Semiconductor Bus Arbitration via Transfer-Aware Priority Generation
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Solution Overview
Problem
In semiconductor devices with multiple bus masters and slaves, existing arbitration methods fail to efficiently manage access permissions based on transfer amounts, leading to inefficient priority control and increased circuit complexity.
Innovation Solution
A semiconductor device with a priority generation circuit that determines priority based on transfer amounts between masters and slaves, using an arbitration circuit to manage access permissions, ensuring a constant amount of transfer with a specific slave while switching priorities based on threshold values.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If existing arbitration methods are used to manage access permissions, then the arbitration function can be provided, but the priority control cannot be efficiently managed based on transfer amounts and the circuit complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The priority generation circuit pre-calculates and generates priority values based on transfer amounts before arbitration is needed. This preliminary action allows the arbitration circuit to directly use the pre-generated priorities without performing complex calculations during arbitration, thereby improving priority control efficiency while keeping the arbitration circuit simple
Solution Approach 2:
The arbitration system is segmented into two independent functional blocks: a priority generation circuit that handles priority calculation based on transfer amounts, and an arbitration circuit that handles access permission distribution. This segmentation allows each circuit to be optimized independently, improving overall efficiency while managing complexity through functional separation
2Productivity
If priority control is implemented without considering transfer amounts, then the arbitration can be performed, but the transfer amount management becomes inefficient
Solution Approach 1:
The priority generation circuit dynamically changes the priority parameter based on the transfer amount parameter. When the transfer amount exceeds a predetermined threshold, the priority value is automatically adjusted. This parameter-based control mechanism improves transfer amount management efficiency while maintaining operational simplicity through automatic threshold-based decision making
3Productivity
If the priority is constantly increased for high transfer amounts, then the transfer efficiency improves, but the access fairness among multiple masters deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The priority value is made dynamic rather than fixed. The priority generation circuit automatically adjusts the priority level based on real-time transfer amount comparisons with thresholds. This dynamic adjustment ensures high transfer efficiency when needed while automatically restoring fairness when transfer amounts equalize, balancing both efficiency and fairness through adaptive behavior
Data Source
AI summary
A semiconductor device is configured so that two or more master devices access a slave device via a bus. The semiconductor device includes: a priority generation circuit that generates a priority based on a transfer amount between a specific master device and a specific slave device; and an arbitration circuit that performs an arbitration based on the priority when competition of the accesses occurs.