Execution Engine Synchronization via Event Registers
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Solution Overview
Problem
Integrated circuit devices with multiple computation engines face challenges in synchronizing operations due to limited memory and resource dependencies, leading to increased complexity and chip area usage with traditional synchronization methods like semaphores and queues.
Innovation Solution
The use of event registers and instructions such as 'set-event' and 'wait-on-event' allows for synchronization of execution engines without specialized synchronization circuitry, leveraging hardware registers to manage dependencies and reduce chip area usage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional synchronization methods like semaphores and queues are used, then synchronization between computation engines is achieved, but chip area and device complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the synchronization function from specialized circuitry (semaphores and queues) and implements it using general-purpose hardware registers. By removing the dedicated synchronization components and replacing them with register-based event signaling, the device complexity and chip area are reduced while maintaining synchronization correctness between computation engines.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent makes hardware registers serve multiple purposes: they function as both data storage elements and synchronization event indicators. By enabling registers to signal event completion that can be detected by wait instructions, the same register infrastructure supports both computation data management and synchronization, eliminating the need for separate synchronization circuitry.
2Reliability
If traditional synchronization methods like semaphores and queues are used, then synchronization between computation engines is achieved, but chip area usage increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the synchronization functionality with the existing register file infrastructure. Instead of implementing separate semaphore and queue circuits that would occupy additional chip area, the event registers utilize the same physical register resources already present in the processor, thereby achieving synchronization without increasing chip area.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent removes dedicated synchronization circuitry (semaphores and queues) from the chip design and replaces their functionality with register-based event signaling. This extraction of specialized components eliminates the additional chip area that would be required for traditional synchronization methods.
3Productivity
If computation engines operate independently without synchronization, then execution speed increases, but operation correctness decreases due to resource dependencies
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary synchronization actions through event setting and waiting instructions. Before a computation engine proceeds with operations that depend on resources produced by another engine, it executes a wait instruction that checks for the corresponding event. This preliminary check ensures resource availability before computation begins, maintaining operation correctness while allowing independent execution otherwise.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent establishes a feedback mechanism where computation engines signal event completion to other engines. When an engine produces resources or completes an operation, it sets an event that serves as feedback to dependent engines. This feedback loop enables engines to operate independently until the feedback signal confirms resource availability, thereby maintaining both speed and correctness.
Data Source
AI summary
Provided are systems and methods for synchronizing program code execution for a plurality of execution engines in an integrated circuit device. In some cases, the operation of one execution engine may be dependent on the operation of another execution engine. To accommodate this dependency, the instructions for the first execution engine can include a set-event instruction and the instructions for the second execution engine can include a wait-on-event instruction. The wait-on-event instruction can cause the second execution engine to wait for the first execution engine to reach the set-event instruction. In this way, the two execution engines can be synchronized around the data or resource dependency.