US 7,321,942 B2
Performance counter for adding variable work increment value that is dependent upon clock frequency
Krisztian Flautner, Cambridge (United Kingdom); Trevor Nigel Mudge, Ann Arbor, Mich. (US); and David Walter Flynn, Cambridge (United Kingdom)
Assigned to ARM Limited, Cambridge (United Kingdom); and University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Mich. (US)
Filed on Oct. 20, 2003, as Appl. No. 10/687,924.
Claims priority of application No. 0226395.2 (GB), filed on Nov. 12, 2002; application No. 0228549.2 (GB), filed on Dec. 06, 2002; and application No. 0305437.6 (GB), filed on Mar. 10, 2003.
Prior Publication US 2005/0097228 A1, May 05, 2005
Int. Cl. G06F 3/00 (2006.01)
U.S. Cl. 710—15  [700/108] 12 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. Apparatus for processing data, said apparatus being operable to perform processing work at a variable rate of work and comprising:
a performance counter operable to add a work increment value to an accumulated work done value to accumulate a work done value indicative of an amount of processing work performed by said apparatus; and
a clock signal generator operable to generate a clock signal to drive processing operations of said apparatus, said clock signal having a variable frequency, wherein said word increment value is variable so as to represent said variable rate of work and said work in increment value is dependent upon a clock signal frequency value at or close to a time that the accumulated work done value is incremented.