Chip Timer Synchronization Using Hardware Time Snapshots
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing chip time synchronization methods introduce significant delays and inaccuracies due to the synchronization of hardware timers across multiple processor cores in a System on Chip (SOC), as software cannot access timers corresponding to other cores, leading to multi-stage synchronization delays.
Innovation Solution
A method and apparatus for chip time synchronization that generates a pulse signal to capture a time snapshot of each timer, allowing hardware-based time synchronization without software involvement, thereby reducing delays and improving accuracy.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If multi-stage synchronization is used to synchronize hardware timers across multiple processor cores, then time synchronization coverage is improved, but synchronization delay increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the time snapshot capturing function from software to hardware. Each timer captures its time snapshot independently in response to a pulse signal, without software intervention. This extraction eliminates software access restrictions and multi-stage synchronization delays, allowing direct hardware-based time comparison across all cores simultaneously.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a pulse signal as an intermediary to trigger simultaneous time snapshot capture across all timers. The pulse signal acts as a universal trigger that bypasses software communication channels, enabling all cores to capture time snapshots at the same moment without going through multi-stage software synchronization protocols.
2Adaptability or versatility
If software is used to access hardware timers for time synchronization, then flexibility is improved, but access restrictions between cores worsen synchronization efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the software-based time synchronization mechanism with a hardware-based mechanism. Instead of using software to read timer values and calculate time differences, the system uses hardware timers to automatically capture time snapshots and a pulse signal to trigger the process. This substitution eliminates software access restrictions and improves synchronization efficiency.
3Measurement precision
If hardware-based time snapshot capture is used, then synchronization accuracy is improved, but hardware complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements self-service functionality in hardware timers. Each timer automatically captures its own time snapshot in response to a pulse signal without external software intervention. This self-service capability eliminates the need for complex software-hardware interaction interfaces while maintaining high synchronization accuracy through direct hardware-based time capture.
Data Source
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AI summary
Embodiments of the present disclosure disclose a method and apparatus for chip time synchronization, an electronic device and a storage medium. The method includes: generating a pulse signal according to a preset period; in response to the pulse signal, capturing a time snapshot of at least one timer in at least one chip, the time snapshot representing time information of the timer in a preset state of the pulse signal; and performing time synchronization on each timer in the at least one chip based on the time snapshot of each timer. The embodiments of the present disclosure can implement, based on a uniform time snapshot, synchronization among a plurality of chips and among timers corresponding to a plurality of processor cores in a chip, and since the time snapshot can be captured completely by hardware, without involvement of software, the present disclosure can effectively reduce the error and lower the possibility of introduction of a delay while improving the accuracy of time synchronization.