Abstract: Techniques are disclosed relating to data inversion encoding. In one embodiment, an apparatus includes an interface circuit. The interface circuit is configured to perform first and second data bursts that include respective pluralities of data transmissions encoded using an inversion coding scheme. In such an embodiment, the initial data transmission of the second data burst is encoded using the final data transmission of the first data burst. In some embodiments, the first and second data bursts correspond to successive write operations or successive read operations to a memory module from a memory PHY.

Abstract: A processor transfers prefetch requests from their targeted cache to another cache in a memory hierarchy based on a fullness of a miss address buffer (MAB) or based on confidence levels of the prefetch requests. Each cache in the memory hierarchy is assigned a number of slots at the MAB. In response to determining the fullness of the slots assigned to a cache is above a threshold when a prefetch request to the cache is received, the processor transfers the prefetch request to the next lower level cache in the memory hierarchy. In response, the data targeted by the access request is prefetched to the next lower level cache in the memory hierarchy, and is therefore available for subsequent provision to the cache. In addition, the processor can transfer a prefetch request to lower level caches based on a confidence level of a prefetch request.

Abstract: Briefly, a method and apparatus adjusts the power consumption level of an integrated circuit by dynamically scaling the clock frequency based on the real-time determined power consumption level. In one example, the method and apparatus changes an actual clock frequency of the integrated circuit to an effective clock frequency based on the maximum clock frequency and the difference between the threshold power consumption level and the actual power consumption level of the integrated circuit in the previous sampling interval. In one example, an effective clock frequency of the integrated circuit in the current sampling interval is determined. In one example, the difference between the maximum and effective clock frequencies in the current sampling interval is proportional to the difference between the threshold and actual power consumption levels in the previous sampling interval. The actual clock frequency of the integrated circuit is changed to the determined effective clock frequency.

Abstract: A processor that dynamically remaps logical cores to physical cores is disclosed. In one embodiment, the processor includes a plurality of physical cores, and is configured to store a mapping of logical cores to the plurality of physical cores. The processor further includes an assignment unit configured to remap the logical cores to the plurality of physical cores subsequent to a boot process of the processor. In some embodiments, the assignment unit is configured to remap the logical cores in response to receiving an indication that one or more of the plurality of physical cores have entered an idle state. The processor may be configured to load a first of the plurality of physical cores with an execution state of a second of the plurality of physical cores upon the first physical core exiting an idle state.

Abstract: A capture clock generation control mechanism is provided. The capture clock generation control mechanism controls the number of at-speed clocks generated and supplied to one or more scan chains during scan testing of a microcircuit based on control data stored in a JTAG or scan test register. The scan test register may be formed out of scan cells and comprise part of a scan chain. Automatic Test Pattern Generation (ATPG) tools may generate the data that is loaded into the scan test register to automatically configure the clock generation control mechanism. The clock control mechanism may include the ability to adjust the position of the at-speed clocks within a capture cycle, thereby facilitating transition fault detection.

Abstract: An apparatus includes a power management interpretation circuit and a power management control circuit. The power management interpretation circuit provides power management control information in response to power control parameters. The power management control circuit selectively controls power consumption of a power consuming circuit based on the power management control information. The power consuming circuit provides the power control parameters.

Abstract: A method of forming multiple conductive structures in a semiconductor device includes forming spacers adjacent side surfaces of a mask, where the mask and the spacers are formed on a conductive layer. The method also includes etching at least one trench in a portion of the conductive layer not covered by the spacers or the mask. The method may further include depositing a material over the semiconductor device, removing the mask and etching the conductive layer to remove portions of the conductive layer not covered by the spacers or the material, where remaining portions of the conductive layer form the conductive structures.

Abstract: A secure execution environment for execution of sensitive code and data including a secure asset management unit (SAMU) is described. The SAMU provides a secure execution environment to run sensitive code, for example, code associated with copy protection schemes established for content consumption. The SAMU architecture allows for hardware-based secure boot and memory protection and provides on-demand code execution for code provided by a host processor. The SAMU may boot from an encrypted and signed kernel code, and execute encrypted, signed code. The hardware-based security configuration facilitates preventing vertical or horizontal privilege violations.

Abstract: A dispatch stage of a processor core dispatches designated operations (e.g. load/store operations) to a temporary queue when the resources to execute the designated operations are not available. Once the resources become available to execute an operation at the temporary queue, the operation is transferred to a scheduler queue where it can be picked for execution. By dispatching the designated operations to the temporary queue, other operations behind the designated operations in a program order are made available for dispatch to the scheduler queue, thereby improving instruction throughput at the processor core.

Abstract: Embodiments described herein include a method for power management. In an embodiment, the method includes responsive to a determination that an idle time has exceeded a threshold, transitioning a device to an intermediate power state in which a predetermined processing module of the device is powered down, the idle time being a time since a last wakeup event, and determining whether to transition the device from the intermediate power state to a substantially powered down state.

Abstract: A method of decoding Huffman-encoded data may comprise receiving a symbol associated with the Huffman encoded data, selecting a target group for the symbol based on a bit length value associated with the symbol, associating the symbol with the target group, associating the symbol with a code, and incrementing a starting code for each of a plurality of groups associated with a starting code that is equal to or greater than the starting code of the target group.

Abstract: A system and methods embodying some aspects of the present embodiments for efficient load balancing using predication flags are provided. The load balancing system includes a first processing unit, a second processing unit, and a shared queue. The first processing unit is in communication with a first queue. The second processing unit is in communication with a second queue. The first and second queues are each configured to hold a packet. The shared queue is configured to maintain a work assignment, wherein the work assignment is to be processed by either the first or second processing unit.

Abstract: A system, method and computer program product to compute latencies of a plurality of expression trees in a basic block and to select a first and a second expression tree from the plurality of expression trees based on the computed latencies. The first expression tree is isomorphic to the second expression tree and the first and second expression trees are selected in order of largest to smallest latency. This selection ensures that the largest isomorphic expression trees are vectorized first. By vectorizing the largest isomorphic expression trees first, a basic block containing hundreds of statements can be vectorized without significant compile time. Moreover, vectorization of the largest isomorphic expression trees results in a significant improvement in system performance on SIMD processors.

Abstract: An interface includes a first hardware register field to store respective chunks of a command directed to a device and respective chunks of a response to the command from the device. The interface also includes a second hardware register field to store a size of the command and a size of the response. The first and second hardware register fields are accessible by the device and by a processor external to the device that generates the command, in response to memory not being available to buffer the command and the response.

Abstract: Embodiments of a workload management architecture may include an input configured to receive workload data for a plurality of commands, a DMA block configured to divide the workload data for each command of the plurality of commands into a plurality of job packets, a job packet manager configured to assign one of the plurality of job packets to one of a plurality of fixed function engines (FFEs) coupled with the job packet manager, where each of the plurality of FFEs is configured to receive one or more of the plurality of job packets and generate one or more output packets based on the workload data in the received one or more job packets.

Abstract: A system and method embodying some aspects for communicating between nodes in a network-on-chip are provided. The system comprises a microprocessing chip and a plurality of connection paths. The microprocessing chip comprises sixteen processing nodes disposed on the chip. The plurality of connection paths are configured such that each is at most three hops away front any other node. Each node also has connection paths to at most three other nodes.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for storing and delivering compressed data are disclosed. In one embodiment, a direct memory access (DMA) unit with a lossless coder/decoder (CODEC) receives uncompressed data. The direct memory access unit then compresses the uncompressed data to produce lossless compressed data, and stores the lossless compressed data in a memory, wherein the compressing operation and the storing operation are each part of a direct memory access (DMA) write operation. In another embodiment, the direct memory access (DMA) unit receives lossless compressed data. The direct memory access unit then decompresses the compressed data to produce lossless decompressed data, and delivers the decompressed data to an output device, wherein the decompressing operation and the receiving operation are each part of a direct memory access (DMA) read operation.

Abstract: A computer system includes a security processor, a first scan chain coupled to the security processor, a non-secure element, and a second scan chain coupled to the non-secure element. The computer system also includes one or more test access port controllers to control operation of the first and second scan chains, and further includes debug control logic, coupled to the one or more test access port controllers, to enable the one or more test access port controllers to activate debug functionality on the second scan chain but not the first scan chain in response to a predefined condition being satisfied.

Abstract: An integrated circuit device includes a first signal line for distributing a first signal. The first signal line includes a plurality of branch lines, and a leaf node is defined at an end of each branch line. First logic is coupled to the leaf nodes and operable to generate a first status signal indicative of a collective first logic state of the leaf nodes of the signal line corresponding to the first signal.

Abstract: An internal bus bridge architecture and method is described. Embodiments include a system with multiple bus endpoints coupled to a bus root via a host bus bridge that is internal to at least one bus endpoint. In addition, the bus endpoints are directly coupled to each other. Embodiments are usable with known bus protocols.