Press, since the manufacturer of CPU as: INTEL, CYRIX or AMD etc. all are to make with the specification of making by oneself, there is no the certain standard standard to each other, make the frequency of operation producing method difference of CPU, as: the frequency of operation producing method of INTEL200 is 66.667MHz * 3; The frequency of operation of CYRIX200 is 75MHz * 2; And the CPU required voltage of same label also is not quite similar, as: INTELP54C is that 3.3V, K6 are 2.9V, 3.2V, and the K6 that is released in the future then is 2V; Therefore, for the manufacturer of motherboard, in the face of the consumer does not know to use under the situation of which kind of CPU, the motherboard that is produced promptly must provide the function of adjustment, to meet the required of CPU that the user is adopted.The general mode of usefulness, the frequency of operation aspect all is that confession changes CPU Clock Multiplier Factor signal by wire jumper (JUMER) or switch and the frequency generator frequency selects aspect to reach, and the operating voltage aspect also changes the voltage of supply CPU in the same way, but the user scarcely knows this technology well, though the service manual guiding is arranged, the user still can't finish the change of wire jumper easily, the difficulty of ten minutes and inconvenience for the user, and the setting mistake is probably arranged, cause the CPU damage maybe can't be set to the potential danger of CPU optimum Working.
In view of this, existing how tame motherboard manufacturer proposition solution, such as the computer motherboard Work frequency switching method and the device of Taiwan patent announcement number No. 297872, and the personal host computer Plate supplying central processing unit supply voltage automatic setting method and the circuit of Taiwan patent announcement number No. 304239.Wherein the former is by the setting means of user in similar motherboard BIOS, directly on computer screen, carry out CPU Clock Multiplier Factor and outside frequency of operation setting, for example, as previously mentioned, the required frequency of operation of INTEL200 series is 200MHz, being to be multiplied by Clock Multiplier Factor 3 by the fundamental frequency 66.667MHz that CPU inside sets to be reached, should preceding case be to set fundamental frequency and Clock Multiplier Factor by the user on screen promptly, and system promptly sets according to this and produces the required frequency of operation of CPU automatically.Yet, most of users also are unfamiliar with the computer hardware structure, and when buying computer, only can directly indicate the type that desire is bought, as: PentiumPRO200, this implication of 200 is the frequency of operation of CPU, so the consumer also only knows this numerical value, and do not know to have so-called fundamental frequency and frequency multiplication frequency, therefore also will cause the user to perplex on setting, and also have the fundamental frequency mistake is made as frequency of operation, though should before case after start, make system open the beginning with low speed, but when CPU receives this misspecification, promptly may cause computer can't move or make the impaired situation of CPU.Moreover as previously mentioned, all kinds of CPU are except that frequency of operation setting means difference, operating voltage is also inequality, case only proposes the mode of automatic setting before being somebody's turn to do to frequency of operation, does not but have the corresponding solution of proposition for the different fact of voltage, still can't reach the purpose of CPU plug and play.
Aforementioned institute takes off in second preceding case, it mainly is the former wire jumper place that an is provided with electronic switch in parallel on motherboard, current potential height by the defined operating voltage pin of CPU VCC2-DET, represent the voltage applicable scope respectively, and control the open and close state of each electronic switch, be automatically made the required voltage of CPU.But should preceding case only be to do the conversion setting, and can't be satisfied with all CPU kind and model, and set the frequency of operation that face does not change CPU, also can't reach the purpose of plug and play at operating voltage at 3.3V and two kinds of voltages of 2.8V.
For making CPU can on motherboard, reach the purpose of plug and play, the technology used in the present invention means, be in system firmware (BIOS), to provide the user to set according to its CPU kind of buying, and this setting includes frequency of operation and operating voltage two parts of this CPU kind, for making the more clear and definite detailed and convenient explanation of explanation, circuit block diagram (Fig. 7) segmentation voltage (Fig. 1, Fig. 5 and Fig. 6) and frequency of operation part (Fig. 2, Fig. 3 and Fig. 4) with integral body illustrate respectively as the back:
As Fig. 7 and shown in Figure 1, the present invention utilizes defined power pin VCC2DET# of CPU10 and VCC2HL# as the control of voltage, includes a storage device 11, start voltage controller 12 and electric pressure converter 13.Wherein, aforesaid two power pins are to be connected to start voltage controller 12, to export a start voltage to electric pressure converter 13, system can be started shooting with start voltage; The user is in system boot and after entering system firmware setting operating voltage, system firmware is about to this and establishes and store the set state of keeping of user in should being worth by cpu bus (BUS) 14 to storage device 11, after treating that CPU10 resets, electric pressure converter 13 changes start voltage into CPU10 required operating voltage running promptly according to this setting.
Again as shown in Figure 5, the required operating voltage of CPU10 generally is divided into V
COREAnd V
IOTwo kinds, V
CORERequired operating voltage when being the CPU10 computing, V
IOVoltage for CPU control peripheral device; The kind that this two voltage is looked CPU10 is different, so includes V in the electric pressure converter 13
CORE Electric pressure converter 131 and V
IO Electric pressure converter 132, the magnitude of voltage that the user is set converts the required corresponding magnitude of voltage of CPU10 to.According to the data that each CPU manufacturer is provided, V
COREAnd V
IOCan be summarized as follows:
1, V among P54C, 6X86 and the K5
COREAnd V
IOVoltage be the relation of equality that links to each other in CPU inside.
2, V among the P54CTB
COREAnd V
IOMagnitude of voltage equate, but in the inner V of CPU10
COREAnd V
IODo not join.
3, V among P55C, K6,6X86MX and the 6X86L
COREAnd V
IOUnequal.So in the CPU10 kind that can't learn that the user may install, motherboard must be able to meet existing C PU10 demand, just can reach the purpose of plug and play, so the present invention is in V
CORE Electric pressure converter 131 and V
IO132 of electric pressure converters are provided with a V
IOControl module 133.This V
IOControl module 133 is controlled by the defined power pin VCC2DET# of CPU10, and makes the change action of similar switch, when VCC2DET# is output as High, promptly represents V
CORE=V
IO, when VCC2DET# is Low, promptly represent V
CORE≠ V
IO, to meet the requirement of various CPU10 to magnitude of voltage.As shown in Figure 6, make the high pressure of system power supply directly import CPU10 for avoiding electric pressure converter 13 damages, cause the impaired situation of CPU10, the present invention is in V
COREBe provided with an overvoltage protection 134 between electric pressure converter 131 and CPU10, simultaneously V
IOThe output terminal of electric pressure converter 132 also is connected to overvoltage protection 134; This overvoltage protection 134 and V
IO Electric pressure converter 132 is connected to CPU10 respectively with power supply; and overvoltage protection 134 has a control signal to be connected to the soft-switching pin PS-ON of ATX power supply unit joint 135; when this soft pin PS-ON is noble potential; even the ATX power supply unit is done the forced shutdown action; utilize this characteristic, work as V
CORE Electric pressure converter 131 output voltages just often, the output signal of overvoltage protection 134 then maintains the electronegative potential place, once V
CORE Electric pressure converter 131 damages and when a high pressure was entered, this overcurrent protection device 134 was promptly exported a high position to soft-switching pin PS-ON, to close the ATX power supply unit, forces to do the action of shutdown, in case the situation that CPU10 is damaged by the high pressure input.
As Fig. 7 and shown in Figure 2, the present invention changes the selected technological means of CPU10 operating rate, be to reach than several institutes by changing the CPU10 frequency and changing frequency multiplication, and select frequency generator 20 (in present embodiment, adopting I2C) for use with serial bus interface, see through the transmission of serial bus, can change frequency, and must can not make frequency generator 20 produce different frequencies by any external control pin, and optionally whether controlled frequency output pin position wants output frequency.When booting computer, the frequency setting value of system firmware is to be sent to frequency multiplication control device 22 by bus 21, the output of this frequency multiplication control device 22 is in high impedance status, make it can not have influence on the built-in frequency multiplication of CPU10 and compare number, the frequency that this frequency generator 20 is produced inputs to phase gate lock loop (PLL) (not shown) of CPU10 inside, become the CPU frequency of operation of a low frequency with the built-in frequency multiplication of CPU10 than number form, carry out when start is provided.After the user sets the operating rate of CPU10 in system firmware, system firmware is about to this data and deposits frequency multiplication control device 22 in, (describe) when treating that CPU10 is reset once more as the back, frequency multiplication control device 22 will be obtained the control of control CPU frequency multiplication than number, export a CPU frequency multiplication and control signal to CPU10, the phase gate lock loop of cpu frequency in CPU inside that is produced with frequency generator 20 produces the CPU operating rate that the user sets.CPU next promptly with operating rate that this was changed as its frequency of operation.For example, if the user is the person of setting, operating rate for INTEL200, then frequency multiplication control device 22 is about to built-in frequency multiplication and changes into 3 than number, the frequency of the 66.667MHz that produces with frequency generator produces the frequency of operation (3 * 66.667MHz=200MHz) of 200MHz in the phase gate lock loop.
Relevant reset cell partly please refer to shown in Figure 4, when the user in system firmware set finish and produce the frequency of operation that sets after, CPU10 promptly can be sent to System on chip group 23 by bus with this frequency of operation, this System on chip group 23 contains a demoder (decoder) (not shown), System on chip group 23 is to store this frequency of operation, and the address that stores this frequency of operation is decoded by demoder, produce a trigger pip 24 through port to reset cell excitation apparatus 25, this reset cell excitation apparatus 25 is that the reset cell of establishing in the activating system wafer set 23 26 produces a reset signal 27 to CPU10, after CPU10 receives this reset signal 27, be about to original frequency of operation that set for the user as the low speed frequency shift of start, and finish the step that changes frequency of operation.
In addition, the user is after firmware is set frequency of operation and voltage, computer can be according to this setting beginning computing, in other words, if no longer reset firmware, system promptly can not rechange this setting value, but when some special circumstances, as: the CPU10 folding is removed, situations such as change CPU10 kind or CPU10 upgrading, system itself does not also know whether CPU10 has change, when CPU10 not being reset as if the user, promptly is operating voltage and the frequency with old setting value decision CPU10 again, so promptly might can't start shooting because of frequency setting is too high, or the too high and situation of damaging CPU10 of magnitude of voltage.So, for preventing that the user is after CPU10 plants, pull out again when changing the outfit another kind of CPU10, voltage that once sets before avoiding and frequency of operation cause the impaired situation of CPU10, in several common ground pin of the present invention with CPU10 socket 30, the socket position that one pin 31 is planted is independent, and the socket position of this pin 31 is connected in a detecting unit 32 and resistance 33 connection power supply VCC certainly, when CPU10 is inserted on the socket 30, because this pin 31 is a common ground with other common pin, then the socket position of this pin 31 also is a ground state, and after CPU10 pulls out, pin 31 positions of this socket 30 are the VCC current potential by ground connection lifting promptly, so as to detecting the state whether CPU10 was plugged, after this detecting unit 32 detects this state, promptly store this message by a state storage element 34, and this state is sent to system firmware through same port 35 (IOPORT), detect this state when making system boot, whether abandon dodging the data that once sets storage with decision, if state is changed, promptly when starting shooting, show warning message, so that the user resets the stability of the system of keeping by system firmware, and take precautions against CPU10 because of the impaired situation of improper setting.
In sum; the promptly special i.e. method and apparatus of usefulness of CPU provided by the present invention; provide the user after CPU is installed on motherboard; do not need by jumper settings; can directly set frequency of operation and the voltage of CPU in system firmware; reach the purpose of plug and play; and provide the overvoltage protection of power supply; and the safeguard measure that does not have the change setting is crossed in prevention CPU plug; can further guarantee the stability of CPU when the conversion frequency of operation; and look the CPU kind suitable magnitude of voltage is provided, have novelty, practicality and industrial value.
Below the present invention has been done a detailed description, but the above only is preferred embodiment of the present invention, can not limit scope of the invention process.All equalizations of doing according to the present patent application scope change and modify etc., all should still belong in the patent covering scope of the present invention.