Apparatus and method to precisely position packets for a queue based memory controller

• US 6,381,658 B1
• Filed: 12/29/1999
• Issued: 04/30/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Swaminathan, Muthukumar P.
• Primary Examiner(s): PEIKARI, BEHZAD
• Application Number:
  US09/474,568
• Time in Patent Office: 853 Days
• Field of Search: 710/6, 710/39, 710/52, 710/54, 710/56, 710/58, 710/60, 370/235, 370/412, 713/400, 713/401, 713/502
• US Class Current: 710/54
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/1642 with request queuing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/1689 Synchronisation and timing concerns synchronisation on a memory bus G06F13/4234

Abstract

Disclosed is an apparatus, method, and system to precisely position packets for a queue based memory controller. The memory controller operates with a queue having a plurality of queue positions. A timestamp logic circuit in communication with the memory controller designates scheduled times for each queue position. The memory controller may schedule a packet for a queue position at a scheduled time. The timestamp logic circuit utilizes a plurality of bubble adders to add bubbles to queue positions to adjust the scheduled time for a packet to precisely position the packet.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a timestamp logic circuit in communication with a queue based memory controller having a queue with a plurality of queue positions, the timestamp logic circuit designating scheduled times for each queue position, some of the queue positions having a packet scheduled at a scheduled time by the memory controller; and

a plurality of bubble adders utilized with the timestamp logic circuit to add bubbles to queue positions to adjust the scheduled time for a packet to precisely position the packet;

wherein the timestamp logic circuit comprises a plurality of chained timestamp logic units, the chained timestamp logic units including a plurality of standard timestamp logic units and a first timestamp logic unit, each standard timestamp logic unit corresponding to a queue position and each standard timestamp logic unit designating a scheduled time for the respective queue position, the first timestamp logic unit corresponding to the first queue position and designating the scheduled time for the first queue position.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein each standard timestamp logic unit includes bubble adder.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein each standard timestamp logic unit includes a first storage element storing the scheduled time for the queue position.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein each standard timestamp logic unit includes a subtractor decrementing time from the scheduled time of the queue position as the queue advances creating an updated scheduling time.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 further comprising a second storage element storing the updated scheduling time.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the second storage element transmits the updated scheduling time to an adjacent timestamp logic unit as the queue advances.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein each standard timestamp logic unit includes a queue empty selector setting an updated scheduling time to a predetermined time when the queue is empty, the updated scheduling time being transmitted to an adjacent standard timestamp logic unit and an adjacent respective queue position as the queue advances.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein each standard timestamp logic unit includes a stall selector so that if the queue stalls, the stall selector commands packets to remain in the same timestamp logic unit and the same respective queue position.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the first timestamp logic unit includes a stall selector so that if the queue stalls, the stall selector sets the scheduled time of the first timestamp logic unit and the respective first queue position to zero.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein each timestamp logic unit includes a time subtractor subtracting a predetermined time value from each timestamp logic unit and each respective queue position when the first queue position has a scheduled time greater than a predetermined scheduled time.

11. A memory subsystem comprising:

a queue based memory controller having a queue with a plurality of queue positions;

a memory channel coupled to the queue based memory controller;

a plurality of memory devices coupled to the memory channel;

a timestamp logic circuit coupled to the queue based memory controller, the timestamp logic circuit designating scheduled times for each queue position, some of the queue positions having a packet scheduled at a scheduled time by the memory controller, the packet being transmitted onto the memory channel at a scheduled time to perform an action on a memory device; and

a plurality of bubble adders utilized with the timestamp logic circuit to add bubbles to queue positions to precisely position the scheduled time at which the packet is transmitted to the memory bus;

wherein the timestamp logic circuit comprises a plurality of chained timestamp logic units, the chained timestamp logic units including a plurality of standard timestamp logic units and a first timestamp logic unit, each standard timestamp logic unit corresponding to a queue position and each standard timestamp logic unit designating a scheduled time for the respective queue position, the first timestamp logic unit corresponding to the first queue position and designating the scheduled time for the first queue position.

12. The subsystem of claim 11 wherein each standard timestamp logic unit includes a bubble adder.

13. The subsystem of claim 11 wherein each standard timestamp logic unit includes a first storage element storing the scheduled time for the queue position.

14. The subsystem of claim 11 wherein each standard timestamp logic unit includes a subtractor decrementing time from the scheduled time of the queue position as the queue advances creating an updated scheduling time.

15. The subsystem of claim 14 further comprising a second storage element storing the updated scheduling time.

16. The subsystem of claim 15 wherein the second storage element transmits the updated scheduling time to the adjacent timestamp logic unit as the queue advances.