Abstract:
Methods and apparatuses for reducing power consumption of processor switch operations are disclosed. One or more embodiments may comprise specifying a subset of registers or state storage elements to be involved in a register or state storage operation, performing the register or state storage operation, and performing a switch operation. The embodiments may minimize the number of registers or state storage elements involved with the standby operation by specifying only the subset of registers or state storage elements, which may involve considerably fewer than the total number of registers or state storage or elements of the processor. The switch operation may be switch from one mode to another, such as a transition to or from a sleep mode, a context switch, or the execution of various types of instructions.
Abstract:
Methods and apparatuses for reducing power consumption of processor switch operations are disclosed. One or more embodiments may comprise specifying a subset of registers or state storage elements to be involved in a register or state storage operation, performing the register or state storage operation, and performing a switch operation. The embodiments may minimize the number of registers or state storage elements involved with the standby operation by specifying only the subset of registers or state storage elements, which may involve considerably fewer than the total number of registers or state storage or elements of the processor. The switch operation may be switch from one mode to another, such as a transition to or from a sleep mode, a context switch, or the execution of various types of instructions.
Abstract:
Methods and apparatuses for reducing power consumption of processor switch operations are disclosed. One or more embodiments may comprise specifying a subset of registers or state storage elements to be involved in a register or state storage operation, performing the register or state storage operation, and performing a switch operation. The embodiments may minimize the number of registers or state storage elements involved with the standby operation by specifying only the subset of registers or state storage elements, which may involve considerably fewer than the total number of registers or state storage or elements of the processor. The switch operation may be switch from one mode to another, such as a transition to or from a sleep mode, a context switch, or the execution of various types of instructions.
Abstract:
A method and system for saving and/or retrieving context information of a processor core for a power state transition. The processor core resides in a complex power domain variously transitioning between a plurality of power states. The processor core includes a local context storage area for storage and retrieval of processor core context information. A low power context storage resides in a nominal power domain external to the complex power domain. Context information of the processor core is stored to the low power context storage based on whether a power state transition of the complex power domain includes a transition to power down the processor core.