Agent Circuitry Request Echo Bits SoC State Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
In System-on-Chip (SoC) integrated circuits, managing messages between components adhering to cache coherence policies like MSI, MESI, or MOESI can be complex due to the need for local state tracking of request messages, which increases complexity and storage requirements, especially when multiple agents communicate extensively.
Innovation Solution
Implementing request echo bits and response echo bits that travel with request and response messages, allowing agents to manage state information externally rather than locally, reducing the complexity of tracking outstanding requests and simplifying storage needs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If agents track state information locally for request messages, then message management can be performed, but complexity and storage requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts state information from local agent storage and places it in message payloads. When an agent sends a request, the state information is included in the request message itself. Other agents can then track this state externally without maintaining local state, reducing the complexity of state management while preserving message management capabilities.
Solution Approach 2:
The message payload acts as an intermediary that carries state information between agents. Instead of agents directly maintaining and exchanging state through complex protocols, the state information is embedded in messages that travel through the system, simplifying the interaction model and reducing agent complexity.
2Ease of operation
If agents track state information locally for request messages, then message management can be performed, but storage requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts state information from local agent storage and places it in message payloads. This eliminates the need for agents to maintain local state databases or buffers, significantly reducing storage requirements while allowing message management to continue through the use of embedded state information in messages.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple agents communicate extensively, then system functionality increases, but complexity of tracking outstanding requests increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates copies of state information and embeds them in message payloads. When state information is generated by one agent, it is copied into the message and transmitted to other agents. This allows all agents to have access to the same state information without any single agent needing to maintain the complete state, reducing tracking complexity while supporting extensive multi-agent communication.
Data Source
AI summary
First agent circuitry may receive from a second agent a first request and a first set of one or more bits. The first request may be part of a data operation. The first agent circuitry may transmit to the second agent a message including a first response to the first request, the first set of one or more bits, a second request, and a second set of one or more bits. The second set of one or more bits may be generated by the first agent circuitry to transmit state information about the second request. In some implementations, a set of one or more wires may be generated for transmission of the second set of one or more bits. The first agent circuitry may receive from the second agent a second response to the second request and the second set of one or more bits.