Dynamic cachable memory interface frequency scaling

摘要

A method and apparatus for controlling a frequency of CMI are disclosed. The method may include classifying request types into one or more request groups, wherein each of the request types is a type of CMI request. A number of clock cycles that is sufficient to process a request in each request group may be assigned, and requests that are made to CMI may be monitored with one or more performance counters. A number of requests that occur during a length of time in each request group may be determined, and a frequency of the CMI may be periodically adjusted based upon the number of requests occurring per second in each request group and the assigned number of clock cycles per request for each request group.

主权项

1. A method for reducing power consumption on a computing device by controlling a frequency of a cache memory of the computing device, the method comprising:
classifying request types into one or more request groups, wherein each of the request types is a type of request available to the cache memory of the computing device; assigning a number of clock cycles to each request group that is sufficient to process a request in each request group with the cache memory; configuring at least one performance counter of the computing device to generate an interrupt when a threshold number of requests to the cache memory occurs; monitoring requests that are made to the cache memory with the at least one performance counter; determining, in response to the interrupt, a number of requests that occur during a length of time in each request group; and prompting a clock controller of the computing device to send an electrical signal to the cache memory to periodically adjust a frequency of the cache memory based upon the number of requests occurring per second in each request group and the assigned number of clock cycles per request group.