Software pipelining on a network on chip
First Claim
1. A method of sharing memory in a software pipeline, the method implemented on a network on chip (‘
- NOC’
), the NOC comprising integrated processor (‘
IP’
) blocks, routers, memory communications controllers, and network interface controllers, each IP block operatively coupled to a router through a memory communications controller and a network interface controller, each memory communications controller controlling communication between an IP block and memory, and each network interface controller controlling inter-IP block communications through routers, the method comprising;
segmenting a computer software application into stages of a software pipeline, the software pipeline comprising one or more paths of execution, each stage comprising a flexibly configurable module of computer program instructions identified by a stage ID, each stage executing in a thread of execution on an IP block; and
allocating, by at least one of the stages, memory to be shared among at least two stages including creating a smart pointer, the smart pointer including data elements for determining when the shared memory can be deallocated, wherein data elements for determining when the shared memory can be deallocated further comprise a table comprising at least one row for each path of execution in the pipeline, the table further comprising a column indicating that a segment of the shared memory is in use by a stage in a path of execution in the pipeline, the table further comprising a column indicating that a segment of the shared memory is no longer required for use by a stage in the path of execution in the pipeline;
determining, by at least one stage in dependence upon the data elements for determining when the shared memory can be deallocated, that the shared memory can be deallocated; and
deallocating the shared memory.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Memory sharing in a software pipeline on a network on chip (‘NOC’), the NOC including integrated processor (‘IP’) blocks, routers, memory communications controllers, and network interface controllers, with each IP block adapted to a router through a memory communications controller and a network interface controller, where each memory communications controller controlling communications between an IP block and memory, and each network interface controller controlling inter-IP block communications through routers, including segmenting a computer software application into stages of a software pipeline, the software pipeline comprising one or more paths of execution; allocating memory to be shared among at least two stages including creating a smart pointer, the smart pointer including data elements for determining when the shared memory can be deallocated; determining, in dependence upon the data elements for determining when the shared memory can be deallocated, that the shared memory can be deallocated; and deallocating the shared memory.
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Citations
15 Claims
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1. A method of sharing memory in a software pipeline, the method implemented on a network on chip (‘
- NOC’
), the NOC comprising integrated processor (‘
IP’
) blocks, routers, memory communications controllers, and network interface controllers, each IP block operatively coupled to a router through a memory communications controller and a network interface controller, each memory communications controller controlling communication between an IP block and memory, and each network interface controller controlling inter-IP block communications through routers, the method comprising;segmenting a computer software application into stages of a software pipeline, the software pipeline comprising one or more paths of execution, each stage comprising a flexibly configurable module of computer program instructions identified by a stage ID, each stage executing in a thread of execution on an IP block; and allocating, by at least one of the stages, memory to be shared among at least two stages including creating a smart pointer, the smart pointer including data elements for determining when the shared memory can be deallocated, wherein data elements for determining when the shared memory can be deallocated further comprise a table comprising at least one row for each path of execution in the pipeline, the table further comprising a column indicating that a segment of the shared memory is in use by a stage in a path of execution in the pipeline, the table further comprising a column indicating that a segment of the shared memory is no longer required for use by a stage in the path of execution in the pipeline; determining, by at least one stage in dependence upon the data elements for determining when the shared memory can be deallocated, that the shared memory can be deallocated; and deallocating the shared memory. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
- NOC’
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6. A network on chip (‘
- NOC’
) for sharing memory in a software pipeline, the NOC comprising integrated processor (‘
IP’
) blocks, routers, memory communications controllers, and network interface controllers, each IP block operatively coupled to a router through a memory communications controller and a network interface controller, each memory communications controller controlling communication between an IP block and memory, and each network interface controller controlling inter-IP block communications through routers, the NOC further comprising;a computer software application segmented into stages as the software pipeline, the software pipeline comprising one or more paths of execution, each stage comprising a flexibly configurable module of computer program instructions identified by a stage ID and executing on a thread of execution on an IP block; and memory allocated by at least one of the stages to be shared among at least two stages, including a smart pointer, the smart pointer including data elements for determining when the shared memory can be deallocated, wherein data elements for determining when the shared memory can be deallocated further comprise a table comprising at least one row for each path of execution in the pipeline, the table further comprising a column indicating that a segment of the shared memory is in use by a stage in a path of execution in the pipeline, the table further comprising a column indicating that a segment of the shared memory is no longer required for use by a stage in the path of execution in the pipeline. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10)
- NOC’
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11. A computer program product for sharing memory in a software pipeline on a network on chip (‘
- NOC’
), the NOC comprising integrated processor (‘
IP’
) blocks, routers, memory communications controllers, and network interface controllers, each IP block operatively coupled to a router through a memory communications controller and a network interface controller, each memory communications controller controlling communication between an IP block and memory, and each network interface controller controlling inter-IP block communications through routers, the computer program product including computer program instructions disposed in a recordable computer readable medium, the computer program instructions capable of;segmenting a computer software application into stages of a software pipeline, the pipeline comprising one or more paths of execution, each stage comprising a flexibly configurable module of computer program instructions identified by a stage ID; and allocating, by at least one of the stages, memory to be shared among at least two stages including creating a smart pointer, the smart pointer including data elements for determining when the shared memory can be deallocated, wherein the data elements for determining when the shared memory can be deallocated further comprise a table comprising at least one row for each path of execution in the pipeline, the table further comprising a column indicating that a segment of the shared memory is in use by a stage in a path of execution in the pipeline, the table further comprising a column indicating that a segment of the shared memory is no longer required for use by a stage in the path of execution in the pipeline; executing each stage on a thread of execution on an IP block; determining, by at least one stage in dependence upon the data elements, that the shared memory can be deallocated; and deallocating the shared memory. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15)
- NOC’
Specification