Paper Info
Title
Hardware-Software Codesign of an Embedded Multiple-Supply Power Management Unit for Multicore SoCs Using an Adaptive Global/Local Power Allocation and Processing Scheme
Abstract
Power dissipation has become a critical design constraint for the growth of modern multicore systems due to increasing clock frequencies, leakage currents, and system parasitics. To overcome this urgent crisis, this article presents an embedded platform for on-chip power management of a multicore System-on-Chip (SoC). The design involves the development of two key components, from the hardware to the software level. From the hardware perspective, a multiple-supply power management unit is proposed and is implemented using a Single-Inductor Multiple-Output (SIMO) DC-DC converter. To dynamically respond to the sensed instantaneous power demands and to accurately control the power delivery to the processor cores, the power management unit employs a software-defined adaptive global/local power allocation feedback controller. The proposed controller is designed using the hardware-software codesign methodology to uniquely control the SIMO converter during various operation scenarios. This is achieved using several embedded software control algorithms that operate synergetically to ensure efficient and reliable system operation. The hardware-software codesign technique also allows the SIMO controller to be integrated with future microprocessor cores. Therefore, by employing the vast amount of on-chip resources, the converter can perform effective power processing to provide the most power-optimal voltages at the hardware level. Such an embedded power management module leads to an integrated, power-aware, and autonomous SoC design that is independent of additional external hardware control, thereby reducing on-chip area and system complexity. In this design, each power output from the SIMO converter provides a step-up/down voltage conversion, thereby enabling a wide range of variable supply voltage. An adaptive global/local power allocation control algorithm is employed to significantly improve Dynamic Voltage and Frequency Scaling (DVFS) tracking speed and line/load regulation, while still retaining low cross-regulation. Designed with a 180nm CMOS process, the converter precisely provides three independently variable power outputs from 0.9 V to 3.0 V, with a total power range from 33 mW to 900 mW. A very fast load transient response of 3.25 μs is achieved, in response to a 67.5-mA full-step load current change. The design thus provides a cost-effective power management solution to achieve a robust, fast-transient, DVFS-compatible multicore SoC.
Year
DOI
Venue
2011
10.1145/1970353.1970364
ACM Trans. Design Autom. Electr. Syst.
Keywords
Field
DocType
embedded power management module,on-chip power management,effective power processing,adaptive global,hardware-software codesign,cost-effective power management solution,local power allocation control,processing scheme,multiple-supply power management unit,instantaneous power demand,power dissipation,local power allocation,power delivery,local power allocation feedback,system on chip,power optimization,cost effectiveness,embedded software,leakage current,transient response,chip
Power budget,Power management,Control theory,Embedded software,Computer science,Parallel computing,Power control,Real-time computing,Frequency scaling,Load regulation,Power Management Unit
Journal
Volume
Issue
ISSN
16
3
1084-4309
Citations 
PageRank 
References 
4
0.44
10
Authors
2
Name
Order
Citations
PageRank
Rajdeep Bondade1112.29
Dongsheng Ma215724.75