Centralized Interrupt Controller for Chiplet Systems
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Solution Overview
Problem
In computing systems with multiple semiconductor dies, existing technologies face challenges in efficiently managing and aggregating interrupts across these dies, leading to complex interrupt handling and increased resource utilization.
Innovation Solution
A centralized interrupt controller is implemented to aggregate interrupts from multiple semiconductor dies, embedding IDs with each interrupt to differentiate sources and forward them to the processor, facilitating a single transmission point for handling by the operating system.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If interrupts from multiple semiconductor dies are handled individually by each die, then each die can independently manage its interrupts, but the overall system complexity increases and resource utilization increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple interrupt handling functions into a single centralized interrupt controller that aggregates interrupts from multiple semiconductor dies. This consolidation reduces the number of separate interrupt handling paths and simplifies the overall interrupt management architecture, directly addressing the contradiction by merging distributed interrupt handling into a unified system.
Solution Approach 2:
The centralized interrupt controller is designed to handle interrupts from multiple different semiconductor dies through a single unified interface. This multi-functional controller can process interrupts from various sources using consistent handling logic, reducing the need for die-specific interrupt handling code and simplifying the overall system operation.
2Productivity
If a centralized interrupt controller aggregates interrupts from multiple dies, then interrupt handling is simplified and resource utilization is reduced, but the controller itself becomes a additional component
Solution Approach 1:
The centralized interrupt controller acts as an intermediary component between multiple semiconductor dies and the CPU. Rather than having each die communicate directly with the CPU for interrupt handling, the controller mediates these communications, aggregating interrupts and managing the interaction between multiple dies and the processing unit, thereby improving efficiency while adding only one intermediary component.
3Reliability
If each semiconductor die has its own interrupt handling mechanism, then each die can be independently managed, but resource utilization increases and system efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple separate interrupt handling mechanisms into a single centralized controller, reducing the total number of active components involved in interrupt management. This consolidation reduces resource utilization by eliminating redundant interrupt handling logic and reducing the number of separate communication paths between dies and the CPU, while maintaining reliable interrupt handling through the unified controller.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems, apparatuses, and methods for implementing a centralized interrupt controller to aggregate interrupts generated across multiple semiconductor dies are disclosed. A system includes multiple interrupt sources on multiple semiconductor dies. A centralized interrupt controller on one of the semiconductor dies receives and aggregates interrupts from the multiple interrupt sources on the multiple semiconductor dies. This facilitates a single transmission point for forwarding the interrupts to the processor and operating system responsible for handling interrupts. Each interrupt source embeds an ID when conveying an interrupt to the interrupt controller. This allows the interrupt controller to differentiate between the interrupt sources and to identify which source generated a given interrupt. The interrupt controller conveys an indication of the source of the interrupt to the processor when forwarding the interrupt to the processor.