Fully Automated Power Measurement Solution Coupled with IC Temperature Control

Embedded Linux platforms power options are described by Operating Performance Points (OPPs). Creating those OPPs requires a laborious process known as characterization. Characterization is usually an …

Embedded Linux platforms power options are described by Operating Performance Points (OPPs). Creating those OPPs requires a laborious process known as characterization. Characterization is usually an extremely manual task.When we were asked to define new low power OPP for the NXP iMX8MQ, we wanted to use our expertise in building custom silicon and automating software testing to create a better solution. What we built was a device to not just monitor but control the on-die temperature.We’re calling that device the Thermo-regulated Power Measurement Platform (TPMP). It aggregates:- Automated test framework- Temperature control and regulation (Peltier)- Power measurements (Baylibre ACME)- Data post processingOn top of being practical, compact, efficient and cheap compared to regular lab instruments, it’s also flexible and we are convinced this can be used more broadly by the community to address different needs. Let’s think of temperature control benefit in a power CI!