Link power savings with state retention

• US 10,175,744 B2
• Filed: 03/07/2017
• Issued: 01/08/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Cherukuri, Naveen, Wilcox, Jeffrey, Iyer, Venkatraman, Bilgin, Selim, Dunning, David S., Frodsham, Robin Tim, Schoenborn, Theodore Z., Dabral, Sanjay
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Nhan T
• Application Number:
  US15/451,645
• Publication Number:
  US 20170336853A1
• Time in Patent Office: 672 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3287 by switching off individual functional units in the computer system
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3296 by lowering the supply or operating voltage
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0219 where the power saving management affects multiple terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0229 where the received signal is a wanted signal
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Methods and apparatus relating to link power savings with state retention are described. In one embodiment, one or more components of two agents coupled via a serial link are turned off during idle periods while retaining link state in each agent. Other embodiments are also disclosed.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a first agent, wherein the first agent is coupled to a second agent via a serial link, and the first agent comprises;

link layer logic to;

indicate to a physical layer of the first agent that the first agent is to enter a low power link state; and

transmit a link entry signal to the second agent;

the physical layer of the first agent, wherein the physical layer is to comprise an electrical sub-block and logical sub-block and is to enter the low power link state based on an acknowledgement to the link entry signal by the second agent, wherein, during the low power link state, the electrical sub-block is to be turned off and the logical sub-block is to be functionally shut down with power maintained at the logical sub-block to preserve configuration of the physical layer, and the electrical sub-block is to comprise a front end driver and clock circuitry;

detection logic to detect terminations on the link during the low power link state based on a detect hold-off time; and

counter logic to maintain a synchronization counter count during the low power link state.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first agent further comprises a receiver to receive the acknowledgement to the link entry signal from the second agent, wherein the physical layer of the first agent is to transmit an inband reset signal to the second agent in response to the acknowledgement message.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second agent is to enter the low power link state in response to an inband reset signal from the first agent.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein, during the low power link state, the second agent is to retain its link state.

5. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the first agent or the second agent is to be configured to bypass calibration prior to entering the low power link state.

6. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the second agent is to exit the low power link state in response to a signal from the first agent or from the second agent.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first agent is to transmit the entry message in response to an indication by a link layer of the first agent.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first agent is to be configured to bypass calibration prior to entering the low power link state.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first agent is to exit the low power link state in response to a signal from a link layer of the first agent or the second agent.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first agent and the second agent are on a same integrated circuit die.

11. A method comprising:

indicating to a physical layer of a first agent, by a link layer of the first agent, that the first agent is to enter a low power link state;

transmitting a link entry signal from the first agent to a second agent to indicate to the second agent that the first agent is to enter the low power link state;

receiving an acknowledgement from the second agent over a serial link, wherein the acknowledgement is to be transmitted in response to receipt of the link entry signal by the second agent;

sending an in-band reset from the first agent to the second agent;

the first agent entering the low power link state based on the acknowledgement from the second agent;

exiting the low power link state on or after expiration of a detect hold-off period, wherein, during the low power link state, the first agent is to retain its link state.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the inband reset signal is to be sent to the second agent in response to the acknowledgement message.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising the second agent entering the low power link state in response to the inband reset signal from the first agent.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein entry into the low power link state is to be abandoned in response to an error or negative acknowledgement.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising the first agent exiting the low power link state in response to a signal from a link layer of the first agent or the second agent.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein, during the low power link state, front end driver and clock circuitry of the first agent are to be turned off and power is to be maintained at a logical sub-block of the first agent to preserve configuration of the physical layer.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the detect hold-off period is calculated based on resistor-capacitor (RC) charging on a clock lane of the link.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein the low power link state is to be exited based on a signal from the link layer logic.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein the lower power link state is to be exited based on a signal from the second agent.

20. A system comprising:

means for indicating to a physical layer of a first agent that the first agent is to enter a low power link state;

means for transmitting a link entry signal from the first agent to a second agent over a serial link;

means for receiving an acknowledgement of the link entry signal from the second agent;

means for sending an in-band reset from the first agent to the second agent;

means for entering the low power link state at the first agent based on the acknowledgement from the second agent; and

means for exiting the low power link state on or after expiration of a detect hold-off period, wherein, during the low power link state, the first agent is to retain its link state.