. It is further noted that the various functional blocks illustrated in SoC  100  may operate at different clock frequencies. 
     Clock Management within an SoC 
     Turning to  FIG. 2 , an embodiment of a clock management unit is illustrated. Clock management unit  200 , in some embodiments, may correspond to clock management unit  106  in  FIG. 1 . Referring collectively to  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2 , clock management unit  200  may include PLL  201 , clock divider  203 , and clock control circuit  205 . Various embodiments of clock management unit  200  may receive a reference clock  210  as an input and produce clock output  215  for distribution to functional blocks within SoC  100 . 
     PLL  201  may represent a configurable clock source for SoC  100 . In various embodiments, PLL  201  may be a phase-locked loop, a frequency locked loop or other suitable type of programmable clock signal generator. In some embodiments, PLL  201  may be included in clock management unit  200 . In other embodiments PLL  201  may be in another block, such as, e.g., analog/mixed-signal block  105 , and have control signals coupled to clock management unit  200 . PLL  201  may receive reference clock signal  210  from a clock source such as, for example, a crystal oscillator, an internal oscillator, or an external clock source coupled to SoC  100  through an I/O pin. PLL  201  may be programmable to generate an output clock signal based on the reference clock but at a variety of higher frequencies. The output signal from PLL  201  may go to clock divider  203 . 
     Clock divider  203  may be a programmable circuit capable of dividing a value of a frequency of the output signal from PLL  201  by a variety values. In some embodiments, clock divider  203  may only divide the PLL  201  output signal by powers of two (i.e.,  1 ,  2 ,  4 ,  8 , etc.). In other embodiments, clock divider  203  may divide the PLL  201  output signal by a variety of positive integer values (i.e., 1, 2, 3, 4, etc.). In further embodiments, clock divider  203  may be capable of dividing the PLL  203  output signal by a variety of fractional values (i.e., 1, 5/4, 4/3, etc.). In some embodiments, clock divider  203  may divide an input signal by using one or more flip-flop configured to toggle an output on a rising edge of the input clock signal. In other embodiments, clock divider  203  may be configured to divide an input signal by removing a number of clock pulses out of a larger number of clock pulses. In some embodiments, the output of clock divider  203 , i.e., clock output  215 , may be distributed to one or more functional blocks within SoC  100 . In other embodiments, clock output  215  may be further processed before being utilized by other functional blocks. More details regarding clock divider  203  will be discussed below. 
     Clock control circuit  205  may receive commands for setting PLL  201  and clock divider  203  from a processor in SoC  100 , such as, e.g., processor  101 . Clock control circuit  205  may modify settings in PLL  201  and clock divider  203  to produce a requested frequency on clock output  215 . In response to receiving a command to modify the frequency of clock output  215 , clock control circuit  205  may increase the divisor of clock divider  203  before making any adjustments to PLL  201 . The divisor may be increased to prevent PLL  201  from overclocking circuits within SoC  100  while the output frequency of PLL  201  is changed. 
     It is noted that in closed loop clock generating circuits, such as a PLL for example, the loop may be referred to as “locked” when the frequency is at the programmed value and stable, i.e., the frequency value is not deviating far from the set value. There may be a small degree of variance in the frequency, referred to as jitter, but the clock signal will be steady enough to support the functions of SoC  100 . In order to change the frequency of the loop, the loop may enter an unlocked state in which the frequency of the clock signal varies, possibly increasing and decreasing, as the loop searches for a stable frequency, which may be the newly set frequency. The loop may settle on a new frequency in which the clock signal may again become stable. This process of the clock signal stabilizing to a new frequency may be referred to as re-acquiring lock. 
     While the closed loop is in the unlocked state, the frequency may temporarily increase to a value fast enough that circuits within SoC  100  may not function properly. A high speed clock that exceeds a maximum allowable frequency for a circuit may cause indeterminate behavior and possibly even a system failure. Using a clock frequency which exceeds a circuit&#39;s maximum rating may be referred to as overclocking. 
     To avoid overclocking SoC  100 , clock control circuit  205  may increase the divisor in clock divider  203  before making any changes to PLL  201 . Once the new divisor is selected, clock control circuit  205  may adjust PLL  201  to output a new frequency. Clock control circuit may wait for PLL  201  to reacquire lock. Once PLL  201  is locked, clock control circuit may increase the divisor again and wait a predetermined amount of time. After waiting a predetermined amount of time, clock control circuit may decrease the divisor in clock divider  203  and wait another predetermined amount of time. Clock control circuit may repeat the divisor decreasing step and waiting step one or more times until clock output  215  is at the desired frequency. 
     It is noted that the embodiment of clock management unit  200  as illustrated in  FIG. 2  is merely an example. The numbers and types of functional blocks may differ in various embodiments. For example, in other embodiments, other types and numbers of clock sources may be utilized. 
     Turning to  FIG. 3 , example waveforms that may illustrate the operation of a clock management unit, such as, e.g., clock management unit  200  illustrated in  FIG. 2 , are shown. Referring collectively to the waveforms of  FIG. 3  and the embodiment of  FIG. 2 , waveform  301  may correspond to the clock output of PLL  201 . Waveform  302  illustrates a graph of clock output frequency versus time which may correspond to a first method of clock management. Waveform  303  illustrates a clock signal which may correspond to clock output  215  from clock divider  203  relative to the frequencies illustrated in waveform  302 . Waveform  304  illustrates a graph of clock output frequency versus time which may correspond to a second method of clock management. Waveform  305  may correspond to clock output  215  from clock divider  203  relative to the frequencies illustrated in waveform  304 . 
     At time t 0 , the waveforms may show when PLL  201  is locked and running at a given frequency. Waveforms  301 ,  303 , and  305  may show the clock outputs running at a stable frequency. Waveforms  302  and  304  may also indicate that the frequencies of the clock outputs are stable. 
     At time t 1 , clock control circuit  205  may receive a command to increase the frequency of clock output  215 . In response to the command, clock control circuit  205  may increase the divisor of clock divider  203  to reduce the frequency of clock output  215  as may be seen in waveforms  302  and  304 . After the new divisor has been set, clock control circuit  205  may adjust the frequency settings of PLL  201 . The output frequency of PLL  203  may ramp up to match the new setting as may be seen in waveforms  302  and  304 . It is noted that while waveforms  302  and  304  show a linear increase in frequency, the actual frequency of the output of PLL  201  may rise and fall above the illustrated lines while PLL  201  reacquires lock. The increase in the frequency of the output of PLL  201  may also be seen in waveform  301  as the pulse widths get smaller, corresponding to a higher frequency. The effect of clock divider  203  may be seen in waveforms  303  and  305  where clock output  215  may have fewer clock pulses when compared to the output of PLL  201 . 
     The clock output of PLL  201  may be locked and stable by time t 2 . In the first method of clock management, at time t 2 , clock control circuit  205  may decrease the divisor of clock divider  203  such that clock output  215  is at the desired frequency. As may be seen in waveform  302 , the increase in frequency may be large and sudden. This sudden change in frequency may cause voltage droop as previously discussed and could result in an error occurring in SoC  100 . 
     Contrary to the first method of clock management which may be seen in waveforms  302  and  303 , the second method may adjust clock output  215  such that a large sudden change in frequency may be avoided. In the second method of clock management, at time t 2 , clock control circuit  205  may increase the divisor of clock divider  203 , further reducing the frequency of clock output  215 . Clock control circuit  205  may wait a predetermined amount of time, until t 3 , and then start to decrement the divisor of clock divider  203  to gradually increase the frequency of clock output  215 . Clock control circuit  205  may repeat this process, waiting until t 4  to decrement the divisor again, and waiting until t 5  to set the divisor to produce the desired frequency for clock output  215 . By starting from a lower frequency and increasing the frequency of clock output  215  in steps, a large sudden change in frequency can be avoided. 
     It is noted that  FIG. 3  is merely an example of possible waveforms illustrated for demonstration purposes. Actual waveforms may vary due to specific circuit embodiments, technology used to fabricate the circuits and other factors in the operation of the system. In other embodiments, more steps or fewer steps of decrementing the divisor may be utilized to bring the frequency of clock output  215  to the desired frequency. 
     Method for Managing Changes to a Clock Frequency 
     Turning to  FIG. 4 , a flow chart for a method for controlling changes to a clock frequency is illustrated. The method may be used for a clock management circuit such as, e.g., clock management unit  200  in  FIG. 2 . Referring collectively to SoC  100 , clock management unit  200 , and the flowchart in  FIG. 4 , the method may begin in block  401 . Clock management unit  200  may enter the method with PLL  201  in a locked state and clock output  215  set for a frequency lower than the maximum it is capable of providing. 
     Clock management unit  200  may receive a command to set a new frequency for clock output  215  (block  502 ). The command may come from a processor in SoC  100 , such as processor  101 . The command may be received in the form of new values being written to registers within clock control circuit  205 . In other embodiments, the registers may be within PLL  201  and control signals from PLL  201  may be asserted to clock control circuit  205  to indicate a requested change in the settings of PLL  201 . 
     In response to the command to set a new frequency, clock control circuit  205  may increase the value of the divisor in clock divider  203  (block  403 ). In some embodiments, clock control circuit may always use the same factor for dividing the frequency of clock output  215  when a command to set a new frequency is received. For example, the divisor value may always be increased by a factor of two (i.e., dividing the current frequency by two). In other embodiments, the divisor value may be set dynamically, based upon the current settings, and in further embodiments, the divisor value may be determined by a combination of the current settings and the new settings. 
     Once the new divisor value has been set, then clock control circuit  205  may configure PLL  201  for the new frequency (block  404 ). In some embodiments, clock control circuit  205  may configure PLL  201  by writing to one or more registers within PLL  201 , or in other embodiments, by asserting control signals coupled to PLL  201 . Upon the settings being changed, PLL  201 , may become unlocked from the current frequency and begin to re-acquire lock to the new frequency. 
     The method may now depend upon the state of PLL  201  (block  405 ). Clock control circuit  205  may wait for PLL  201  to reacquire lock to the new frequency before continuing. In other embodiments, clock control circuit may not wait for PLL  201  to lock to the new frequency, but instead wait a predetermined amount of time. If PLL  201  has locked to the new frequency, the method may move to block  406 . Otherwise, the method may remain in block  405  until PLL  201  has locked. 
     Once PLL  201  has locked to the new frequency, clock control circuit  205  may increase the value of the divisor again (block  406 ). In some embodiments, clock control circuit may always use the same factor for dividing clock output  215  when PLL  201  locks to a new frequency. In other embodiments, the divisor value may be set dynamically, based upon a combination of the current settings and the new settings. In one embodiment, if the new frequency of clock output  215  is less than the frequency at the beginning of the method, then clock control circuit  205  may decrease the divisor value instead of increasing it. 
     The method may depend upon a status from a voltage regulator or power supply within SoC  100 , such as, for example, from power management unit  104  (block  407 ). Clock control circuit  205  may wait until power management unit  104  has settled. If power management unit  104  has settled, the method may move to block  408 . Otherwise, the method may wait in block  407  until power management unit has settled. 
     As discussed previously, a power supply signal, such as may be received from a voltage regulator, may experience a temporary voltage droop in response to a sudden increase in the frequency of a clock coupled to circuits to which the voltage regulator is supplying power. The same power supply signal may experience a temporary boost in the voltage level in response to a sudden decrease in the frequency of the coupled circuits. Power management unit  104  may assert a signal to indicate that an included voltage regulator has a stable output. In other embodiments, power management unit  104  may not indicate if an included voltage regulator is stable or not. If power management unit  104  does not provide any indications of stability, then clock control circuit  205  may wait a predetermined amount of time. In some embodiments, the predetermined amount of time may be fixed by the design of SoC  100 , and in other embodiments, the amount of time may be configurable and dependent upon criteria such as, for example, the current frequency of clock output  215 , current voltage level of an external power supply (e.g. a battery voltage), a current temperature measurement, or any combination thereof. 
     Once the power supply signal from power management unit  104  has settled, the method may determine if the current frequency of clock output  215  is equal to the desired frequency (block  408 ). If the desired frequency has been reached, then then method may end in block  410 . Otherwise, if more steps are required to reach the desired frequency, then the method may move to block  409  to begin the next step. 
     Clock control circuit  205  may reduce the divisor value in clock divider  203  to increase the frequency of clock output  215  (block  409 ). If the new frequency is lower than the starting frequency, then clock control circuit may increase the divisor value to lower the frequency of clock output  215 . After changing the divisor value for clock divider  203 , the method may move back to block  407  to wait for the power supply signal from power management unit  104  to settle. After the power supply signal settles, the method may move back to block  408  to determine if the desired frequency has been reached. Blocks  409 ,  407 , and  408  may be repeated until the desired frequency has been reached. 
     It is noted that the method illustrated in  FIG. 4  is merely an example embodiment. Variations on this method are possible, such as, for example, although the method in  FIG. 4  illustrates operations occurring in series, some or all of the operations may be performed in parallel or in a different sequence. In some embodiments, additional operations may be included. 
     The effects of the different divisor values may be seen in waveform  305  by way of the removed clock pulses when compared to waveform  301 . In some embodiments, clock divider  203  may divide an input signal by removing a number of pulses in a periodic pattern as may be seen in waveform  305 . In other embodiments, clock divider  203  may divide an input signal by scaling the pulse widths of the input signal 
     Clock Divider Circuit 
     Moving now to  FIG. 5 , a block diagram is illustrated for an embodiment of a clock management unit. The illustrated clock management unit in  FIG. 5  may include PLL  501 , clock control  505  and clock divider  520 . Clock divider  520  may, in some embodiments, correspond to clock divider  203  in  FIG. 2 , and may include pulse counter  521 , pattern storage register  523  and pulse removal unit  525 . PLL  501  may receive a reference clock  510  as an input and pulse removal unit  525  may produce clock output  515  for distribution to functional blocks within a computing system such as, e.g., SoC  100 . 
     PLL  501  may, in some embodiments, correspond to PLL  201  in  FIG. 2  and may include features as discussed above for PLL  201 . The output of PLL  501 , PLL output  512 , may be coupled to pulse counter  521  and pulse removal unit  525 . 
     In some embodiments, clock control  505  may correspond to clock control circuit  205  in  FIG. 2  and may perform functions similar to clock control circuit  205  as disclosed above. Clock control circuit may be coupled to PLL  501 , pulse counter  521  and pattern storage register  523 . Clock control circuit  505  may send a value to pulse counter  521  that may correspond to a number of pulses of PLL output  512  that comprise one period of a pattern to be repeated. Clock control circuit  505  may also send a pattern in the form of a string of logic ones and zeroes to pattern storage register  523 . In some embodiments, a ‘logic zero’ (or ‘zero’) value may correspond to a voltage level at or near ground potential and a ‘logic one’ (or ‘one’) value may correspond to a voltage level sufficient to turn-on an n-channel metal-oxide semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET) and turn-off a p-channel MOSFET. Different voltage levels may be used for the different logic levels in other embodiments. 
     Pulse counter  521  may receive PLL output  512  as an input signal. Pulse counter  521  may increment a count for each rising edge or falling edge of PLL output  512 . In other embodiments, pulse counter  521  may decrement a count instead of incrementing. The value received from clock control circuit  505  may correspond to a terminal count value. When the count matches the terminal count value, pulse counter  521  may, in some embodiments, assert a signal to pulse removal unit  525 . In other embodiments, the asserted signal may be sent to pattern storage register  523  and in other embodiments both pattern storage register  523  and pulse removal unit  525  may receive the asserted signal. In response to the count matching the terminal count value, pulse counter  521  may also reset the count back to zero or to another initial value. 
     Pattern storage register  523  may receive the pattern from clock control counter  505  in the form of a string of ones and zeroes. In various embodiments, pattern storage register  523  may store the pattern in a register, in RAM, or in any other suitable storage medium. Pattern storage register  523  may be coupled to pulse removal unit  525 . In some embodiments, pattern storage register  523  may send a copy of the stored pattern to pulse removal unit  525  as a single string. In other embodiments, pattern storage register  523  may send the pattern to pulse removal unit  525  one bit at a time. In the latter case, pattern storage register may store the pattern in a shift register such that a next bit in the pattern may be shifted out to pulse removal unit  525 . 
     Pulse removal unit  525  may be configured to receive PLL output  512  and remove a number of pulses as determined by the pattern received from pattern storage register  523 . In some embodiments, removing a pulse may correspond to blocking or masking a zero-to-one transition from PLL output  512 . For example, referring to waveform  301  and waveform  305  in  FIG. 3 , in which waveform  301  may represent PLL output  512  and waveform  305  may represent clock output  515 . In this example, three pulses of PLL output  512  are removed from clock output  515  between times t 1  and t 2 , corresponding to a pattern in which every other PLL output clock pulse is removed. Between times t 4  and t 5 , two pulses are removed from clock output  515  in a pattern which removes the third pulse of every four pulses. 
     Pulse removal unit  525  may utilize logic circuits to remove pulses from PLL output  512 . For example, pulse removal unit may combine PLL output  512  and a next bit of the pattern using a logic AND function, such that zero-to-one transitions are masked if the pattern bit is zero and the transition is passed through if the pattern bit is a one. In other embodiments, pulse removal unit  525  may mask a one-to-zero transition of PLL output  512  rather than a zero-to-one transition. In such an embodiment, a logic OR function may be used to combine the pattern bit with PLL output  512  such that the zero-to-one transition is masked if the pattern bit is a one and the transition passes through if the pattern bit is a zero. Many methods of modifying a clock signal with a given pattern are known and any suitable method may be utilized by pulse removal unit  525 . 
     Pulse removal unit  525  or pattern storage register  523  may receive an asserted signal from pulse counter  521  if the value in pulse counter  521  matches a current pulse count. In response to the asserted signal, pulse removal unit  525  may or pattern storage register  523  may restart the pattern. For example, if pulse removal unit  525  is currently using the fifth bit of the pattern in pattern storage register  523  and the signal from pulse counter  521  is asserted, then pulse removal unit  525  may use the first bit of the pattern for the next pulse of PLL output  512 , followed in order by the second bit of the pattern, third bit of the pattern and so on until the signal from the pulse counter is asserted again. This process may repeat until a new value is stored in pulse counter  521  or a new pattern is stored in pattern storage register  523 . 
     In some embodiments, additional circuitry (not shown) in clock divider  520  may modify clock output  515 . Such modifications to clock output  515  may include, e.g., adjustments to the frequency or duty cycle of clock output  515 . For example, clock output  515  may be input into a circuit that produces an output signal with a 50% duty cycle or other suitable duty cycle. Such additional circuitry may, in various embodiments, produce an output signal with a lower frequency than clock output  515  while, in other embodiments, the frequency of the output signal may be the same of the frequency of clock output  515 . 
     It is noted that the embodiment of the clock management unit as illustrated in  FIG. 5  is merely an example. The numbers and types of functional blocks may differ in various embodiments. For example, in other embodiments, clock divider  520  may be composed of different types and different numbers of functional blocks. 
     Method for Dividing a Clock Signal 
     Turning to  FIG. 6 , a method is illustrated for dividing a frequency of a clock signal, such as, for example, PLL output  512  in  FIG. 5 .  FIG. 6  may in some embodiments, correspond to block  403 , block  406 , or block  409  in  FIG. 4 . Referring collectively to the waveforms in  FIG. 3 , the block diagram in  FIG. 5 , and the flowchart in  FIG. 6 , the method may begin in block  601 . 
     Clock control circuit  505  may determine a new divisor value for PLL output  512  (block  602 ). Clock control circuit may increase the divisor value as a part of block  403  or block  406  in the method illustrated in  FIG. 4 . Clock control circuit  505  may decrease the divisor value as a part of block  409  in the method illustrated in  FIG. 4 . 
     In response to determining the new divisor value, clock control circuit  505  may determine a pattern for removing clock pulses from PLL output  512  (block  603 ). To divide PLL output  512  by any divisor greater than one, clock divider  520  may remove clock pulses from PLL output  512 . Clock control  505  may determine a pattern for removing clock pulses. A particular pattern may be selected based on one or more criteria, including a previous divisor value, a previous divisor pattern, the new divisor value, the current clock frequency, a current operating mode of SoC  100 , or any other suitable criteria. 
     The pattern for removing clock pulses refers to which clock pulses will be removed from PLL output  512 . For example, waveform  305  in  FIG. 3  between times t 2  and t 3  may show an example of dividing waveform  301  by four. In this example, the divide-by-four pattern may allow the first full clock pulse after time t 2  and then block the next three clock pulses. Another possible divide-by-four pattern may allow the second clock pulse and block the first, third and fourth pulses. Alternatively, the third pulse or fourth pulse may be allowed. In another example, waveform  305  may illustrate dividing waveform  301  by 4/3 between times t 4  and t 5 . The pattern in this example may allow the first, second and fourth clock pulses and block the third clock pulse. Other possible patterns may block the first, or second or fourth clock pulse instead of the third clock pulse. 
     Once a pattern has been determined, clock control circuit  505  may configure clock divider  520  with the determined pattern (block  604 ). The pattern may be a string of zeroes and ones where a zero indicates when to block, i.e., mask, a clock pulse and a one indicates when to allow a clock pulse to pass through to clock output  515 . In other embodiments, the ones and zeroes may have opposite indications. In some embodiments, clock control circuit  505  may store the string of bits in pattern storage register  523  and store a pattern count in pulse counter  521 . In other embodiments, various other circuits may be programmed to implement the determined pattern. 
     The method may now depend on the value of the next bit in the string (block  605 ). Bits stored in pattern storage  523  may be read one at a time to determine if the next clock pulse should be allowed or blocked. In some embodiments, if the next bit is a zero, the method may move to block  606  to mask the next clock pulse and if the next bit is a one, the method may move to block  607  to allow the next clock pulse to pass through to clock output  515 . In other embodiments, the logic may be reversed such that a one masks the next clock pulse and a zero allows a clock pulse to pass through. 
     If the read pattern bit is a zero, then clock divider  520  may mask the next clock pulse of PLL output  512  (block  606 ). In some embodiments, logic in clock divider  520  may perform an AND function between PLL output  512  and the read bit. In various embodiments, other forms of logic circuits may be used to mask the clock pulse. 
     If the read pattern bit is a one, then clock divider  520  may allow the next clock pulse of PLL output  512  to pass through to clock output  515  (block  607 ). As stated above, in some embodiments, logic in clock divider  520  may perform a logical AND function between PLL output  512  and the read bit. In various other embodiments, other forms of logic circuits may be used to allow the clock pulse to pass through to clock output  515 . 
     After the read pattern bit has either masked or allowed the respective clock pulse, the method may depend on the current counter value in pulse counter  521  (block  608 ). Pulse counter  521  may increment with each clock pulse of PLL output  512 . If the current count value matches a terminal count value set by clock control circuit  505 , then the method may end in block  609 . Otherwise, the method may return to block  605  to read the next bit of the pattern. The terminal count value may equal the number of bits in the pattern, such that when the terminal value is reached by the counter value, the pattern has completed one cycle. In some embodiments, once the terminal value has been reached, the method may end at which point the clock control circuit may reset and begin the method again. 
     It is noted that the method illustrated in  FIG. 6  is merely an example embodiment. Variations on this method are possible, such as, for example, some or all steps in the method may be repeated to create a continuous clock output  515  until a new divisor value is determined. In some embodiments, additional or fewer steps may be included. 
     Numerous variations and modifications will become apparent to those skilled in the art once the above disclosure is fully appreciated. It is intended that the following claims be interpreted to embrace all such variations and modifications.

Metadata:
Filing Date: 20140113
Publication Date: 20160809
Grant Date: 20160809
Priority Date: 20140113
Inventors: LEE JONG-SUK
LIEN WEI-HAN
WEN SHIH-CHIEH R.
Assignee: APPLE INC
CPC Classifications: [{"code": "G06F1/08", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F1/324", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "Y02D10/00", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F1/08", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F1/324", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F1/324", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "Y02D10/00", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F1/08", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}]
Family ID: 53521320