Abstract: Data integrity checks for reducing communication latency is described. A transmitting endpoint transmits data to a receiving endpoint by generating an integrity tag for a first subset of data blocks and a second integrity tag for a second subset of data blocks. In implementations, the first and second integrity tags overlap at least one data block and are offset based on computational complexities of generating the integrity tags. A receiving endpoint generates comparison tags for each of the integrity tags and uses the comparison tags to validate an authenticity of received data. In response to validating the first and second integrity tags, data blocks covered by both the first and second integrity tags are released for use. Additional integrity tags are generated and validated for subsequent subsets of data blocks during data communication, thus reducing latency by offsetting times at which comparison tags are generated and validated.

Abstract: Systems, apparatuses, and methods for automatic firmware provision of high speed serializer/deserializer (SERDES) links are disclosed. A system on chip (SoC) includes one or more microcontrollers, a programmable interconnect, a plurality of physical layer engines, and a plurality of SERDES lanes. The programmable interconnect and the plurality of SERDES lanes are able to support communication protocols for interfaces such as PCIE, SATA, Ethernet, and others. On bootup, the SoC receives a custom specification of how the plurality of SERDES lanes are to be configured. The one or more microcontrollers generate a mapping for the programmable interconnect based on the specification. The mapping is used to configure the programmable interconnect to match the specification. The result is the programmable interconnect connecting the plurality of SERDES lanes to the appropriate physical layer circuits to implement the desired configuration.

Abstract: Data integrity checks for reducing communication latency is described. A transmitting endpoint transmits data to a receiving endpoint by generating an integrity tag for a first subset of data blocks and a second integrity tag for a second subset of data blocks. In implementations, the first and second integrity tags overlap at least one data block and are offset based on computational complexities of generating the integrity tags. A receiving endpoint generates comparison tags for each of the integrity tags and uses the comparison tags to validate an authenticity of received data. In response to validating the first and second integrity tags, data blocks covered by both the first and second integrity tags are released for use. Additional integrity tags are generated and validated for subsequent subsets of data blocks during data communication, thus reducing latency by offsetting times at which comparison tags are generated and validated.

Abstract: Systems, apparatuses, and methods for automatic firmware provision of high speed serializer/deserializer (SERDES) links are disclosed. A system on chip (SoC) includes one or more microcontrollers, a programmable interconnect, a plurality of physical layer engines, and a plurality of SERDES lanes. The programmable interconnect and the plurality of SERDES lanes are able to support communication protocols for interfaces such as PCIE, SATA, Ethernet, and others. On bootup, the SoC receives a custom specification of how the plurality of SERDES lanes are to be configured. The one or more microcontrollers generate a mapping for the programmable interconnect based on the specification. The mapping is used to configure the programmable interconnect to match the specification. The result is the programmable interconnect connecting the plurality of SERDES lanes to the appropriate physical layer circuits to implement the desired configuration.

Abstract: Techniques for reducing latency associated with metaframe error correction. Embodiments receive, via a first port of a plurality of ports, a stream of bits within a metaframe. Upon evaluating a first cyclic redundancy check (CRC) for a first portion of the stream of bits and determining that the first CRC is valid, a measure of latency incurred in transmitting the first portion is reduced, relative to first performing forward error correction (FEC) decoding for the first portion prior to transmission, by transmitting the first portion of the stream of bits without performing FEC decoding for the first portion of the stream of bits. Upon evaluating a second CRC for a second portion of the stream of bits and determining that the second CRC is invalid, FEC decoding is performed for the second portion of the stream of bits before forwarding the second portion of the stream of bits.

Abstract: Techniques for reducing latency associated with metaframe error correction. Embodiments receive, via a first port of a plurality of ports, a stream of bits within a metaframe. Upon evaluating a first cyclic redundancy check (CRC) for a first portion of the stream of bits and determining that the first CRC is valid, a measure of latency incurred in transmitting the first portion is reduced, relative to first performing forward error correction (FEC) decoding for the first portion prior to transmission, by transmitting the first portion of the stream of bits without performing FEC decoding for the first portion of the stream of bits. Upon evaluating a second CRC for a second portion of the stream of bits and determining that the second CRC is invalid, FEC decoding is performed for the second portion of the stream of bits before forwarding the second portion of the stream of bits.

Abstract: Embodiments generally provide techniques for data framing and error correction for communications on a link. Embodiments include receiving a stream of bits within a metaframe. Upon determining that a cyclic redundancy check (CRC) for a portion of the stream of bits is valid, the portion of the stream of bits is forwarded without performing forward error correction (FEC) decoding for the first portion. Upon determining that a CRC for the portion of the stream of bits is invalid, FEC decoding is performed for the portion before forwarding the portion of the stream of bits. Embodiments also include generating a metaframe for transmission over a link, and upon determining that a current measure of network throughput is less than a predefined threshold amount of network throughput, inserting one or more checkpoints into the metaframe to create different segments of the metaframe. The metaframe is then transmitted over the link.

Abstract: Embodiments generally provide techniques for minimizing latency and/or power consumption for communications on a link. Embodiments include receiving a stream of bits within a metaframe. Upon determining that a cyclic redundancy check (CRC) for a portion of the stream of bits is valid, the portion of the stream of bits is forwarded without performing forward error correction (FEC) decoding for the first portion. Upon determining that a CRC for the portion of the stream of bits is invalid, FEC decoding is performed for the portion before forwarding the portion of the stream of bits. Embodiments also include generating a metaframe for transmission over a link, and upon determining that a current measure of network throughput is less than a predefined threshold amount of network throughput, inserting one or more checkpoints into the metaframe to create different segments of the metaframe. The metaframe is then transmitted over the link.

Abstract: A bus arbitration system is described which includes an arbitrator for controlling accesses to a memory bus by a plurality of memory users in response to requests made by those memory users. Each memory user reads the address if a current access to memory and generates a same-address-set signal when the address of the last access by that memory user lies in the same set as the address of the current access. The arbitrator holds for each memory user a predetermined number of accesses which are permitted by that memory user during an access span, and, responsive to a request, grants up to that predetermined number of accesses provided that the same-address-set signal is asserted.