Abstract: An interconnect offload component arranged to operate in an offloading mode, and a memory access component for enabling access to a memory element for functional data transmitted over a debug network of a signal processing device. In the offloading mode the interconnect offload component is arranged to receive functional data from an interconnect client component for communication to a destination component, and forward at least a part of the received functional data to a debug network for communication to the destination component via the debug network. The memory access component is arranged to receive a debug format message transmitted over the debug network, extract functional data from the received debug format message, said functional data originating from an interconnect client component for communication to a memory element, and perform a direct memory access to the memory element comprising the extracted functional data.

Abstract: An interconnect offload component arranged to operate in an offloading mode, and a memory access component for enabling access to a memory element for functional data transmitted over a debug network of a signal processing device. In the offloading mode the interconnect offload component is arranged to receive functional data from an interconnect client component for communication to a destination component, and forward at least a part of the received functional data to a debug network for communication to the destination component via the debug network. The memory access component is arranged to receive a debug format message transmitted over the debug network, extract functional data from the received debug format message, said functional data originating from an interconnect client component for communication to a memory element, and perform a direct memory access to the memory element comprising the extracted functional data.

Abstract: An interconnect offload component arranged to operate in an offloading mode, and a memory access component for enabling access to a memory element for functional data transmitted over a debug network of a signal processing device. In the offloading mode the interconnect offload component is arranged to receive functional data from an interconnect client component for communication to a destination component, and forward at least a part of the received functional data to a debug network for communication to the destination component via the debug network. The memory access component is arranged to receive a debug format message transmitted over the debug network, extract functional data from the received debug format message, said functional data originating from an interconnect client component for communication to a memory element, and perform a direct memory access to the memory element comprising the extracted functional data.

Abstract: A controller for operably coupling a drive unit to a host unit in a serial advanced technology attachment (SATA) system is described. The controller comprises a hardware processor arranged to: receive a plurality of SATA data frames; identify a first primitive sequence in at least one of the plurality of SATA data frames that adversely affects a performance of the SATA system; and replace the identified first primitive sequence with a second primitive sequence in response thereto.

Abstract: A processing system includes a data processor, an input, an output, a memory, an operation parser, and a timer manager instance controller. The input receives create-timer-manager-instance (CTMI) commands identifying a number of timers supported by a timer manager instance. The output provides responses including a CTMI response associated with the CTMI command. The operation parser receives the CTMI command from the input. The timer manager instance controller receive a control input from the operation parser based upon the CTMI command, and in response, allocates a block of memory locations in the memory based on the number of timers and provides a CTMI response to the output to indicate that the CTMI response was executed by the timer manager instance controller.

Abstract: A key generator including a low-power key adjust circuit, and a high-power key adjust circuit. The low-power key adjust circuit including a storage location to store an original key, a shifter to shift the original key by a number of steps to shift to create a first key, and an output to provide the first key. The high-power key adjust circuit including an input coupled to the output of the low-power key adjust circuit to receive the first key, a scrambler to scramble the first key to create a scrambled key, and select circuitry to select either the first key or the scrambled key to output from the high-power key adjust circuit based on a bit in a configuration register.

Abstract: A layered network (10; 11; 12) to provide offload of data in a communication processor (100; 110; 120). The layered network (10; 11; 12) includes a first set (S1) of network elements at a first layer (L1) and a second set (S2) of one or more network elements at a second layer (L2). The network elements of the first set (S1) are configured for processing incoming data and the network elements of the second set (S2) of one or more network elements at the second layer (L2) are configured to process intermediate data received from the first set (S1) of network elements. The network elements of a particular subset (Si1) of the network elements of the first set (Si1) of network elements are connected to only a particular network element (Ei2) of the second set (S2) to transfer the incoming data processed by the network elements of the particular subset (Si1) to the particular network element (Ei2) of the second set (S2).

Abstract: A processing system includes a data processor, an input, an output, a memory, an operation parser, and a timer manager instance controller. The input receives create-timer-manager-instance (CTMI) commands identifying a number of timers supported by a timer manager instance. The output provides responses including a CTMI response associated with the CTMI command. The operation parser receives the CTMI command from the input. The timer manager instance controller receive a control input from the operation parser based upon the CTMI command, and in response, allocates a block of memory locations in the memory based on the number of timers and provides a CTMI response to the output to indicate that the CTMI response was executed by the timer manager instance controller.

Abstract: Multi-port power prediction for power management of data storage devices is disclosed. For certain embodiments, a host interface within a port multiplier receives host messages from a host device for a plurality of data storage devices. The port multiplier then uses a plurality of ports to forward device messages to the data storage devices based upon the host messages. A power prediction controller determines target data storage devices for access commands within the host messages and generates power commands to adjust power modes for target data storage devices to place the target data storage devices in active power modes prior to access according to the access commands from the host device. Power up latency is thereby reduced or eliminated for the target data storage devices.

Abstract: In a processing system, a method includes transmitting a timer expiration notification from a timer management component of a processor to one or more other components of the processor in response to expiration of a timer. The method further includes transmitting, from a component of the processor that requested instantiation of the timer, a timer release confirmation message to the timer management component in response to the timer expiration notification, the timer release confirmation message confirming that the component has released the timer. The method also includes preventing reallocation of a timer identifier (ID) associated with the timer to another timer after the expiration of the timer and until receipt of the timer release confirmation message at the timer management component.

Abstract: In a processing system, a method includes selecting, at a timer management component of a processor, a timer ring of a set of timer rings for a requested timer based on a time unit granularity associated with the requested timer, wherein each timer ring of the set has a different time unit granularity. The method further includes instantiating the requested timer in a selected entry of the selected timer ring. Instantiating the requested timer may include fixedly maintaining a record for the requested timer in the selected entry of the selected timer ring for the entire time span of the requested timer.

Abstract: An apparatus including: an input interface configured to enable user configuration of a future time window; and a report interface configured to produce a report relating to a first sub-set of a plurality of active timers that expire at programmed future points in time, wherein the first sub-set of the plurality of active timers expire during the user-configured future time window.

Abstract: A key generator including a low-power key adjust circuit, and a high-power key adjust circuit. The low-power key adjust circuit including a storage location to store an original key, a shifter to shift the original key by a number of steps to shift to create a first key, and an output to provide the first key. The high-power key adjust circuit including an input coupled to the output of the low-power key adjust circuit to receive the first key, a scrambler to scramble the first key to create a scrambled key, and select circuitry to select either the first key or the scrambled key to output from the high-power key adjust circuit based on a bit in a configuration register.

Abstract: An integrated circuit (IC) package includes a storage element and a protection component coupled to the storage element. The protection component includes a breach detection component configured to detect an attempted breach of the IC package. The protection component further includes a time detection component configured to determine a breach timestamp associated with a time of occurrence of the attempted breach and configured to store a representation of the breach timestamp in the storage element. The storage element may be configured to store a sensitive datum, and the time detection component may be configured to store the representation of the breach timestamp by overwriting the sensitive datum in the storage element with the representation of the breach timestamp.

Abstract: A data processing device comprises a protection key unit, a dummy key unit, and a control unit. The protection key unit provides a protection key. The dummy key unit provides a dummy key. The dummy key unit has a set of two or more allowed dummy key values associated with it and is configurable by a user or a host device to set the dummy key to any value selected from said set of allowed dummy key values. The control unit is connected to the dummy key unit and to the protection key unit and arranged to set the protection key to the value of the dummy key in response to a tamper detection signal (fatal_sec_vio) indicating a tamper event. The value of the dummy key may notably be different from zero. A method of protecting a data processing device against tampering is also described.

Abstract: Data packets are received at a media access control interface. An arbitration policy at a traffic management controller adapts to changes in network traffic characteristics by implementing a learning phase during which processing time information based upon individual packets is updated. The processing time information includes first processing time information for processing data packets associated with a first packet profile of a plurality of packet profiles. A first data packet is selected for processing from amongst a plurality of available data packets having different packet profiles based on the first processing time information.

Abstract: A timer distribution module supports multiple timers and comprises: a command decoder arranged to determine expiration times of a plurality of timers; and a timer link list distribution adapter, LLDA, operably coupled to the command decoder. The LLDA is arranged to: receive a time reference from a master clock; receive timer data from the command decoder wherein the timer data comprises at least one timer expiration link list; construct a plurality of timer link lists based on at least one of: the timer expiration link list, at least one configurable timing barrier; dynamically split the link list timer data into a plurality of granularities based on the timer expiration link list; and output the dynamically split link list timer data.

Abstract: A power management module comprising a client monitoring component arranged to monitor idle periods for a client component, and derive at least one idle period characteristic value for the client component based at least partly on the monitoring of the idle periods therefore. The power management module further comprises a power mode control component arranged to receive an indication of the client component entering an idle state, cause the client component to be put into a reduced power mode upon expiry of a first period of time, and cause the client component to be brought out of the reduced power mode upon expiry of a second period of time. At least one of the first and second periods of time is configured based at least partly on the idle period characteristic value(s) derived by the client monitoring component for the client component.

Abstract: Multi-port power prediction for power management of data storage devices is disclosed. For certain embodiments, a host interface within a port multiplier receives host messages from a host device for a plurality of data storage devices. The port multiplier then uses a plurality of ports to forward device messages to the data storage devices based upon the host messages. A power prediction controller determines target data storage devices for access commands within the host messages and generates power commands to adjust power modes for target data storage devices to place the target data storage devices in active power modes prior to access according to the access commands from the host device. Power up latency is thereby reduced or eliminated for the target data storage devices.

Abstract: An integrated circuit device comprises a data storage array controller for providing data storage array functionality for at least one data storage array. The data storage array controller comprises an address window controller arranged to receive at least one data storage device access command, and upon receipt of the at least one data storage device access command the address window controller is arranged to compare a target address of the at least one data storage device access command to an address window for a target storage device of the at least one data storage device access command, and if the target address is outside of the address window for the target storage device, block the at least one data storage device access command.