Abstract: A flexible input/output controller logic interfaces with existing input/output controllers (IOC's) in order to configure the amount of data sent to and received from the IOC's. The flexible I/O interface receives data from a component at a rate determined by the particular component. The flexible I/O interface then feeds the received data to a traditional I/O controller at a rate suitable for the I/O controller. Thus, the interface to the individual I/O controllers is maintained. The flexible I/O logic balances bandwidth between a plurality of individual I/O controllers in order to better utilize the overall system I/O bandwidth. In one embodiment, the I/O configuration managed by the flexible I/O logic is determined during system-build, while in another embodiment, the I/O configuration is set during system initialization.

Abstract: A flexible input/output controller logic interfaces with existing input/output controllers (IOC's) in order to configure the amount of data sent to and received from the IOC's. The flexible I/O interface receives data from a component at a rate determined by the particular component. The flexible I/O interface then feeds the received data to a traditional I/O controller at a rate suitable for the I/O controller. Thus, the interface to the individual I/O controllers is maintained. The flexible I/O logic balances bandwidth between a plurality of individual I/O controllers in order to better utilize the overall system I/O bandwidth. In one embodiment, the I/O configuration managed by the flexible I/O logic is determined during system-build, while in another embodiment, the I/O configuration is set during system initialization.

Abstract: A mechanism for securely and dynamically reconfiguring reconfigurable logic is provided. A state machine within a data processing system establishes a hardware boundary to the reconfigurable logic within the data processing system thereby forming isolated reconfigurable logic. The state machine clears any prior state existing within the isolated reconfigurable logic. The state machine authenticates a new configuration to be loaded into the isolated reconfigurable logic. The state machine determines whether the authentication of the new configuration is successful. Responsive to the authentication of the new configuration being successful, the state machine loads the new configuration into the isolated reconfigurable logic. The state machine then starts operation of the isolated reconfigurable logic.

Abstract: A program is into at least two object files: one object file for each of the supported processor environments. During compilation, code characteristics, such as data locality, computational intensity, and data parallelism, are analyzed and recorded in the object file. During run time, the code characteristics are combined with runtime considerations, such as the current load on the processors and the size of the data being processed, to arrive at an overall value. The overall value is then used to determine which of the processors will be assigned the task. The values are assigned based on the characteristics of the various processors. For example, if one processor is better at handling intensive computations against large streams of data, programs that are highly computationally intensive and process large quantities of data are weighted in favor of that processor. The corresponding object is then loaded and executed on the assigned processor.

Abstract: The present invention provides for authenticating a message, A security function is performed upon the message, The message is sent to a target. The output of the security function is sent to the target. At least one publicly known constant is sent to the target. The received message is authenticated as a function of at least a shared key, the received publicly known constants, the security function, the received message, and the output of the security function. If the output of the security function received by the target is the same as the output generated as a function of at least the received message, the received publicly known constants, the security function, and the shared key, neither the message nor the constants have been altered.

Abstract: Disclosed is a procedure or design approach for functional modules that may be used in connection with a multiprocessor integrated circuit chip. The approach includes keeping the dimensions of each module substantially the same and having the bus, power, clock and I/O connection configured the same on all modules. Further requirements for ease of use are to generalize the capability of each module as much as possible and to decentralize functions such as testing to be primarily performed within each module. The use of such considerations or rules substantially eases the design of a given type of custom chips, and based upon an initial chip design greatly facilitates the design of further custom chips, similar in application, but subsequent to the successful completion of the initial chip.

Abstract: A system for secure communication is provided. A random value generator is configured to generate a random value. A message validation code generator is coupled to the random value generator and configured to generate a message validation code based on a predetermined key, a message, and the random value. A one-time pad generator is coupled to the random number generator and configured to generate a one-time pad based on the random value and the predetermined key. And a masked message generator is coupled to the one-time pad generator and configured to generate a masked message based on the one-time pad and the message. A protected message envelope generator is coupled to the random value generator, the message validation code generator, and the masked message generator, and is configured to generate a protected message envelope based on the random value, the message validation code, and the masked message.

Abstract: Systems and methods for distributing thread instructions in the pipeline of a multi-threading digital processor are disclosed. More particularly, hardware and software are disclosed for successively selecting threads in an ordered sequence for execution in the processor pipeline. If a thread to be selected cannot execute, then a complementary thread is selected for execution.

Abstract: A random number generator, a method, and a computer program product are provided for producing a random number seed. Each oscillator within an array of oscillators operates at a different frequency. The operating frequencies of each oscillator are not harmonically related, such that no integer multiple exists between the frequencies of any two oscillators. In one embodiment, the outputs of the array of oscillators connect to a multiple input latch. The multiple input latch also receives a sample signal, which is a clock signal. The clock signal samples the outputs of the array of oscillators, and the multiple input latch in conjunction with the random number determination logic (“RNDL”) produces a digital output (0 or 1) for each oscillator within the array. The RNDL uses these digital outputs to create a random number seed.

Abstract: A silicon carrier structure for electronic packaging includes a base substrate, a silicon carrier substrate disposed on the base substrate, a memory chip disposed on the silicon carrier substrate, a microprocessor chip disposed on the silicon carrier substrate, an input/output chip disposed on the silicon carrier substrate, and a clocking chip disposed on the silicon carrier substrate.

Abstract: An apparatus which uses channel counters in combination with channel count read instructions as a means of providing information that data in a given channel is valid or has not been previously read. The counter may also, in the situation of the channel being defined as blocking, be used to prevent the unintentional overwriting of data in a register used by the channel or, alternatively, prevent further communications with the device assigned to that channel when a given count occurs. Intelligent external devices may also use channel count read instructions sent to the counting mechanism for reading from and writing to the channel.

Abstract: A system for limiting the size of a local storage of a processor is provided. A facility is provided in association with a processor for setting a local storage size limit. This facility is a privileged facility and can only be accessed by the operating system running on a control processor in the multiprocessor system or the associated processor itself. The operating system sets the value stored in the local storage limit register when the operating system initializes a context switch in the processor. When the processor accesses the local storage using a request address, the local storage address corresponding to the request address is compared against the local storage limit size value in order to determine if the local storage address, or a modulo of the local storage address, is used to access the local storage.

Abstract: A computer architecture and programming model for high speed processing over broadband networks are provided. The architecture employs a consistent modular structure, a common computing module and uniform software cells. The common computing module includes a control processor, a plurality of processing units, a plurality of local memories from which the processing units process programs, a direct memory access controller and a shared main memory. A synchronized system and method for the coordinated reading and writing of data to and from the shared main memory by the processing units also are provided. A hardware sandbox structure is provided for security against the corruption of data among the programs being processed by the processing units. The uniform software cells contain both data and applications and are structured for processing by any of the processors of the network. Each software cell is uniquely identified on the network.

Abstract: A system for sharing memory by heterogeneous processors, each of which is adapted to process its own instruction set, is presented. A common bus is used to couple the common memory to the various processors. In one embodiment, a cache for more than one of the processors is stored in the shared memory. In another embodiment, some of the processors include a local memory area that is mapped to the shared memory pool. In yet another embodiment, local memory included on one or more of the processors is partially shared so that some of the local memory is mapped to the shared memory area, while remaining memory in the local memory is private to the particular processor.

Abstract: A secure communication methodology is presented. The client device is configured to download application code and/or content data from a server operated by a service provider. Embedded within the client is a client private key, a client serial number, and a copy of a server public key. The client forms a request, which includes the client serial number, encrypts the request with the server public key, and sends the download request to the server. The server decrypts the request with the server's private key and authenticates the client. The received client serial number is used to search for a client public key that corresponds to the embedded client private key. The server encrypts its response, which includes the requested information, with the client public key of the requesting client, and only the private key in the requesting client can be used to decrypt the information downloaded from the server.

Abstract: The present invention provides for authenticating a message. A security function is performed upon the message. The message is sent to a target. The output of the security function is sent to the target. At least one publicly known constant is sent to the target. The received message is authenticated as a function of at least a shared key, the received publicly known constants, the security function, the received message, and the output of the security function. If the output of the security function received by the target is the same as the output generated as a function of at least the received message, the received publicly known constants, the security function, and the shared key, neither the message nor the constants have been altered.

Abstract: An approach to hiding memory latency in a multi-thread environment is presented. Branch Indirect and Set Link (BISL) and/or Branch Indirect and Set Link if External Data (BISLED) instructions are placed in thread code during compilation at instances that correspond to a prolonged instruction. A prolonged instruction is an instruction that instigates latency in a computer system, such as a DMA instruction. When a first thread encounters a BISL or a BISLED instruction, the first thread passes control to a second thread while the first thread's prolonged instruction executes. In turn, the computer system masks the latency of the first thread's prolonged instruction. The system can be optimized based on the memory latency by creating more threads and further dividing a register pool amongst the threads to further hide memory latency in operations that are highly memory bound.

Abstract: A system for a processor with memory with combined line and word access is presented. A system performs narrow read/write memory accesses and wide read/write memory accesses to the same memory bank using multiplexers and latches to direct data. The system processes 16 byte load/sore requests using a narrow read/write memory access and also processes 128 byte DMA and instruction fetch requests using a wide read/write memory access. During DMA requests, the system writes/reads sixteen DMA operations to memory on one instruction cycle. By doing this, the memory is available to process load/store or instruction fetch requests during fifteen other instruction cycles.

Abstract: A secure communication methodology is presented. The client device is configured to download application code and/or content data from a server operated by a service provider. Embedded within the client is a client private key, a client serial number, and a copy of a server public key. The client forms a request, which includes the client serial number, encrypts the request with the server public key, and sends the download request to the server. The server decrypts the request with the server's private key and authenticates the client. The received client serial number is used to search for a client public key that corresponds to the embedded client private key. The server encrypts its response, which includes the requested information, with the client public key of the requesting client, and only the private key in the requesting client can be used to decrypt the information downloaded from the server.

Abstract: A system for limiting the size of a local storage of a processor is provided. A facility is provided in association with a processor for setting a local storage size limit. This facility is a privileged facility and can only be accessed by the operating system running on a control processor in the multiprocessor system or the associated processor itself. The operating system sets the value stored in the local storage limit register when the operating system initializes a context switch in the processor. When the processor accesses the local storage using a request address, the local storage address corresponding to the request address is compared against the local storage limit size value in order to determine if the local storage address, or a modulo of the local storage address, is used to access the local storage.