Abstract: Methods, Apparatus, and Systems are discussed for a sequencer-based protocol adapter that executes a limited instruction set. The sequencer-based protocol adapter is implemented in electronic hardware and programmable registers in an integrated circuit and configured to transition a set of 1) one or more voltage sources, 2) one or more frequency sources, or 3) a combination of voltage sources and frequency sources, coupled with that sequencer-based protocol adapter. The sequencer-based protocol adapter manages power on the integrated circuit, via receiving a desired performance index at an input and then executing one or more of the limited instructions stored in the programmable registers in a proper sequence of steps in order to transition the coupled voltage sources and/or frequency sources from a current operational state to a desired operational state. Note, the desired operational state the coupled voltage sources and/or frequency sources corresponds to the received desired performance index.

Abstract: In an embodiment, an operating point controller for two or more circuit regions in an integrated circuit is discussed. The OPC is configured to both i) set a resource state, including operating voltage and operating frequency, for each of those circuit regions, and ii) identify events to initiate transitions between two or more operating points for a given circuit region. The operating point controller is also configured to manage transitions between operating points for the two or more circuit regions on the integrated circuit. The operating point controller is a hardware based machine implemented in logic rather than software operating on a CPU processor.

Abstract: In an embodiment, the OPC manages at least one of i) gating state and ii) different operating frequencies for a given circuit region. The operating point controller is configured to be capable of both 1) having sole control to set and manage the gating state and operating frequency for the given circuit region based on a first set of events, as well as 2) delegating control to a local power domain controller to set and manage i) gating state for components in that circuit region, ii) different operating frequencies for components in that circuit region, and iii) combinations of both, based on a second set of events, on a per operating point basis. The multiple operating points for that circuit region have different operating voltage levels and operating frequencies, and when delegated, the local power domain controller will chose the gating state and/or operating frequency.

Abstract: Flow logic supports concurrency of multiple threads and/or tag IDs to be concurrently communicated across the interconnect while allowing the one or more target IP cores to be able to reorder incoming request transactions from the initiator IP core in a manner that is optimal for that target IP core while relieving that target IP core from having to maintain the sequential issue order of transaction responses to the incoming request transactions in the thread or tags when processed by the target IP core. The flow logic cooperates with the reorder storage buffers to control an operation of the reorder storage buffers as well as control issuance of at least the request transactions from the initiator IP core onto the interconnect in order to maintain proper sequential ordering of the transaction responses for the thread or tags when the transaction responses are returned back to the initiator IP core.

Abstract: Flow logic supports concurrency of multiple threads and/or tag IDs to be concurrently communicated across the interconnect while allowing the one or more target IP cores to be able to reorder incoming request transactions from the initiator IP core in a manner that is optimal for that target IP core while relieving that target IP core from having to maintain the sequential issue order of transaction responses to the incoming request transactions in the thread or tags when processed by the target IP core. The flow logic cooperates with the reorder storage buffers to control an operation of the reorder storage buffers as well as control issuance of at least the request transactions from the initiator IP core onto the interconnect in order to maintain proper sequential ordering of the transaction responses for the thread or tags when the transaction responses are returned back to the initiator IP core.

Abstract: Methods, Apparatus, and Systems are discussed for a sequencer-based protocol adapter that executes a limited instruction set. The sequencer-based protocol adapter is implemented in electronic hardware and programmable registers in an integrated circuit and configured to transition a set of 1) one or more voltage sources, 2) one or more frequency sources, or 3) a combination of voltage sources and frequency sources, coupled with that sequencer-based protocol adapter. The sequencer-based protocol adapter manages power on the integrated circuit, via receiving a desired performance index at an input and then executing one or more of the limited instructions stored in the programmable registers in a proper sequence of steps in order to transition the coupled voltage sources and/or frequency sources from a current operational state to a desired operational state. Note, the desired operational state the coupled voltage sources and/or frequency sources corresponds to the received desired performance index.

Abstract: An arbitrator governs an arbitration between different power domains and sequences powering up the different power domains supplied by the same voltage supply (VS) circuit on the Chip. The arbitrator has sequencing logic that limits how many different power domains simultaneously power up to a maximum amount, which is less than enough instantaneous electrical current drawn on the VS-circuit to cause a reduction below a minimum allowable supply voltage level for the VS-circuit. The sequencing logic manages the sequencing of powering up the different power domains by factoring in i) whether different power domains arbitrating to power up are part of a set of power domains that share the VS-circuit, ii) an amount of an instantaneous electrical current drawn, and iii) an amount of credits available before the minimum allowable supply voltage level occurs for that VS-circuit. The sequencing logic controls a behavior of the power domains when powering up from multiple different behaviors.

Abstract: In an embodiment, an operating point controller for two or more circuit regions in an integrated circuit is discussed. The OPC is configured to both i) set a resource state, including operating voltage and operating frequency, for each of those circuit regions, and ii) identify events to initiate transitions between two or more operating points for a given circuit region. The operating point controller is also configured to manage transitions between operating points for the two or more circuit regions on the integrated circuit. The operating point controller is a hardware based machine implemented in logic rather than software operating on a CPU processor.

Abstract: In an embodiment, the OPC manages at least one of i) gating state and ii) different operating frequencies for a given circuit region. The operating point controller is configured to be capable of both 1) having sole control to set and manage the gating state and operating frequency for the given circuit region based on a first set of events, as well as 2) delegating control to a local power domain controller to set and manage i) gating state for components in that circuit region, ii) different operating frequencies for components in that circuit region, and iii) combinations of both, based on a second set of events, on a per operating point basis. The multiple operating points for that circuit region have different operating voltage levels and operating frequencies, and when delegated, the local power domain controller will chose the gating state and/or operating frequency.

Abstract: An interconnect for an integrated circuit communicating transactions between initiator Intellectual Property (IP) cores and multiple target IP cores coupled to the interconnect is generally described. The interconnect routes the transactions between the target IP cores and initiator IP cores in the integrated circuit. A first aggregate target of the target IP cores includes two or more memory channels that are interleaved in an address space for the first aggregate target in the address map. Each memory channel is divided up in defined memory interleave segments and then interleaved with memory interleave segments from other memory channels. An address map is divided up into two or more regions. Each interleaved memory interleave segment is assigned to at least one of those regions and populates the address space for that region, and parameters associated with the regions and memory interleave segments are configurable.

Abstract: An interconnect for an integrated circuit communicating transactions between initiator Intellectual Property (IP) cores and multiple target IP cores coupled to the interconnect is generally described. The interconnect routes the transactions between the target IP cores and initiator IP cores in the integrated circuit. A first aggregate target of the target IP cores includes two or more memory channels that are interleaved in an address space for the first aggregate target in the address map. Each memory channel is divided up in defined memory interleave segments and then interleaved with memory interleave segments from other memory channels. An address map is divided up into two or more regions. Each interleaved memory interleave segment is assigned to at least one of those regions and populates the address space for that region, and parameters associated with the regions and memory interleave segments are configurable.

Abstract: An arbitrator governs an arbitration between different power domains and sequences powering up the different power domains supplied by the same voltage supply (VS) circuit on the Chip. The arbitrator has sequencing logic that limits how many different power domains simultaneously power up to a maximum amount, which is less than enough instantaneous electrical current drawn on the VS-circuit to cause a reduction below a minimum allowable supply voltage level for the VS-circuit. The sequencing logic manages the sequencing of powering up the different power domains by factoring in i) whether different power domains arbitrating to power up are part of a set of power domains that share the VS-circuit, ii) an amount of an instantaneous electrical current drawn, and iii) an amount of credits available before the minimum allowable supply voltage level occurs for that VS-circuit. The sequencing logic controls a behavior of the power domains when powering up from multiple different behaviors.

Abstract: A method, apparatus, and system are described, which generally relate to an integrated circuit having an interconnect that implements internal controls. The interconnect in an integrated circuit communicates transactions between initiator Intellectual Property (IP) cores and target IP cores coupled to the interconnect. The interconnect implements logic configured to support multiple transactions issued from a first initiator IP core to the multiple target IP cores while maintaining an expected execution order within the transactions. The logic supports a second transaction to be issued from the first initiator IP core to a second target IP core before a first transaction issued from the same first initiator IP core to a first target IP core has completed while ensuring that the first transaction completes before the second transaction and while ensuring an expected execution order within the first transaction and second transaction are maintained. The logic does not include any reorder buffering.

Abstract: Various methods and apparatus are described for communicating transactions between one or more initiator IP cores and one or more target IP cores coupled to an interconnect. A centralized Memory Management logic Unit (MMU) is located in the interconnect for virtualization and sharing of integrated circuit resources including target cores between the one or more initiator IP cores. A master translation look aside buffer (TLB) stores virtualization and sharing information in the entries of the master TLB. A set of two or more translation look aside buffers (TLBs) locally store virtualization and sharing information replicated from the master TLB. Logic in the MMU or other software updates the virtualization and sharing information replicated from the master TLB in the entries of one or more of the set of local TLBs.

Abstract: Flow logic supports concurrency of multiple threads and/or tag IDs to be concurrently communicated across the interconnect while allowing the one or more target IP cores to be able to reorder incoming request transactions from the initiator IP core in a manner that is optimal for that target IP core while relieving that target IP core from having to maintain the sequential issue order of transaction responses to the incoming request transactions in the thread or tags when processed by the target IP core. The flow logic cooperates with the reorder storage buffers to control an operation of the reorder storage buffers as well as control issuance of at least the request transactions from the initiator IP core onto the interconnect in order to maintain proper sequential ordering of the transaction responses for the thread or tags when the transaction responses are returned back to the initiator IP core.

Abstract: A method, apparatus, and system are described, which generally relate to an interconnect routing transactions to target IP cores, including two or more channels making up a first aggregate target. The two or more channels populate an address space assigned to the first aggregate target and appear as a single target to the initiator IP cores. The interconnect implements chopping logic to chop an individual transaction from a first initiator IP core whose address sequence crosses a channel address boundary from a first channel to a second channel within the first aggregate target into two or more burst transactions. A first chopped burst transaction is chopped to fit within the address boundaries of the first channel and a second chopped burst transaction is chopped to fit within the address boundaries of the second channel.

Abstract: A method, apparatus, and system in which an integrated circuit comprises an initiator Intellectual Property (IP) core, a target IP core, an interconnect, and a tag and thread logic. The target IP core may include a memory coupled to the initiator IP core. Additionally, the interconnect can allow the integrated circuit to communicate transactions between one or more initiator Intellectual Property (IP) cores and one or more target IP cores coupled to the interconnect. A tag and thread logic can be configured to concurrently perform per-thread and per-tag memory access scheduling within a thread and across multiple threads such that the tag and thread logic manages tags and threads to allow for per-tag and per-thread scheduling of memory accesses requests from the initiator IP core out of order from an initial issue order of the memory accesses requests from the initiator IP core.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for transmitting data over a clock-gated mesochronous clock domain boundary in an interconnect network of an integrated circuit. New data is received into storage buffers within a sender domain. The data is synchronized by sending time-controlled signals from storage elements in a sender control within the sender domain to corresponding inputs in a receiver control signal path in a receiver domain. Multiplexers are signaled to sequentially transmit the data from the storage buffers across the domain boundary to the receiver domain according to the time-controlled signals received from the sender control by the receiver control signal path, where the multiplexers receive signals from a data path pointer counter in communication with the receiver control signal path.

Abstract: An interconnect-power-manager (IPM) cooperates and communicates signals with an integrated-circuit-system-power-manager (SPM) in the integrated-circuit. The interconnect network (IN) is partitioned into multiple power domains and has hardware circuitry integrated into the IN to manage a quiescent state for all components in each power domain in the IN when a routing pathway for transactions in the IN spans across one or more power domain boundaries and causes interdependencies of power domains within the IN other than where the power domains of the initiator agent and final target agent of the transaction are located within. The SPM is configured to cooperate and communicate with the IPM to quiesce, to wake up, and any combination of the two, one or more of the multiple power domains within the IN.

Abstract: Maintaining cache coherence in a System-on-a-Chip with both multiple cache coherent master IP cores (CCMs) and non-cache coherent master IP cores (NCMs). A plug-in cache coherence manager (CM), coherence logic in agents, and an interconnect are used for the SoC to provide a scalable cache coherence scheme that scales to an amount of CCMs in the SoC. The CCMs each includes at least one processor operatively coupled through the CM to at least one cache that stores data for that CCM. The CM maintains cache coherence responsive to a cache miss of a cache line on a first cache of the caches, then broadcasts a request for an instance of the data stored corresponding to cache miss of the cache line in the first cache. Each CCM maintains its own coherent cache and each NCM is configured to issue communication transactions into both coherent and non-coherent address spaces.