Address Translation Module for Chip Address Space Compression
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing hardware chip architectures face inefficiencies due to complex address decoding schemes required for incremental address allocation, leading to significant gaps in address usage and increased complexity for external components accessing the chip.
Innovation Solution
A translation module is generated during synthesis to determine the boundaries between addresses of components within a chip, allowing for the removal of unassigned addresses and shifting of assigned addresses to compress the address space, thereby reducing address usage and decoding complexity for external components.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If incremental address allocation is used for storage units, then address allocation flexibility is improved, but address decoding complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary translation mechanism between the external address space and internal address space. The external address space uses compact encoding while the internal address space maintains detailed allocation flexibility. The translation module acts as a mediator that converts between these two representations, allowing incremental address allocation internally while presenting a compressed address interface externally, thus resolving the contradiction between allocation flexibility and decoding complexity.
2Manufacturing precision
If complex decoding schemes are used for address allocation, then address allocation precision is improved, but address usage efficiency deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the address space into two distinct parts: an external address space with compact encoding for efficient access, and an internal address space with detailed allocation for precise addressing. This segmentation allows the system to achieve both address allocation precision and address usage efficiency by handling different addressing requirements in different segments of the address space.
3Adaptability or versatility
If address gaps are left for future allocation, then address allocation adaptability is improved, but address space utilization deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a dynamic address translation mechanism that can adapt to future allocation needs without reserving static address gaps. The translation module dynamically maps external addresses to internal addresses based on current allocation state, allowing the system to maintain high address space utilization while preserving adaptability for future allocations through software-controlled address mapping rather than static reserved spaces.
Data Source
AI summary
A method includes synthesizing a hardware description language (HDL) code into a netlist comprising a first a second and a third components. The method further includes allocating addresses to each component of the netlist. Each allocated address includes assigned addresses and unassigned addresses. An internal address space for a chip is formed based on the allocated addresses. The internal address space includes assigned addresses followed by unassigned addresses for the first component concatenated to the assigned addresses followed by unassigned addresses for the second component concatenated to the assigned addresses followed by unassigned addresses for the third component. An external address space for components outside of the chip is generated that includes only the assigned addresses of the first component concatenated to the assigned addresses of the second component concatenated to the assigned addresses of the third component. Internal addresses are translated to external addresses and vice versa.