JPH0728561A - Heating suppression system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To secure the data saving time by reducing the operation clock frequency of an LSI to suppress the temperature rise of the LSI for a certain time at the time of the abnormal rise of the temperature of the LSI. CONSTITUTION:Though a device is cooled by an exhaust fan 3, an LSI 1 has a large power consumption and the exhaust fan 3 is short of air for the LSI 1; and therefore, it is partially cooled by a cooling fan 2 to supply the shortage. If the cooling fan 2 is abnormally stopped or is rotated at an abnormally low speed or the temperature of intake air is abnormally high, the LSI 1 is thermally destroyed by the temperature rise due to lack of cooling. If the temperature of intake air exceeds a limit value in another case, the LSI is thermally destroyed by the temperature rise. When these abnormalities occur and the abnormality report from an intake air monitor part 5, a fan monitor part 6, or an LSI temperature monitor part 7 is received by a clock varying part 4, the frequency of the operating clock of the LSI is reduced.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a heat generation suppressing system.

In an electronic device composed of semiconductor components whose power consumption changes depending on the clock frequency, for example, semiconductor elements such as CMOS and ECL, when the temperature of the semiconductor element rises abnormally, heat generation depends on it. Data is guaranteed by suppressing heat generation until the data saving that requires a certain time is completed without stopping the operation clock.

[0003]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, when the temperature of an LSI abnormally rises due to abnormal stoppage of a cooling FAN of the LSI or abnormally high intake air temperature, thermal damage to the LSI leads to immediate power off. Had to do. At this time, the data saving process cannot be executed before the power is turned off, which causes a problem of data loss.

[0004]

As described above, the LSI
If the power supply is not turned off immediately when the temperature rises abnormally, there is a problem in that the LSI cannot be saved because of thermal runaway.

It is an object of the present invention to suppress an LSI temperature rise within a fixed time and secure a data saving processing time without immediately turning off the power supply in the above abnormal condition.

[0006]

[Means for Solving the Problems] The above-mentioned object is to provide a clock variable unit for varying the frequency of an LSI operation clock, a FAN monitoring unit for monitoring the number of rotations of a cooling FAN, or an intake air monitoring for monitoring the intake temperature. Unit or one or more of the LSI temperature monitoring units for monitoring the LSI temperature, the clock frequency is lowered by the notification from any of the monitoring units, and the temperature rise of the LSI is suppressed within a certain period of time. It is achieved by

[0007]

By suppressing the temperature rise of the LSI within the fixed time by the above means, it becomes possible to complete the data saving process which requires the fixed time.

[0008]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram to which the present invention is applied.

Reference numeral 1 is an LSI, which is a CPU of the present apparatus.

Reference numeral 2 is a cooling fan for partially cooling the LSI 1.
Is.

Reference numeral 3 is an exhaust fan that cools the apparatus.

Reference numeral 4 is a clock variable section for varying the operating clock frequency of the LSI 1.

Reference numeral 5 is an intake air monitoring unit for monitoring the intake air temperature of the apparatus.

Reference numeral 6 is a FAN monitoring unit for monitoring the FAN rotation speed of the cooling FAN 2.

Reference numeral 7 is an LSI temperature monitoring unit for monitoring the LSI temperature.

Reference numeral 8 denotes a data save processing unit that executes data save processing when the LSI temperature rises abnormally.

FIG. 2 shows the elapsed time and LS from the occurrence of the abnormality.
It is a figure showing the relation of I calorific value.

The curve 9 is a curve showing the relationship between the elapsed time from the occurrence of an abnormality and the heat generation amount of the LSI in the prior art.

The curve 10 is a curve showing the relationship between the elapsed time from the occurrence of the abnormality and the heat generation amount of the LSI in the present invention.

The heat generation amount w1 is a limit value of the heat generation amount that leads to thermal destruction due to a rise in LSI temperature.

Time t0 is the time at which an abnormality has occurred.

The time t1 is the time required from the occurrence of an abnormality to the amount of heat generation w1 in the prior art.

In the present invention, the time t4 is the time required from the occurrence of the abnormality until the heat generation amount w1 is reached.

The time t2 is the time required from the start of data saving to the completion thereof when an abnormality occurs with the normal clock as in the conventional case.

According to the present invention, the time t3 is the time required from the start of data saving to the completion of the data saving when an abnormality occurs in the lowered clock.

FIG. 3 is an example showing the relationship between the operating clock frequency and the power consumption of the LSI.

In this device, the device is cooled by exhaust fan.
However, the LSI1 consumes a large amount of power,
Since the exhaust air fan 3 has a shortage of air volume, the cooling fan 2 partially cools the air volume to compensate for the shortage of air volume.

At this time, when the cooling FAN 2 is abnormally stopped or abnormally low rotation speed, or when the intake air temperature is abnormally high, the LSI 1 is thermally destroyed due to a temperature increase due to insufficient cooling.

In another case, when the intake air temperature exceeds the limit value, the temperature of the LSI rises, causing thermal destruction.

Therefore, when the above-described abnormality occurs and the clock variable unit 4 receives an abnormality notification from any one or more of the intake air monitoring unit 5, the FAN monitoring unit 6, or the LSI temperature monitoring unit 7, the LSI If the frequency of the operating clock is reduced.

As a method of lowering the frequency of the operation clock, the operation of the LSI 1 is once stopped, and after the frequency of the operation clock is lowered, the operation of the LSI 1 is restarted, and the operation of the LSI 1 is stopped. Without
There is a method of continuously reducing the frequency of the operation clock within a range that does not affect the operation of the LSI 1.

As described above, the power consumption of the LSI 1 can be reduced by lowering the frequency of the operation clock of the LSI 1. Conventionally, the time t2 required from the start of the data saving process to the completion thereof when an abnormality occurs
As a result, the time t1 required for the heat generation amount of the LSI 1 to reach the limit value w1 is shorter, so that it is impossible to save the data.

In the present invention, from the time t3 required from the start to the completion of the data saving process, the LSI1
Since the time t4 required for the amount of heat generation in the above to reach the limit value w1 is longer, the data saving can be completed before the LSI thermally runs away.

[0034]

As described above, when the LSI temperature rises abnormally, the operation clock frequency of the LSI is lowered, so that the temperature rise of the LSI can be suppressed for a certain period of time and the data saving time can be secured.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 shows the elapsed time and L from the occurrence of an abnormality according to the present invention.
It is an example of the figure which shows the relationship of SI calorific value.

FIG. 3 is an example showing a relationship between an operating clock frequency and power consumption of an LSI.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 ... LSI, 2 ... Cooling FAN, 3 ... Exhaust FAN, 4 ... Clock changing unit, 5 ... Air intake monitoring unit, 6 ... FAN monitoring unit, 7 ... LSI temperature monitoring unit, 8 ... Data saving processing unit, 9 ... Conventional In technology, the elapsed time from the occurrence of an abnormality,
Relationship between heat generation amount of LSI, 10 ... Elapsed time from occurrence of abnormality in the present invention,
Relationship between heat generation amount of LSI, w1 ... Limit value of heat generation amount that leads to thermal destruction due to rise in LSI temperature, t0 ... Time when abnormality occurs, t1 ... Time required to reach heat generation amount w1 from occurrence of abnormality in conventional technology , T4 ... In the present invention, the time required from the occurrence of an abnormality until the heat generation amount w1 is reached, t2 ... The time required from the start of data saving to the completion when an abnormality occurs in a normal clock as in the conventional method, t3 ... According to the present invention, the time required from the start of data saving to the completion of the data saving when an abnormality occurs in the lowered clock.

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A device having a cooling mechanism, means for detecting an abnormality of the cooling mechanism, and an electronic component which is cooled by the cooling mechanism and whose heat generation amount changes according to an operation clock.
A means for varying the operating clock frequency to the electronic component,
When an abnormality of the cooling mechanism is detected, the operating clock frequency is changed to lower the operating clock to reduce the power consumption of the electronic component. A heat generation suppression method characterized by suppressing the amount of heat generation to suppress the temperature rise within a certain period of time and continuing the operation of the device for a certain period of time. 2. In addition to the same means as in claim 1, a means for monitoring the intake air temperature is provided, and when the intake air temperature rises above a limit value, the operating clock frequency is lowered to consume the electronic component. By reducing the electric power, even if the intake air temperature rises above the limit value, it is possible to suppress the heat generation amount of the electronic components and suppress the temperature rise within a certain time, and to continue the operation of the device for a certain time. Characteristic heat generation suppression method. 3. In addition to the same means as in claim 1, means for monitoring the temperature rise of the electronic component is provided inside or outside the electronic component requiring cooling, and when the temperature of the electronic component rises abnormally, By reducing the operating clock frequency to reduce the power consumption of the electronic component, even if the temperature of the electronic component rises abnormally, the heat generation amount of the electronic component is suppressed to suppress the temperature rise within a certain period of time. The heat generation suppression method is characterized by continuing the operation of the device for a certain period of time. 4. A means equivalent to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein as a means for varying an operation clock frequency to said electronic component, the operation of said electronic component is once stopped and then said operation clock frequency is varied, and thereafter said electronic component is changed. The method of resuming the operation described above, or the method of continuously changing the operation clock frequency so as not to affect the operation of the electronic component without stopping the operation of the electronic component.