Thermal control apparatus and methodology

摘要

Various embodiments of a thermal control methodology and apparatus are disclosed. In one embodiment, an integrated circuit includes one or more thermal sensors, comparison circuitry, and control circuitry. The comparison circuitry is configured to receive temperature readings from the one or more thermal sensors. The control circuitry is configured to reduce a performance level of one or more controlled subsystems responsive to the comparison circuitry determining that at least one temperature reading from the one or more thermal sensors exceeds one of one or more threshold values. A software-based thermal control mechanism may also execute concurrently with the apparatus.

主权项

1. An apparatus comprising:
one or more thermal sensors; thermal trip point circuitry coupled to the one or more thermal sensors and configured to detect that one or more thermal thresholds have been exceeded by respective outputs of the one or more thermal sensors; and thermal control circuitry configured to respond to the thermal trip point circuitry indicating that one or more thermal thresholds have been exceeded by tracking an amount of time that the one or more temperature thresholds have been exceeded and further configured to perform an initial reduction of a performance level of one or more controlled subsystems in the apparatus responsive to an initial indication that the one or more temperature thresholds have been exceeded for at least a predetermined amount of time, and further configured to inhibit performance of the initial reduction of the performance level if the one or more temperature thresholds is exceeded for less than the predetermined amount of time; wherein the thermal control circuitry is configured to cause a subsequent reduction of the performance level responsive to thermal trip point circuitry indicating that one or more of the temperature thresholds has been exceeded for first duration and further configured to increase the performance level subsequent to the thermal trip point circuitry indicating that temperature readings from the first and second temperature sensors have been below each of the one or more temperature thresholds for a second duration.