Address Decoder for Multi-Chip System Access Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
In multi-chip systems, source nodes may inadvertently access sensitive target nodes across integrated circuits due to asymmetrical access privileges, leading to security risks and increased system traffic, as transactions often need to traverse multiple interconnect fabrics before being rejected.
Innovation Solution
Implementing an address decoder in each source node to perform separate decoding steps, determining whether the source node is allowed to access target nodes on remote SoCs, and terminating transactions if access is not permitted, thereby preventing unnecessary traffic and enhancing security.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If transactions are allowed to traverse multiple interconnect fabrics to reach target nodes on remote SoCs, then system connectivity and access capability are improved, but security risks increase and unnecessary system traffic is generated
Solution Approach 1:
The address decoder performs preliminary decoding of the target node address before the transaction is forwarded across interconnect fabrics. This preliminary action identifies whether the source node has access privileges to the target node in advance, preventing unauthorized transactions from traversing the system and generating unnecessary traffic.
Solution Approach 2:
The address decoder acts as an intermediary component between the source node and the remote SoC. It intercepts transactions, decodes the target node address, checks access privileges against stored decode windows, and either forwards authorized transactions or drops unauthorized ones, thereby mediating security control without requiring traversal of multiple interconnect fabrics.
2Adaptability or versatility
If transactions traverse multiple interconnect fabrics before being rejected, then system connectivity is maintained, but system performance deteriorates due to increased traffic
Solution Approach 1:
The address decoder performs preliminary decoding and access privilege verification before transactions are forwarded across interconnect fabrics. This early detection and filtering of unauthorized transactions prevents them from consuming bandwidth and processing resources across multiple fabrics, thereby maintaining system connectivity for authorized transactions while improving overall system performance by eliminating unnecessary traffic.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If access control is implemented at remote SoCs, then security is improved, but system traffic increases due to transactions traversing multiple interconnect fabrics
Solution Approach 1:
The address decoder serves as an intermediary that performs access control locally at the source node's SoC. By decoding the target node address and checking access privileges against stored decode windows before forwarding transactions, it prevents unauthorized transactions from entering the interconnect fabric system, thereby maintaining security control while reducing system traffic volume.
Solution Approach 2:
Access control is performed in advance at the source node's address decoder before transactions traverse the interconnect fabrics. This preliminary verification of access privileges using stored decode windows for different SoCs ensures that only authorized transactions are forwarded, maintaining security while minimizing the quantity of traffic in the system.
Data Source
AI summary
An address decoder for a source node in a multi-chip system is disclosed, which can perform parallel decoding steps to determine whether a transaction from the source node is addressed to a target node in a local integrated circuit (IC) or a remote IC, and whether the source node is allowed to access that target node. Based on the outcome of both the decoding steps, the transaction can be either blocked by the address decoder, or routed to the target node. If the transaction is addressed to the remote IC, but the source node is not allowed to access the target node on the remote IC, the transaction can be terminated by the address decoder in the local IC.