Composing on-chip interconnects with configurable interfaces

• US 20030208566A1
• Filed: 05/03/2002
• Published: 11/06/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/03/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: META Platforms Technologies LLC (Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.))
• Original Assignee: Sonics Incorporated (Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.))
• Inventors: Weber, Wolf-Dietrich, Wingard, Drew E., Chou, Chien-Chun, Tomlinson, Jay S., Meyer, Michael J., Synek, Kamil, Masri, Nabil N., OʼConnell, Thomas W.
• Granted Patent: US 7,356,633 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/220
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/7825 Globally asynchronous, locally synchronous, e.g. network on chip
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/18 Multiprotocol handlers, e.g. single devices capable of handling multiple protocols

Abstract

A method and apparatus for composing on-chip interconnects with configurable interfaces have been described.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

an agent having a first input and a first output, the first input coupled to receive a first communication; and

a core having an input, the input coupled to receive the agent first output.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

the core having an output, and

the agent having a second input and a second output, the second input coupled to receive the core output, and the second output coupled to transmit a second communication.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the agent receives a third communication allowing the agent to configure itself in a mode selected from the group consisting of receive only, transmit only, bidirectional, bridge, bridge agent, bridge proxy, internetworking proxy, reset, timer, and administrator.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the agent is configured for topology and flooding control by a parameter selected from the group consisting of bridge agent, bridge forward, and fully connected.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the agent is configured for clocking and reset by a parameter selected from the group consisting of clock rate, and reset into bridge X.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the agent is configured for inter-network performance enhancement by a parameter selected from the group consisting of performance enhance on/off, phase to phase delay, maximum request to data delay, minimum request to response delay, and maximum outstanding requests.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the agent is configured at a point in time selected from the group consisting of at time of fabrication of the agent, at a power up, at a reset, at an initialization prior to normal operation for the agent, and dynamically during normal operation for the agent.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a configurable interface port having a first connection port and a second connection port, the first connection port coupled to receive an interconnect communication, and the second connection port coupled to transmit the first communication.

9. An apparatus comprising:

a configurable interface having a first communication port and a second communication port, the first communication port coupled to receive an interconnect communication;

an agent having a first input and a first output, the first input coupled to receive the configurable interface second communication port; and

a core having an input, the input coupled to receive the agent first output.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 further comprising:

the core having an output, and

the agent having a second input and a second output, the second input coupled to receive the core output, and the second output coupled to transmit to the configurable interface second communication port.

11. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the interface is configured at a point in time selected from the group consisting of at time of fabrication of the interface, at a power up, at a reset, at an initialization prior to normal operation for the interface, and dynamically during normal operation for the interface.

12. A method comprising:

receiving a request;

determining if the request is from an external bridge agent that resides on a neighboring interconnect; and

if so, then

not looping back to the sender; and

sending the request to an internal agent that resides on a same interconnect;

if not, then

determining if the request is from a non-bridge agent that resides on a

same interconnect; and

if so, then

forwarding the request to a connected external bridge agent that resides on a neighboring interconnect;

if not, then

determining if a bridge forward parameter is set to no; and

if so, then

doing nothing;

if not, then

forwarding the request to a connected external bridge agent that resides on a neighboring interconnect.

13. A processing system comprising a processor, which when executing a set of instructions performs the method of claim 12.

14. A machine-readable medium having stored thereon instructions, which when executed performs the method of claim 12.

15. An apparatus comprising:

means for interconnecting one or more configurable agents;

means for interfacing one or more of the configurable agents to one or more configurable interfaces;

means for interfacing one or more of the configurable interfaces to one or more cores; and

means for configuring one or more of the configurable agents; and

means for configuring one or more of the configurable interfaces.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein means for configuring further comprises parameters selected from the group consisting of address width, data width, command width, communication timing, receive only, transmit only, bidirectional, bridge, bridge agent, bridge proxy, internetworking proxy, reset, timer, administrator, bridge agent, bridge forward, fully connected, clock rate, reset into bridge X, performance enhance on/off, phase to phase delay, maximum request to data delay, minimum request to response delay, and maximum outstanding requests.

17. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein means for configuring further comprises means for configuring at a point in time selected from the group consisting of at time of fabrication, at a power up, at a reset, at an initialization prior to normal operation, and dynamically during normal operation.

18. A machine-readable medium having stored thereon information representing the apparatus of claim 15.

19. A method comprising:

creating a link between agent A and agent B;

querying by agent A as to agent B'"'"'s communication capabilities;

querying by agent B as to agent A'"'"'s communication capabilities; and

configuring agents A and B to communicate.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein configuring further comprises setting parameters selected from the group consisting of address width, data width, command width, communication timing, receive only, transmit only, bidirectional, bridge, bridge agent, bridge proxy, internetworking proxy, reset, timer, administrator, bridge agent, bridge forward, fully connected, clock rate, reset into bridge X, performance enhance on/off, phase to phase delay, maximum request to data delay, minimum request to response delay, and maximum outstanding requests.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein configuring further comprises configuring at a point in time selected from the group consisting of at time of fabrication of an agent, at a power up of an agent, at a reset of an agent, at an initialization prior to normal operation of an agent, and dynamically during normal operation of an agent.

22. A processing system comprising a processor, which when executing a set of instructions performs the method of claim 19.

23. A machine-readable medium having stored thereon instructions, which when executed performs the method of claim 19.

24. A system comprising:

a plurality of configurable agents;

a plurality of configurable interfaces; and

a processor for configuring the configurable agents and the configurable interfaces.

25. The system of claim 24 wherein configuring the configurable agents and the configurable interfaces is configuring the configurable agents and the configurable interfaces to communicate.

26. The system of claim 25 wherein configuring is configuring parameters selected from the group consisting of address width, data width, command width, communication timing, receive only, transmit only, bidirectional, bridge, bridge agent, bridge proxy, internetworking proxy, reset, timer, administrator, bridge agent, bridge forward, fully connected., clock rate, reset into bridge X, performance enhance on/off, phase to phase delay, maximum request to data delay, minimum request to response delay, and maximum outstanding requests.

27. The apparatus of claim 26 wherein configuring further comprises configuring at a point in time selected from the group consisting of at time of fabrication, at a power up, at a reset, at an initialization prior to normal operation, and dynamically during normal operation.

28. A system comprising circuitry, which when operating, performs the following:

receives an input communications;

adjusts the input communications based upon a target'"'"'s communications capabilities; and

transmits the adjusted input communications to the target.

29. The system of claim 28 further comprising receiving information selected from the group consisting of address width, data width, command width, communication timing, receive only, transmit only, bidirectional, bridge, bridge agent, bridge proxy, internetworking proxy, reset, timer, administrator, bridge agent, bridge forward, fully connected, clock rate, reset into bridge X, performance enhance on/off, phase to phase delay, maximum request to data delay, minimum request to response delay, and maximum outstanding requests.

30. The system of claim 28 further comprising transferring a payment and/or a credit.

31. An apparatus comprising:

a first bridge agent;

a second bridge agent;

a configurable interface port coupled to the first bridge agent and the second bridge agent.

32. The apparatus of claim 31 wherein the coupling of the first bridge agent to the second bridge agent allows for communication through the configurable interface port between the first bridge agent and the second bridge agent.

33. The apparatus of claim 32 further comprising a configurable interface port parameter RIAB (reset into a bridge) which when ON in the configurable interface port informs a receiving bridge that a reset signal exists, which when asserted informs the receiving bridge that an originating bridge is in reset mode.

34. The apparatus of claim 31 wherein the interface port is configured at a point in time selected from the group consisting of at time of fabrication of the interface port, at a power up, at a reset, at an initialization prior to normal operation for the interface port, and dynamically during normal operation for the interface port.

35. An apparatus comprising:

a bridge agent having a first control input, a second control input, a first control output, a second control output, a first communication port, and a second communication port;

a first interconnect having a first control output, a first control input, and a communication port, the first control input coupled to receive the bridge agent first control output, the first control output coupled to transmit to the bridge agent first control input, and the communication port coupled to the bridge agent first communication port; and

a second interconnect having a first control output, a first control input, and a communication port, the first control input coupled to receive the bridge agent second control output, the first control output coupled to transmit to the bridge agent second control input, and the communication port coupled to the bridge agent second communication port.

36. The apparatus of claim 35 wherein the bridge control signals configure the bridge agent to control transmission of a communication between the first interconnect communication port and the second interconnect communication port.

37. The apparatus of claim 36 wherein the configuring of the bridge is a mode of operation selected from the group consisting of do not forward the communication from the first interconnect communication port to the second interconnect communication port, do not forward the communication from the second interconnect communication port to the first interconnect communication port, do not forward the communication, forward the communication from the first interconnect communication port to the second interconnect communication port, forward the communication from the second interconnect communication port to the first interconnect communication port, and forward the communication.

38. The apparatus of claim 37 wherein the bridge agent is configured at a point in time selected from the group consisting of at time of fabrication of the bridge agent, at a power up, at a reset, at an initialization prior, to normal operation for the bridge agent, and dynamically during normal operation for the bridge agent.

39. The apparatus of claim 35 wherein the second interconnect is a second bridge agent.

40. A machine-readable medium having stored thereon information representing the apparatus of claim 35.

41. An apparatus comprising:

means for interconnecting a bridge agent to one or more interconnects; and

means for configuring the bridge agent for communicating between the one or more interconnects.

42. The method of claim 41 wherein the bridge agent configuration is selected from a mode of operation selected from the group consisting of do not forward a communication from a first interconnect to a second interconnect, do not forward a communication from a second interconnect to a first interconnect, do not forward a communication, forward a communication from a first interconnect to a second interconnect, forward a communication from a second interconnect to a first interconnect, and forward a communication.

43. The method of claim 42 wherein the bridge agent is configured at a point in time selected from the group consisting of at time of fabrication of the bridge agent, at a power up, at a reset, at an initialization prior to normal operation for the bridge agent, and dynamically during normal operation for the bridge agent.

44. A machine-readable medium having stored thereon information representing the apparatus of claim 41.

45. A method comprising:

creating a first link between a first interconnect and a bridge agent;

creating a second link between a second interconnect and the bridge agent; and

configuring the bridge agent to communicate between the first link and the second link.

46. The method of claim 45 wherein configuring further comprises setting parameters selected from a source selected from the group consisting of the first link, the second link, and a third source.

47. The method of claim 46 wherein configuring further comprises configuring at a point in time selected from the group consisting of at time of fabrication of the bridge agent, at a power up of the bridge agent, at a reset of the bridge agent, at an initialization prior to normal operation of the bridge agent, and dynamically during normal operation of the bridge agent.

48. A processing system comprising a processor, which when executing a set of instructions performs the method of claim 45.

49. A machine-readable medium having stored thereon instructions, which when executed performs the method of claim 45.