Clock Circuit Deactivation for Multi-Stage Pipeline Synchronization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Synchronization between multiple stages of a processing apparatus can be damaged or lost, particularly under specific operating conditions, leading to failures in processing operations.
Innovation Solution
An apparatus and method that includes clocked and asynchronous input circuitry to manage clock signal deactivation and reactivation, ensuring each sequential stage undergoes a corresponding number of clock cycles, maintaining synchronization during deactivation and reactivation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If clock signals are deactivated to save power or reset the system, then energy consumption is reduced or system state is reset, but synchronization between multiple sequential stages is damaged or lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by flushing the pipeline before deactivating clock signals. The flush operation completes all in-flight operations and updates the program counter to a known state before clock deactivation occurs. This preliminary flushing ensures that when clocks are stopped, no operations are left in an intermediate state, preventing synchronization issues upon reactivation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces intermediary mechanisms including a flush signal and program counter management logic that mediate between the deactivation request and the actual clock signal deactivation. These intermediaries coordinate the deactivation across multiple sequential stages, ensuring that each stage transitions to a known state in a controlled manner, thereby maintaining synchronization integrity.
2Adaptability or versatility
If clock signals are deactivated and reactivated, then system operation can be paused and resumed, but synchronization between stages is damaged or lost leading to processing failures
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback mechanisms where the program counter state and pipeline status are monitored and fed back to the control logic. Upon reactivation, this feedback information guides the recovery process, ensuring that the pipeline is properly flushed and the program counter is correctly updated before normal operation resumes. This feedback-driven approach guarantees synchronization is restored.
Solution Approach 2:
Before reactivating clock signals, the system performs preliminary actions including flushing the pipeline and updating the program counter to a known good state. This preliminary preparation ensures that when clocks are reactivated, all sequential stages are synchronized and ready for normal operation, preventing processing failures.
3Productivity
If multiple clock signals control multiple sequential stages, then processing throughput is increased, but synchronization problems arise under particular operating conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces intermediary control signals and coordination logic that manage the interaction between multiple clock signals controlling sequential stages. The flush signal and program counter management act as intermediaries that coordinate transitions across stages, ensuring that even with multiple clocks operating in parallel, synchronization is maintained during deactivation and reactivation events.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary flushing of the pipeline and program counter updates before deactivating any clock signals. This preliminary action ensures that all sequential stages complete their current operations and transition to known states before clock deactivation, preventing synchronization issues even in high-throughput multi-stage processing.
Data Source
AI summary
Aspects of the present disclosure relate to an apparatus comprising processing circuitry to process inputs, the processing circuitry comprising a plurality of sequential stages; clocked input circuitry to receive a flow of clocked inputs and provide clocked inputs to the processing circuitry, clocked inputs being synchronised with one or more clock signal of the processing circuitry; and asynchronous input circuitry to receive an asynchronous input and provide asynchronous input to the processing circuitry. The asynchronous input is a deactivation signal to direct the processing circuitry to cease processing clocked inputs. Clock circuitry provides one or more clock signals, said clock circuitry being responsive to deactivation signal to control a deactivation of the one or more clock signals such that each of plurality of sequential stages undergoes a respective corresponding number of clock cycles.