Dynamically configurable architecture for mixed data processing

• US 7,530,070 B1
• Filed: 08/10/2000
• Issued: 05/05/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies General IP PTE Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Agere Systems Incorporated (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Sweeney, John Patrick, Mera, Narciso
• Primary Examiner(s): An; Meng-Ai
• Assistant Examiner(s): To; Jennifer N
• Application Number:
  US09/636,130
• Time in Patent Office: 3,190 Days
• Field of Search: 718/100, 718/102, 718/104, 710/8, 710/110, 710/41, 709223-229, 455/560, 455450-460, 455/464, 455/552.1, 713/1, 379/207.02, 379/322, 712/16, 712/17, 712/36, 712/37, 370/328, 370/468
• US Class Current: 718/104
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/505 considering the load

Abstract

There is disclosed a communications infrastructure that can be dynamically reconfigured over a wide range of application combinations from being dedicated to one application to any combination of the first application and a second application. The communications infrastructure includes a plurality of processors coupled to a shared bus and a shared system memory. Instructions to implement the first and second function are stored in system memory and available to each processor over the bus.

Claims

1. A method of dynamically configuring telecommunications resources, comprising the steps of:

determining demand for a first telecommunications service, the first telecommunications service comprising a voice service;

allocating first processor resources to perform speech processing functions of the first telecommunications service;

retrieving instructions from a common memory to the first allocated processor resources to perform the speech processing functions of the first telecommunications service;

determining demand for a second telecommunications service, the second telecommunications service comprising a data service;

allocating second processor resources to perform modem control functions of the second telecommunications service; and

retrieving instructions from the common memory to the second allocated processor resources to perform the modem control functions of the second telecommunications service;

wherein the step of retrieving instructions from a common memory comprises transferring the instructions over a shared bus coupled to the memory and the first and second processor resources for storage in respective first and second caches of the first and second processor resources;

wherein each of the first and second processor resources is capable of being programmed to perform the first and second telecommunications service;

wherein the steps of allocating first processor resources and allocating second processor resources comprise allocating resources of a plurality of separate processors;

said first and second processor resources comprising respective first and second ones of the plurality of separate processors, said first and second separate processors containing the respective first and second caches;

wherein allocating first processor resources and second processor resources is done in proportion to demand for the first telecommunications service and second telecommunications service, respectively.

2. Communications apparatus, comprising:

a plurality of separate processors, each of the plurality of separate processors capable of being programmed to perform at least a first telecommunications service comprising a voice service and a second telecommunications service comprising a data service;

a shared memory for storing instructions for speech processing functions of the first telecommunications service and modem control functions of the second telecommunications service; and

a shared bus coupled to the shared memory and each of the separate processors, the shared bus for transferring instructions from the shared memory to the separate processors as well as for transferring data into and out of the shared memory;

at least first and second ones of the plurality of separate processors comprising respective first and second caches for storing corresponding portions of said instructions and data;

wherein the communications apparatus is fabricated in an integrated circuit.

3. A communications apparatus as recited in claim 2, wherein each of the separate processors is identical.

4. A communications apparatus as recited in claim 2, wherein each of the separate processors is not identical.

5. A communications apparatus as recited in claim 2, wherein the shared memory is a single memory space capable of storing both data and instructions.

6. Communications apparatus, comprising:

a plurality of separate processors, each of the plurality of separate processors capable of being programmed to perform at least a first telecommunications service comprising a voice service and a second telecommunications service comprising a data service;

a shared memory for storing instructions for speech processing functions of the first telecommunications service and modem control functions of the second telecommunications service; and

a shared bus coupled to the shared memory and each of the separate processors, the shared bus for transferring instructions from the shared memory to the separate processors as well as for transferring data into and out of the shared memory;

at least first and second ones of the plurality of separate processors comprising respective first and second caches for storing corresponding portions of said instructions and data;

wherein the shared bus is a split-transaction bus.

7. A communications apparatus as recited in claim 6, wherein each of the separate processors is identical.

8. A communications apparatus as recited in claim 6, wherein each of the separate processors is not identical.

9. A communications apparatus as recited in claim 6, wherein the shared memory is a single memory space capable of storing both data and instructions.

10. A communications apparatus, comprising:

a plurality of separate processors, each of the plurality of separate processors capable of being programmed to perform at least a first telecommunications service comprising a voice service and a second telecommunications service comprising a data service;

a single memory space for storing data and instructions for speech processing functions of the first telecommunications service and modem control functions of the second telecommunications service;

a split-transaction bus coupled to the memory and each of the separate processors, the split-transaction bus for transferring instructions from the single memory space to the separate processors as well as for transferring data into and out of the single memory space;

at least first and second ones of the plurality of separate processors comprising respective first and second caches for storing corresponding portions of said instructions and data;

wherein the communications apparatus is fabricated in an integrated circuit.

11. A communications apparatus, as recited in claim 10, wherein each of the separate processors is identical.

12. A communications apparatus as recited in claim 10, wherein each of the separate processors is not identical.