Dynamic Processor Allocation via Isolated Network Pathways
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
In safety critical systems, such as automotive vehicle processing systems, it is challenging to effectively partition hardware resources between safety-critical and non-critical workloads due to evolving workload requirements and the need for cost-efficient and flexible solutions.
Innovation Solution
The solution involves assigning dedicated critical resources, such as memory and I/O devices, on the same chip with non-critical resources while maintaining quality of service for critical resources. This is achieved by dynamically creating isolated pathways within an interconnect network, allowing processors to be assigned to criticality domain levels and reconfigured as needed.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If hardware resources are physically separated into separate chips for safety-critical and non-critical applications, then reliability and freedom from interference are improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the system into critical and non-critical domains with separate execution environments and resource access paths. Processors are assigned to specific domains, and the interconnect network provides separate pathways for each domain, ensuring that non-critical operations cannot interfere with critical operations while sharing the same physical chip.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges critical and non-critical resources onto the same chip while maintaining logical separation through the interconnect network. This consolidation reduces device complexity and cost compared to physical separation, while the network architecture ensures that reliability requirements are met through isolated access paths.
2Device complexity
If hardware resources are shared between safety-critical and non-critical applications on the same chip, then cost and device complexity are reduced, but reliability and freedom from interference deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The interconnect network acts as an intermediary between shared resources and processors in different domains. It mediates access requests by providing separate pathways for critical and non-critical operations, ensuring that shared resources cannot be compromised by non-critical applications while maintaining cost-effective integration on the same chip.
3Reliability
If a fixed partition of hardware is used for safety-critical workloads, then reliability is improved, but adaptability to evolving workload requirements deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic resource allocation where processors can be assigned to critical or non-critical domains based on runtime requirements. The interconnect network dynamically configures access pathways, allowing the system to adapt to evolving workload demands while maintaining the reliability guarantees of separate execution environments through software-controlled domain assignment.
4Reliability
If separate execution environments are implemented for critical and non-critical applications, then freedom from interference is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a universal processor architecture where the same physical processors can operate in different execution environments (critical or non-critical) based on domain assignment. The interconnect network provides universal access paths that can be configured for different domains, reducing the need for separate dedicated hardware for each execution environment while maintaining freedom from interference.
Data Source
AI summary
Devices and methods for allocating components of a safety critical system are provided. The processing device comprises resources including memory, a host processor and a plurality of processors connected to the resources via a shared pathway of a network and configured to execute an application based on instructions from the host processor. Each of the plurality of processors is assigned to one of a plurality of criticality domain levels and isolated pathways are created, via the shared pathway, between the plurality of processors and the plurality of resources based on which of the processors are assigned to one or more of the plurality of criticality domain levels to access one or more of the plurality of resources. The application is executed using the network. The isolated pathways are, for example, created by disabling one or more switches. Alternatively, the isolated pathways are created via programmable logic.