Combination of Control Interfaces for Multiple Communicating Domains

• US 20170269657A1
• Filed: 03/17/2017
• Published: 09/21/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Arm Ltd. (United Kingdom) (SoftBank Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Arm Ltd. (United Kingdom) (SoftBank Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Brown, Dominic William, Crawford, Ashley John, Severino, Christopher Vincent
• Granted Patent: US 10,452,110 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/26 Power supply means, e.g. regulation thereof for memories G11C
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3243 Power saving in microcontroller unit
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3287 by switching off individual functional units in the computer system
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/1689 Synchronisation and timing concerns synchronisation on a memory bus G06F13/4234
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/50 in wire-line communication networks, e.g. low power modes or reduced link rate

Abstract

Various implementations described herein are directed to a method and apparatus for a low power interface combiner for controlling a cross domain component in a system of two or more power domain controls. The combiner may include a first state for requesting cross domain component quiescence when a first control requests quiescence and a second state for ensuring cross domain component quiescence before accepting the first control quiescence request. The combiner may include a third state for requesting cross domain component quiescence exit when a last control requests quiescence exit and other controls have exited or are exiting quiescence. The combiner may include a fourth state for ensuring cross domain component quiescence exit before accepting the last control quiescence exit request.

Claims

1. A combiner for controlling a cross domain component in a system of two or more power domain controls, said combiner comprising:

a first state for requesting cross domain component quiescence when a first control requests quiescence; and

a second state for ensuring cross domain component quiescence before accepting the first control quiescence request.

2. The combiner as claimed in claim 1 further comprising:

a third state for requesting cross domain component quiescence exit only when a last control requests quiescence exit and all other controls have exited or are exiting quiescence; and

a fourth state for ensuring cross domain component quiescence exit before accepting the last control quiescence exit request.

3. The combiner of claim 1, wherein the cross domain component is put in a quiescent state when either domain is quiescent.

4. The combiner of claim 1, wherein the cross domain component is only brought out of a quiescent state when both domains become active.

5. The combiner of claim 1, wherein the cross domain component is put in a quiescent state when either domain is quiescent and wherein the cross domain component is only brought out of a quiescent state when both domains become active.

13. The method according to claim 4 wherein when a control is not the first control to request quiescence then its request is accepted immediately as there is no effect on the component state.

14. The method according to claim 4 wherein for two or more cross domain components, requests for quiescence and quiescence exits are made simultaneously over two or more component channels but each component can take different times to complete and have different responses.

16. The method according to claim 4 wherein the domains are one of:

power domains;

timing domains;

or any functional domains requiring access control between them.

6. A method for controlling a cross domain component in a system of two or more domain controls, said method comprising:

requesting cross domain component quiescence when a first control requests quiescence; and

ensuring cross domain component quiescence before accepting the first control quiescence request.

7. The method according to claim 6 further comprising:

requesting cross domain component quiescence exit only when a last control requests quiescence exit and all other controls have exited or are exiting quiescence; and

ensuring cross domain component quiescence exit before accepting the last control quiescence exit request.

8. The method according to claim 6 further comprising stalling, when there is an ongoing request from a control that affects the state of the component, any requests from other controls until the ongoing control transaction is complete.

9. The method according to claim 6 wherein the control quiescence request is denied if the component quiescence request is denied.

10. The method according to claim 6 wherein when a second control has entered a quiescence request state after a first control quiescence request, then the second control will remain in the quiescence request state until the first control and component quiescence request has been accepted or denied.

11. The method according to claim 10 wherein if the first control quiescence request is denied then the second control quiescence request would lead to an additional component quiescence request that can be accepted or denied independently.

12. The method according to claim 6 wherein when a control is not the last control to request exit from quiescence then its request is accepted immediately as there is no effect on the component state.

15. The method according to claim 12 wherein control quiescence requests and quiescence exit requests that affect the components are only accepted when all components have accepted the request.

17. A method for controlling a cross domain component in a system having two or more domain controls and the cross domain component in a quiescence state, said method comprising:

requesting cross domain component quiescence exit only when a last control requests quiescence exit and all other controls have exited or are exiting quiescence; and

ensuring cross domain component quiescence exit before accepting the last control quiescence exit request.