Abstract:
A voltage margin controller, an IC included the same and a method of controlling voltage margin for a voltage domain of an IC are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, the voltage margin controller includes: (1) monitoring branches including circuit function indicators configured to indicate whether circuitry in the voltage domain could operate at corresponding candidate reduced voltage levels and (2) a voltage margin adjuster coupled to the monitoring branches and configured to develop a voltage margin adjustment for a voltage regulator of the voltage domain based upon an operating number of the circuit function indicators.
Abstract:
A voltage margin controller, an IC included the same and a method of controlling voltage margin for a voltage domain of an IC are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, the voltage margin controller includes: (1) monitoring branches including circuit function indicators configured to indicate whether circuitry in the voltage domain could operate at corresponding candidate reduced voltage levels and (2) a voltage margin adjuster coupled to the monitoring branches and configured to develop a voltage margin adjustment for a voltage regulator of the voltage domain based upon an operating number of the circuit function indicators.
Abstract:
An enhanced fuseless fuse structure is provided herein. Additionally, an IC with an enhanced fuseless fuse structure, a data structure that can be used with this structure and a method of manufacturing an IC are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, the IC includes: (1) a fuse wrapper configured to decode fuseless fuse data for controlling the fuses, (2) JTAG registers configured to store fuse register values in designated blocks, wherein the fuse register values and the designated blocks are determined from the fuseless fuse data and (3) options registers configurable by software to store fuse override data for modifying the fuse register values.
Abstract:
An integrated circuit (IC) based detection circuit for determining a strap value and a method of detecting a digital strap value. In one embodiment, the detection circuit includes: (1) a first receiver including transistors having first electrical characteristics that define a first threshold for the first receiver, the first receiver operable to generate a first binary digit based on an input signal and the first threshold and (2) a second receiver including transistors having second electrical characteristics that differ from the first electrical characteristics and define a second threshold for the second receiver that is lower than the first threshold, the second receiver operable to generate a second binary digit based on the input signal and the second threshold, the first and second binary digits indicating whether the strap value lies above the first threshold, between the first and second thresholds or below the second threshold.
Abstract:
An enhanced fuseless fuse structure is provided herein. Additionally, an IC with an enhanced fuseless fuse structure, a data structure that can be used with this structure and a method of manufacturing an IC are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, the IC includes: (1) a fuse wrapper configured to decode fuseless fuse data for controlling the fuses, (2) JTAG registers configured to store fuse register values in designated blocks, wherein the fuse register values and the designated blocks are determined from the fuseless fuse data and (3) options registers configurable by software to store fuse override data for modifying the fuse register values.
Abstract:
One embodiment of the present invention includes a hard-coded first device ID. The embodiment also includes a set of fuses that represents a second device ID. The hard-coded device ID and the set of fuses each designate a separate device ID for the device, and each device ID corresponds to a specific operating configuration of the device. The embodiment also includes selection logic to select between the hardcoded device ID and the set of fuses to set the device ID for the device. One advantage of the disclosed embodiments is providing flexibility for engineers who develop the devices while also reducing the likelihood that a third party can counterfeit the device.
Abstract:
A voltage margin controller, an IC included the same and a method of controlling voltage margin for a voltage domain of an IC are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, the voltage margin controller includes: (1) monitoring branches including circuit function indicators configured to indicate whether circuitry in the voltage domain could operate at corresponding candidate reduced voltage levels and (2) a voltage margin adjuster coupled to the monitoring branches and configured to develop a voltage margin adjustment for a voltage regulator of the voltage domain based upon an operating number of the circuit function indicators.
Abstract:
A voltage margin controller, an IC included the same and a method of controlling voltage margin for a voltage domain of an IC are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, the voltage margin controller includes: (1) monitoring branches including circuit function indicators configured to indicate whether circuitry in the voltage domain could operate at corresponding candidate reduced voltage levels and (2) a voltage margin adjuster coupled to the monitoring branches and configured to develop a voltage margin adjustment for a voltage regulator of the voltage domain based upon an operating number of the circuit function indicators.