Moortec offers a full in-chip PVT Subsystem on 40nm, 28nm, 16nm & 7nm which additionally features an advanced PVT-Controller with AMBA APB interfacing. Together with this offering Moortec can offer know-how on macro positioning, manufacturing results assistance as well as advice on exactly how to carry out DVFS, AVS optimization as well as reliability plans. Being the only PVT committed IP supplier, Moortec is currently the center-point for such competence.
Key Features of the Moortec IP include:
Moortec Voltage Monitor:
- 9 channels (9 VDD domains can be monitored in 28nm)
- 16 channels (16 VDD domains can be monitored in 16nm to 7nm FinFet)
- VDD measurement range between 0.1V to 1.2V, accuracy of +/-20mV
- Relative accuracy for IR drop analysis on a single VDD domain of +/-5mV
- Transients and supply spikes, glitch detection (roadmap)
Moortec Temperature Sensor:
- High accuracy of +/-3C, +/-1C (calibrated), 0.06C resolution
- Applications are fine-grain performance optimisation (DVFS)
- Reliability (reduced EM effects)
- Thermal management and fan control
- 12-bit / 10-bit / 8-bit modes (for faster sampling)
Moortec Process Monitor:
- Monitor manufacturing variability, drift, gate delay
- Multiple internal delay chains (ring oscillators)
- Transistor: LVT, SVT, HVT, uLVT, iLVT, Thick-Ox
- Fan-out / Loading (4 at each stage)
- Interconnect delay (metallization)
Moortec PVT Controller:
- Monitoring of up to 24 x Process Monitors, 8 x Voltage (Supply, VDD) Monitors, 8 x Temperature Sensors (High Precision)
- Single APB interface to the PVT sensor fabric. Includes IEEEP1687 compatible interfacing (production test access)
- Offers features such as threshold alarms, polling settings, register mapping, power-up sequencing and interrupt generation on alarms
What is the reason for a raising need for on-chip monitoring?
From the start of the semiconductor sector, we have depended on an increase transistors per area every 18 months as a means boost performance as well as the capabilities of ICs. Starting from 40nm, this trend has been altered negatively. Because of this change developers currently must implement brand-new methods to be able to enhance performance and efficiency.
Exactly how crucial is precise monitoring?
Precise PVT monitors are essential to applying die optimization. All of us recognize the connection between power intake and supply voltage of CMOS devices. Having the ability to decrease the supply by a couple of percent based upon that specific die’s process corner, additionally combined with the environmental conditions, will certainly lead to power reductions which are worth having. The exact same holds true with performance, if a certain clock frequency can be achieved with a reduced power supply. Yet none of this is feasible if the monitors are not precise.
What are the thermal concerns of state-of-the-art SOCs?
Gate density has actually been increasing with each new process node which raises power per unit area. This has actually ended up being a much more substantial problem with FinFET technologies, where the channels are a lot more thermally separated than older planar technologies.
Exactly how can AVS & DVFS be utilized to optimize in-chip conditions?
An AVS system makes use of particular structures within a chip to supply the information needed to adaptively track the behavior of the silicon. By utilizing a delay chain that has the exact same operating voltage as the surrounding chip, the voltage and frequency relation for that chip for the exact frequency is determined by measuring the frequency of the delay chain.
Making use of these schemes in-chip means that variations in response to process can be compared as well as variations temperature level can be kept track of while the chip is running. A connection can then be observed between voltage-frequency as well as the decrease in power dissipation for the circuit under that particular condition which makes it possible for designers to push the degree of optimization as well as reliability, enabling them to obtain as much performance and efficiency out of the chip as feasible.
For more information about Moortec’s in-chip monitoring IP please contact us at:
