Abstract: Systems and methods for monitoring a regulated voltage output for current consumption are disclosed. An analog component senses the current at the regulated voltage output and converts the sensed current into a digital representation, which is indicative of the sensed current. A digital component inputs and analyzes the digital representation to determine whether to generate an interrupt. The interrupt is indicative to an electronic device, which is using the regulated voltage, to modify its operation. For example, the digital component may analyze the digital representation by counting a number of system clock cycles during a part of the digital representation. The counted number of clock cycles may be compared with a threshold, which may be predetermined or dynamically selected, to determine whether to generate an interrupt. Thus, the sensed current from the regulated voltage output may be used to determine whether to modify operation of the electronic device.

Abstract: A virtual critical path (VCP) circuit is defined separate from an actual critical path circuit. The VCP operates in accordance with a special clock signal. The actual critical path circuit operates in accordance with a system clock signal. The VCP circuit has a signal timing characteristic substantially equal to that of the actual critical path circuit. The VCP circuit includes computational circuitry defined to compute an output value based on an input value, and comparison circuitry defined to compare the output value with an expected result value. A match between the output value computed by the VCP circuit and the expected result value indicates that a frequency of the special clock signal is acceptable. The VCP circuit is used to determine a maximum acceptable frequency of the special clock signal. A frequency of the system clock signal is then set to the maximum acceptable frequency of the special clock signal.

Abstract: Systems and methods for monitoring a regulated voltage output for current consumption are disclosed. An analog component senses the current at the regulated voltage output and converts the sensed current into a digital representation, which is indicative of the sensed current. A digital component inputs and analyzes the digital representation to determine whether to generate an interrupt. The interrupt is indicative to an electronic device, which is using the regulated voltage, to modify its operation. For example, the digital component may analyze the digital representation by counting a number of system clock cycles during a part of the digital representation. The counted number of clock cycles may be compared with a threshold, which may be predetermined or dynamically selected, to determine whether to generate an interrupt. Thus, the sensed current from the regulated voltage output may be used to determine whether to modify operation of the electronic device.

Abstract: A virtual critical path (VCP) circuit is defined separate from an actual critical path circuit. The VCP operates in accordance with a special clock signal. The actual critical path circuit operates in accordance with a system clock signal. The VCP circuit has a signal timing characteristic substantially equal to that of the actual critical path circuit. The VCP circuit includes computational circuitry defined to compute an output value based on an input value, and comparison circuitry defined to compare the output value with an expected result value. A match between the output value computed by the VCP circuit and the expected result value indicates that a frequency of the special clock signal is acceptable. The VCP circuit is used to determine a maximum acceptable frequency of the special clock signal. A frequency of the system clock signal is then set to the maximum acceptable frequency of the special clock signal.