Configurable memory system

• US 20040148483A1
• Filed: 01/23/2003
• Published: 07/29/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/23/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Ang, Boon Seong, Schlansker, Michael S.
• Granted Patent: US 7,146,480 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 711/170
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/1652 in a multiprocessor architecture interprocessor communication using common memory G06F15/167

Abstract

A configurable memory system is disclosed, which includes a processor-to-memory network, a memory-to-processor network, and a plurality of memory modules. Both networks in turns include a plurality of transport cells that can be configured to implement various transport networks, one for a particular memory application. To implement different memory applications in the same configurable memory system, a system designer takes several steps. The system designer identifies memory applications to be implemented in the configurable memory system. For each memory application, the designer allocates a set of memory modules and a transport network carrying data for the memory modules. Each transport network corresponding to a memory application thus establishes the data paths to and from the memory modules for that memory application. For each transport cell in the allocated networks, the designer develops a configuration table indicating the transport networks, one being associated with a memory application using that transport cell. The designer then creates reservation and/or conflict tables describing the timing relationships between the memory applications. Based on the reservation and/or conflict tables, scheduling execution of the memory applications can be performed.

Claims

1. A method for providing a configurable memory system, comprising the steps of:

providing a plurality of memory modules; and

connecting a configurable network of transport cells to the plurality of memory modules;

wherein for a memory application using the configurable memory system, performing the steps of

selecting a set of memory modules from the plurality of memory modules, for use by the memory application;

selecting a set of transport cells from the configurable network of transport cells; and

based on a transport network that uses the each transport cell and that transports data for the set of memory modules, configuring each selected transport cell to be part of that transport network.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the configurable memory system is part of a configurable device.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the transport network includes a plurality of data paths between its root and the set of memory modules;

the plurality of data paths includes a longer data path and a shorter data path; and

the transport network includes a padding element to equalize the time length between the longer data path and the shorter data path.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein a time delay provided by the padding element is programmable.

5. The method of claim 3 wherein a time delay provided by the padding element is selected based on a route identifier associated with the transport network.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein a transport cell of the selected set of transport cells uses a route identification to propagate a message received by that transport cell to an output of that transport cell.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the route identification is associated with the message.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein

a transport cell of the selected set of transport cells is associated with a plurality of route identifications corresponding to a plurality transport networks;

a route identification of the plurality of route identifications corresponds to a transport network of the plurality of transport networks; and

a message traveling on a transport network of the plurality of networks carries a route identification corresponding to that transport network.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

identifying the transport network as the first transport network;

identifying the selected set of transport cells as the first set of transport cells;

allowing the first transport network to carry data for the set of memory modules; and

configuring a second transport network including a second set of transport cells from the configurable network of transport cells, for transporting data for the set of memory modules.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the first set of transport cells includes a transport cell from the second set of transport cells.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein the first set of transport cells includes all transport cells from the second set of transport cells.

12. The method of claim 9 wherein the first transport network is identified as a request transport network and the second transport network is identified as a return transport network.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein a route identifier for the request transport network is different from a route identifier for the return transport network.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein a message traveling through the request transport network carries both the route identifier for the request transport network and the route identifier for the return transport network.

15. The method of claim 12 wherein the route identifier for the return transport network is derived from the route identifier for the request transport network.

16. The method of claim 12 further comprising the step of mapping the route identifier for the request transport network to the route identifier for the return transport network.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein a transport cell in the transport network is associated with a plurality of transport networks, and each transport network of the plurality of transport networks is associated with a route identifier.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the route identifier is associated with a message traveling through the each transport network.

19. The method of claim 1 wherein a transport cell of the transport network is associated with a plurality of transport networks and with a configuration table having entries each being associated with a transport network of the plurality of transport networks.

20. The method of claim 1 wherein a first memory operation and a second memory operation use the configurable memory system, and the method further comprising the step of avoiding conflict of resources used by the first memory operation and the second memory operation.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein the step of avoiding uses information in conflict tables to schedule the first operation memory operations and the second memory operation.

22. The method of claim 20 wherein the step of avoiding uses information in reservation tables to schedule the first memory operation and the second memory operation.

23. The method of claim 1 wherein a transport cell in the transport network includes a latch enabling pipelining data passing through the transport cell.

24. A configurable memory system, comprising:

a plurality of memory modules;

a configurable network of transport cells connected to the plurality of memory modules;

means for selecting a set of memory modules from the plurality of memory modules;

means for selecting a set of transport cells from the configurable network of transport cells; and

means for configuring each selected transport cell to be part of a transport network that transports data for the set of memory modules and that uses the each selected transport cell;

wherein the selected set of memory modules, the selected set of transport cells, and the each configured and selected transport cell are for use by a memory application using the configurable memory system.

25. The configurable memory system of claim 24 being part of a configurable device.

26. The configurable memory system of claim 24 wherein:

the transport network includes a plurality of data paths between its root and the set of memory modules;

the plurality of data paths includes a longer data path and a shorter data path; and

the transport network includes a padding element to equalize the time length between the longer data path and the shorter data path.

27. The configurable memory system of claim 26 wherein a time delay provided by the padding element is programmable.

28. The configurable memory system of claim 26 wherein a time delay provided by the padding element is selected based on a route identifier associated with the transport network.

29. The configurable memory system of claim 24 wherein a transport cell of the selected set of transport cells uses a route identification to propagate a message received by that transport cell to an output of that transport cell.

30. The configurable memory system of claim 29 wherein the route identification is associated with the received message.

31. The configurable memory system of claim 24 wherein a transport cell of the selected set of transport cells is associated with a plurality of route identifications corresponding to a plurality transport networks;

a route identification of the plurality of route identifications corresponds to a transport network of the plurality of transport networks; and

a message traveling on a transport network of the plurality of networks carries a route identification corresponding to that transport network.

32. The configurable memory system of claim 24 further comprising:

means for identifying the transport network as the first transport network;

means for identifying the selected set of transport cells as the first set of transport cells;

means for allowing the first transport network to carry data for the set of memory modules; and

means configuring a second transport network including a second set of transport cells from the configurable network of transport cells, for transporting data for the set of memory modules.

33. The configurable memory system of claim 32 wherein the first set of transport cells includes a transport cell from the second set of transport cells.

34. The configurable memory system of claim 32 wherein the first set of transport cells includes all transport cells from the second set of transport cells.

35. The configurable memory system of claim 32 wherein the first transport network is identified as a request transport network and the second transport network is identified as a return transport network.

36. The configurable memory system of claim 35 wherein a route identifier for the request transport network is different from a route identifier for the return transport network.

37. The configurable memory system of claim 36 wherein a message traveling through the request transport network carries both the route identifier for the request transport network and the route identifier for the return transport network.

38. The configurable memory system of claim 35 wherein the route identifier for the return transport network is derived from the route identifier for the request transport network.

39. The configurable memory system of claim 35 further comprising means for mapping the route identifier for the request transport network to the route identifier for the return transport network.

40. The configurable memory system of claim 24 wherein a transport cell in the transport network is associated with a plurality of transport networks, and each transport network of the plurality of transport networks is associated with a route identifier.

41. The configurable memory system of claim 40 wherein the route identifier is associated with a message traveling through the each transport network.

42. The configurable memory system of claim 24 wherein a transport cell of the transport network is associated with a plurality of transport networks and with a configuration table having entries each being associated with a transport network of the plurality of transport networks.

43. The configurable memory system of claim 24 wherein a first memory operation and a second memory operation use the configurable memory system, and the configurable memory system further comprising means for avoiding conflict of resources used by the first memory operation and the second memory operation.

44. The configurable memory system of claim 43 wherein the means for avoiding uses information in conflict tables to schedule the first operation memory operations and the second memory operation.

45. The configurable memory system of claim 43 wherein the means for avoiding uses information in reservation tables to schedule the first memory operation and the second memory operation.

46. The configurable memory system of claim 24 wherein a transport cell in the transport network includes a latch enabling pipelining data passing through that transport cell.