Method and device for dynamic adjustment of network operating voltage

Abstract

The present invention is to provide a method and device of dynamically adjusting the operating voltage of a network integrated circuit including the steps of detecting and ranking the signal-to-noise ratio of N ports to single out a port for arbitration, dynamically controlling the operating voltage according to the signal-to-noise ratio of the port for arbitration, decreasing the operating voltage by a voltage unit when the signal-to-noise ratio of the port for arbitration is greater than a first threshold, increasing the operating voltage to a default operating voltage when the signal-to-noise ratio of the port for arbitration is smaller than the first threshold, decreasing the operating voltage by a voltage unit when the signal-to-noise ratio of the port for arbitration is greater than a second threshold, and increasing the operating voltage by a voltage unit when the signal-to-noise ratio of the port for arbitration is smaller than the second threshold.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a block circuit diagram of network IC for dynamic adjustment of an operating voltage thereof according to the invention; and

FIG. 2 is a flowchart depicting a process for dynamic adjustment of the operating voltage of the network IC according to a preferred embodiment of the invention.

Claims

1. A device for dynamically adjusting an operating voltage of a network IC, comprising: an SNR comparison unit for measuring SNRs of N ports and comparing the SNRs of the N ports; anda voltage regulation control unit for dynamically adjusting the operating voltage based on the SNRs of the N ports.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein comparing the SNRs of the N ports singles out one of the ports as a port for arbitration.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein the SNR of the port for arbitration represents the SNRs of the N ports.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein the operating voltage is decreased by a voltage unit of A when the SNR of the port for arbitration is larger than a first threshold and is increased to a default operating voltage when the SNR of the port for arbitration is smaller than the first threshold.

5. The device of claim 3, wherein the operating voltage is decreased by a voltage unit of B when the SNR of the port for arbitration is larger than a second threshold and is increased by a voltage unit of C when the SNR of the port for arbitration is smaller than the second threshold.

6. The device of claim 4, wherein the operating voltage is decreased by a voltage unit of B when the SNR of the port for arbitration is larger than a second threshold and is increased by a voltage unit of C when the SNR of the port for arbitration is smaller than the second threshold.

7. The device of claim 3, wherein the port for arbitration is singled out according to a predetermined reference value.

8. The device of claim 6, wherein one of the ports having a lowest SNR or a next lowest SNR is taken as the predetermined reference value for singling out the port for arbitration.

9. The device of claim 6, wherein one of the ports having a mean or/and a median SNR is taken as the predetermined reference value for singling out the port for arbitration.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein the device is a processor based single chip.

11. A method for dynamically adjusting an operating voltage of a network IC, comprising the steps of: measuring SNRs of N ports;comparing the SNRs of the N ports; anddynamically adjusting the operating voltage based on the SNRs of the N ports.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the step of comparing the SNRs of the N ports singles out one of the ports as a port for arbitration.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the SNR of the port for arbitration represents the SNRs of the N ports.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising the steps of: decreasing the operating voltage by a voltage unit of A when the SNR of the port for arbitration is larger than a first threshold; andincreasing the operating voltage to a default operating voltage when the SNR of the port for arbitration is smaller than the first threshold.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising the steps of: decreasing the operating voltage by a voltage unit of B when the SNR of the port for arbitration is larger than an M-th threshold; andincreasing the operating voltage by a voltage unit of C when the SNR of the port for arbitration is smaller than the M-th threshold;wherein M is an integer larger than or equal to 2.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising the steps of: decreasing the operating voltage by a voltage unit of B when the SNR of the port for arbitration is larger than an M-th threshold; andincreasing the operating voltage by a voltage unit of C when the SNR of the port for arbitration is smaller than the M-th threshold;wherein M is an integer larger than or equal to 2.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the voltage units of B and C are changed as M changes.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the voltage units of B and C are changed as M changes.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein the port for arbitration is singled out according to a predetermined reference value.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein one of the ports having a lowest SNR or a next lowest SNR is taken as the predetermined reference value for singling out the port for arbitration.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein one of the ports having a mean or/and a median SNR is taken as the predetermined reference value for singling out the port for arbitration.