/Integrated Circuit That Staggers Compute Unit Transitions To Mitigate Inductive-induced Supply Voltage Droop And Overshoot
Abstract

An integrated circuit (IC) includes an array of compute units. Each compute unit, when transitioning between processing data and not processing data, makes an individual contribution to an aggregate time rate of change of current drawn by the IC through inductive loads of the IC. Control circuitry staggers in time when each compute unit of the array is eligible to transition between processing data and not processing data relative to when one or more other compute units of the array transition between processing data and not processing data. The staggering mitigates supply voltage droop, supply voltage overshoot, or both, caused by the aggregate time rate of change of current. The control circuitry may be distributed among the compute units, switches, and memory units, and may be statically reconfigured with configuration data that limits how many compute units transition concurrently.

Full Text

What is claimed is:

An integrated circuit (IC) includes an array of compute units. Each compute unit, when transitioning between processing data and not processing data, makes an individual contribution to an aggregate time rate of change of current drawn by the IC through inductive loads of the IC. Control circuitry staggers in time when each compute unit of the array is eligible to transition between processing data and not processing data relative to when one or more other compute units of the array transition between processing data and not processing data. The staggering mitigates supply voltage droop, supply voltage overshoot, or both, caused by the aggregate time rate of change of current. The control circuitry may be distributed among the compute units, switches, and memory units, and may be statically reconfigured with configuration data that limits how many compute units transition concurrently.
Timeline
Filed
06/01/2026
Published
09/24/2026
Granted
Not Available
IPC Codes(3)
G06F 1/3206:Monitoring of events, devices or parameters that trigger a change in power modality
G06F 1/30:Means for acting in the event of power-supply failure or interruption, e.g. power-supply fluctuations (for resetting only G06F 1/24)
G06F 1/324:by lowering clock frequency