Inter-processor communication link with manageability port

• US 8,601,145 B2
• Filed: 06/08/2010
• Issued: 12/03/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Marvell Asia Pte Limited (Marvell Technology Group Limited)
• Original Assignee: Marvell International Limited (Marvell Technology Group Limited)
• Inventors: Mueller, Peter D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bengzon, Greg C
• Application Number:
  US12/796,504
• Publication Number:
  US 20100250821A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,274 Days
• Field of Search: 709/229, 709208-212, 709/217, 709220-226, 709/200, 370/462, 710 15- 19, 714/5, 714/9, 714/30, 714/44, 712/29, 712/227, 718/1, 718100-104, 719311-313, 719318-327, 719/310, 455/420
• US Class Current: 709/229
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0724 in a multiprocessor or a multi-core unit multiprocessors per se G06F15/80
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0742 in a data processing system embedded in a mobile device, e.g. mobile phones, handheld devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0793 Remedial or corrective actions recovery from an exception in an instruction pipeline G06F9/3861; by retry G06F11/1402; for recovering from a failure of a protocol instance or entity H04L69/40
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/387 for adaptation of different data processing systems to different peripheral devices, e.g. protocol converters for incompatible systems, open system
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/80 comprising an array of processing units with common control, e.g. single instruction multiple data processors G06F15/82 takes precedence ; for correlation function computation G06F17/15
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

Manageability ports for inter-processor communication links, along with associated systems and methods, are generally provided.

Claims

1. An inter-processor communication link system for a wireless device platform, comprising:

first and second microprocessor subsystems configured to support the wireless device platform for wireless applications;

a manageability control module configured to apply a protocol for communicating over a microprocessor bus of the first microprocessor subsystem, the second microprocessor subsystem accessing the manageability control module, the manageability control module performing a management function on the first microprocessor subsystem, even when a processor core of the first microprocessor subsystem is not responsive to any signal; and

an inter-processor communication link configured to provide at least a bi-directional communication path to and from at least one peripheral bus of the first microprocessor subsystem;

a wireless device including the first and second microprocessor subsystems, the manageability control module, and the inter-processor communication link;

a first multi-channel link of the inter-processor communication link configured to receive communications from the at least one peripheral bus of the first microprocessor subsystem;

a second multi-channel link of the inter-processor communication link configured to transmit communications to the at least one peripheral bus of the first microprocessor subsystem; and

a predetermined channel of an inbound link of the inter-processor communication link configured to receive a communication used to perform the management function.

2. The inter-processor communication link system according to claim 1, wherein the inter-processor communication link includes a data link protocol configured to control data flow over the first and second multi-channel links.

3. The inter-processor communication link system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a command register configured to store command data delivered through the inter-processor communication link; and

a response register configured to store response data from the microprocessor bus.

4. The inter-processor communication link system according to claim 3, wherein

the manageability control module is connected with the command register and the response register, the manageability control module configured to determine when the command data is received at the command register, transmit a corresponding command signal over the microprocessor bus, receive a response signal from the microprocessor bus, store a corresponding response data at the response register, and transmit the corresponding response data through the inter-processor communication link.

5. The inter-processor communication link system according to claim 4, wherein

the corresponding command signal is configured to perform the management function for the first microprocessor subsystem.

6. The inter-processor communication link system according to claim 1, wherein the management function includes debugging.

7. The inter-processor communication link system according to claim 1, wherein the management function includes accessing a memory.

8. The inter-processor communication link system according to claim 1, wherein the management function includes accessing configuration registers.

9. The inter-processor communication link system according to claim 1, wherein the management function includes accessing a peripheral device of the first microprocessor subsystem.

10. A method for linking communications between processors for a wireless device, comprising:

supporting the wireless device for wireless applications, the wireless device including a first and second microprocessor subsystems, a manageability control module, and an inter-processor communication link;

applying a protocol for communicating over a microprocessor bus of the first microprocessor subsystem;

performing by the manageability control module a management function on the first microprocessor subsystem, even when a processor core of the first microprocessor subsystem is not responsive to any signal;

bi-directionally communicating to and from at least one peripheral bus of the first microprocessor subsystem;

receiving communications by a first multi-channel link of the inter-processor communication link from the at least one peripheral bus of the first microprocessor subsystem;

transmitting communications by a second multi-channel link of the inter-processor communication link to the at least one peripheral bus of the first microprocessor subsystem; and

receiving a communication used to perform the management function by a predetermined channel of an inbound link of the inter-processor communication link.

11. The method according to claim 10, further comprising:

controlling data flow over first and second multi-channel links of an inter-processor communication link.

12. The method according to claim 10, further comprising:

storing command data delivered through an inter-processor communication link in a command register; and

storing response data from the microprocessor bus in a response register.

13. The method according to claim 12, further comprising:

determining by a manageability control device when the command data is received at the command register;

transmitting a command signal associated with the command data over the microprocessor bus;

receiving a response signal from the microprocessor bus;

storing a response data associated the response signal at the response register; and

transmitting the corresponding response data through the inter-processor communication link.

14. The method according to claim 13, further comprising:

performing by the command signal the management function for the first microprocessor subsystem.

15. The method according to claim 10, wherein the management function includes at least one of debugging, accessing a memory, accessing configuration registers, and accessing a peripheral device of the first microprocessor subsystem.