Chip Temperature Selfregulation for Digital Circuits Using Polymorphic Electronics Principles

The paper presents a new design approach to digital circuits that provides for an increased chip operation reliability from temperature point of view. The key aspect behind the proposed method of approach is to avoid chip overheating due to special design and subsequent integration of dedicated circuit controller. Such element is blended seamlessly with the surrounding circuitry and posses the ability to reconfigure itself when the temperature of the chip goes beyond defined temperature boundary. After the end of reconfiguration phase, the controller ensures only indispensable function. By this arrangement, the power and heat dissipation of the circuit is reduced until the chip temperature falls again under certain level. When the chip is cooled down appropriately, the controller returns back to normal operating mode automatically. The proposed approach utilises principles of polymorphic digital circuits which embrace smart and fast reconfiguration, compact and cost-effective design with embedded sensors, where the aim is to ensure overall system stability and in the same time increase its dependability.