Abstract: A transmitter for a high speed serial communications link, a serial communications link, and a receiver for a high speed serial communications link are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, the transmitter includes: (1) a communications interface connected to a transmission medium having multiple lanes, and (2) a safe mode circuit coupled to the communications interface and configured to send data over the transmission medium in a safe mode, wherein in the safe mode at least one of the lanes is dedicated to transmitting a link detect signal for link detection.

Abstract: A receiver, transmitter and method for early packet header verification are provided. In one embodiment, the method includes: (1) receiving a payload flit of a preceding packet and a header flit of a current packet; and (2) using a Cyclic Redundancy Check (CRC) in the header flit to verify the payload flit of the preceding packet and the header flit of the current packet.

Abstract: A transmitter for a high speed serial communications link, a serial communications link, and a receiver for a high speed serial communications link are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, the transmitter includes: (1) a communications interface connected to a transmission medium having multiple lanes, and (2) a safe mode circuit coupled to the communications interface and configured to send data over the transmission medium in a safe mode, wherein in the safe mode at least one of the lanes is dedicated to transmitting a link detect signal for link detection.

Abstract: A transmitter for a serial communications link, a serial communications link and an electronic system are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, the transmitter includes: (1) a communications interface connected to a transmission medium and (2) a safe mode circuit coupled to the communications interface and configured to send data over the transmission medium in a safe mode.

Abstract: A transmitter is configured to scale up a low bandwidth delivered by a first processing element to match a higher bandwidth associated with an interconnect. A receiver is configured to scale down the high bandwidth delivered by the interconnect to match the lower bandwidth associated with a second processing element. The first processing element and the second processing element may thus communicate with one another across the interconnect via the transmitter and the receiver, respectively, despite the bandwidth mismatch between those processing elements and the interconnect.

Abstract: A receiver, transmitter and method for enabling a replay using a packetized link protocol are provided. In one embodiment, the method includes: (1) transmitting a stream of packets including an untagged packet and (2) using synchronized counters to determine a sequence ID of the untagged packet, which is a corrupt/lost packet that needs to be retransmitted.

Abstract: A method and apparatus to utilize a fetching scheme for instructions in a processor to limit the expenditure of power caused by the speculative execution of branch instructions is provided. Also provided is a computer readable storage device encoded with data for adapting a manufacturing facility to create an apparatus. The method includes calculating a cumulative confidence measure based on one or more outstanding conditional branch instructions. The method also includes reducing prefetching operations in response to detecting that the cumulative confidence measure is below a first threshold level.

Abstract: A receiver, transmitter and method for early packet header verification are provided. In one embodiment, the method includes: (1) receiving a payload flit of a preceding packet and a header flit of a current packet; and (2) using a Cyclic Redundancy Check (CRC) in the header flit to verify the payload flit of the preceding packet and the header flit of the current packet.

Abstract: A receiver, transmitter and method for early packet header verification are provided. In one embodiment, the method includes: (1) receiving a payload flit of a preceding packet and a header flit of a current packet; and (2) using a Cyclic Redundancy Check (CRC) in the header flit to verify the payload flit of the preceding packet and the header flit of the current packet.

Abstract: A transmitter for a serial communications link, a serial communications link and an electronic system are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, the transmitter includes: (1) a communications interface connected to a transmission medium and (2) a safe mode circuit coupled to the communications interface and configured to send data over the transmission medium in a safe mode.

Abstract: A receiver, transmitter and method for enabling a replay using a packetized link protocol are provided. In one embodiment, the method includes: (1) transmitting a stream of packets including an untagged packet and (2) using synchronized counters to determine a sequence ID of the untagged packet, which is a corrupt/lost packet that needs to be retransmitted.

Abstract: A transmitter is configured to scale up a low bandwidth delivered by a first processing element to match a higher bandwidth associated with an interconnect. A receiver is configured to scale down the high bandwidth delivered by the interconnect to match the lower bandwidth associated with a second processing element. The first processing element and the second processing element may thus communicate with one another across the interconnect via the transmitter and the receiver, respectively, despite the bandwidth mismatch between those processing elements and the interconnect.

Abstract: A receiver, transmitter and method for early packet header verification are provided. In one embodiment, the method includes: (1) receiving a payload flit of a preceding packet and a header flit of a current packet; and (2) using a Cyclic Redundancy Check (CRC) in the header flit to verify the payload flit of the preceding packet and the header flit of the current packet.

Abstract: An interface couples a plurality of compute units to a power management controller. The interface conveys a power report for the plurality of compute units to the power management controller. The power management controller receives the power report, determines a power action for the plurality of compute units based at least in part on the power report, and transmits a message specifying the power action through the interface. The power action is performed.

Abstract: A transmitter is configured to scale up a low bandwidth delivered by a first processing element to match a higher bandwidth associated with an interconnect. A receiver is configured to scale down the high bandwidth delivered by the interconnect to match the lower bandwidth associated with a second processing element. The first processing element and the second processing element may thus communicate with one another across the interconnect via the transmitter and the receiver, respectively, despite the bandwidth mismatch between those processing elements and the interconnect.

Abstract: A transmitter is configured to scale up a low bandwidth delivered by a first processing element to match a higher bandwidth associated with an interconnect. A receiver is configured to scale down the high bandwidth delivered by the interconnect to match the lower bandwidth associated with a second processing element. The first processing element and the second processing element may thus communicate with one another across the interconnect via the transmitter and the receiver, respectively, despite the bandwidth mismatch between those processing elements and the interconnect.

Abstract: An interface couples a plurality of compute units to a power management controller. The interface conveys a power report for the plurality of compute units to the power management controller. The power management controller receives the power report, determines a power action for the plurality of compute units based at least in part on the power report, and transmits a message specifying the power action through the interface. The power action is performed.

Abstract: Methods, apparatus, and fabrication relating to adaptive performance optimization of a plurality of components in view of power consumption and demand, component activity, and thermal events. A method may comprise allocating a first power budget to a first component of an apparatus, wherein the first power budget is less than a maximum power required by the first component; applying at least a portion of a borrowable power budget, wherein the borrowable power budget equals the maximum power required by the first component minus the first power budget, to a second component of the apparatus; and increasing the first power budget of the first component, in response to a first number or more of thermal events occurring in a first time period.

Abstract: A method and apparatus to utilize a branch prediction scheme that limits the expenditure of power and the area consumed caused by branch prediction schemes is provided. The method includes accessing a first entry and a second entry of the data structure, wherein each entry stores a portion of a predicted target address, determining the predicted target address using the portion of the predicted target address stored in the first entry and a portion of a branch address of a fetched branch instruction for a fetched branch instruction of a first type, and determining the predicted target address using the portion of the predicted target address stored in the first entry and the portion of the predicted target address stored in the second entry for a fetched branch instruction of a second type.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for increasing the accuracy of a branch predictor. A branch prediction table provides a first instance of a branch prediction value associated with an instruction being speculatively executed a first time; and provides a second instance of the branch prediction value associated with the instruction being speculatively executed a second rime. The first instance of the branch prediction value may be subsequently revised after the instruction associated with the first instance of the branch prediction value is retired. Information regarding whether that branch instruction was accurately predicted may then be used to update the branch prediction table and the second instance of the branch prediction value.