Error Interceptor for In-Band Error Masking on Bus
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current bus protocols, such as AXI and APB, face issues with in-band errors causing primary circuits to freeze or crash when receiving error acknowledgement messages, and existing solutions struggle to selectively handle these errors, especially when secondary circuits are developed by third parties and may not know which primary circuits can handle in-band errors.
Innovation Solution
The integration of error interceptors on the bus that can identify and remove in-band errors from messages, allowing them to be reported as out-of-band errors, thereby preventing crashes and providing selective activation based on configuration data to ensure only capable primary circuits receive these errors.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If in-band errors are transmitted in ACK messages according to bus protocol, then error information is conveyed to primary circuit, but primary circuit may freeze or crash when receiving in-band errors
Solution Approach 1:
The error information is extracted from the ACK message by the error interceptor, which identifies and removes in-band errors from the message before forwarding it to the primary circuit. The error information is then reported separately to an error controller, preventing the primary circuit from receiving harmful in-band errors while preserving error reporting capability.
Solution Approach 2:
An error interceptor is introduced as an intermediary component on the bus between secondary circuits and primary circuits. This intermediary monitors ACK messages, identifies in-band errors, removes them from messages destined for vulnerable primary circuits, and reports errors to an error controller, thus mediating between error-generating secondary circuits and error-sensitive primary circuits.
2Reliability
If secondary circuits are designed to not send in-band errors, then primary circuits are protected from crashes, but this is difficult when secondary circuits are developed by third-parties
Solution Approach 1:
The error interceptor serves as a universal intermediary that works with any secondary circuit regardless of its origin. It intercepts ACK messages on the bus, identifies in-band errors using protocol-defined criteria, and handles them appropriately. This approach does not require modifying third-party secondary circuits while still providing protection to primary circuits.
Solution Approach 2:
The error interceptor implements a universal error handling mechanism that works across different bus protocols (AXI, APB) and with various types of secondary circuits. It provides a standardized approach to in-band error management that is compatible with third-party components without requiring circuit-specific customization.
3Adaptability or versatility
If some primary circuits can handle in-band errors while others cannot, then system flexibility is improved, but it is difficult to design secondary circuits to provide selective error messaging
Solution Approach 1:
The error interceptor acts as a mediator between secondary circuits and primary circuits with different error handling capabilities. It monitors which primary circuits can handle in-band errors and selectively allows or blocks error messages accordingly, eliminating the need for secondary circuits to implement complex selective error messaging logic.
Solution Approach 2:
Primary circuits that can handle in-band errors do so autonomously, while those that cannot receive protection from the error interceptor. The error interceptor automatically determines which primary circuits need protection and manages error message routing without requiring complex coordination or configuration from secondary circuits.
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments herein describe error interceptors disposed along a bus that communicatively couples first and second circuits for redirecting in-band errors. That is, the error interceptors can block (or mask) in-band errors so they are not forwarded along the bus. Further, the error interceptors can redirect those errors such that they are converted into out-of-band errors. Moreover, the user can select which error interceptors to activate (e.g., block and redirect the errors) and which to deactivate (e.g., permit the in-band errors to pass). In this manner, the user can control which circuits receive in-band errors and which do not based on whether those circuits can handle the in-band errors.