A system and method are provided for sensing a physical stimulus of an integrated circuit. The system and method operate with one or more active thermal sensors embedded in the die of an integrated circuit to provide highly accurate die temperature measurements. The system and method are able to monitor and control the die temperature of the integrated circuit to avoid an integrated circuit malfunction due to an undesirable temperature condition.

Method and system for monitoring and profiling an integrated circuit die temperature

An apparatus and method are provided for sensing a physical stimulus of an integrated circuit. The apparatus and method allow for accurate die temperature measurements of the integrated circuit and are able to provide a highly accurate die temperature measurement without the need for an independent voltage source or current source.

Integrated temperature sensor

A controller and method are provided for monitoring and controlling a temperature of an integrated circuit to inhibit damage from a thermal problem. The controller and method allow for individual temperature thresholds for each of one or more temperature sensors. Digital filtering of values received from temperature sensors is also provided. A variety of actions can be selected for execution upon a determination of an over-temperature condition of the integrated circuit, including assert an over-temperature pin, assert an over-temperature bit in an error register of said controller, assert an over-temperature bit in an error register of said microprocessor, issue an over-temperature interrupt to a service bus of said integrated circuit, cause a trap, slow an operating frequency of said integrated circuit, stop said integrated circuit, and do nothing.

Controller for monitoring temperature

An integrated circuit that uses electrical fuses to store calibration information of a thermal monitoring device residing on the integrated circuit is provided. Such an integrated circuit allows a service processor of a computer system to query the integrated circuit for calibration information so that an accurate actual temperature measurement may be determined. Further, a method for reading and storing temperature calibration information on-chip is provided.

Temperature calibration using on-chip electrical fuses

A method and apparatus that uses the difference between two nodal voltages, such as a temperature-independent voltage and a temperature-dependent voltage, to determine the actual temperature at a point on an integrated circuit is provided. Further, a method and apparatus that converts a difference between nodal voltages in an integrated circuit from an analog to a digital quantity on the integrated circuit such that the difference in voltage may be used by an on-chip digital system is provided. Further, a method and apparatus for quantifying a difference in voltage between a first node and a second node of a temperature sensor is provided.

Quantifying a difference between nodal voltages

The pulse-width discrimination system receives an input pulse whose leading edge enables an oscillator. The oscillator outputs frequency pulses to a comparison counter which counts the frequency pulses and compares them to a predetermined value, representing a minimum pulse width in which the user is interested. If the predetermined value is reached, the comparison counter triggers a tolerance window network which outputs a pulse, whose width represents the tolerance window, to one input of a coincidence output network. The input pulse is also received by a trailing-edge detector, which outputs a pulse to another input of the coincidence output network upon detection of the input pulse's trailing edge. If the input pulse's trailing edge coincides with the tolerance window, the coincidence output network will output an indication signal. Regardless of coincidence, the trailing edge of the input pulse disenables the oscillator, and the comparison counter is reset by the trailing-edge detector's output pulse. The oscillator is enabled for the length of the input pulse, and the comparison counter, which counts the oscillator frequency pulses, resets to an initial value every time it reaches a predetermined value. As the predetermined value represents the minimum pulse width, the comparison counter triggers the tolerance window network every minimum pulse-width duration, and harmonics thereof. Accordingly, the pulse-width discrimination system of the present invention will discriminate all pulses whose width is within the tolerance window of the fundamental pulse duration, or harmonics thereof. The pulse-width discrimination system can also be configured to detect only pulses whose width is within the fundamental pulse duration, disregarding harmonics thereof.

Vladimir A. Shvartsman

Papers

Fundamental and harmonic pulse-width discriminator