Frequent-Value Data Compression Across Narrow Inter-Die Links
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Solution Overview
Problem
The bandwidth between electrical components on separate dies is limited by physical distance and electrical characteristics, making it challenging to efficiently transmit data across narrow links, as increasing signal frequency or count comes with significant cost and technological implications.
Innovation Solution
A system that compresses frequent data values by partitioning cache lines into blocks, detecting patterns, and sending only non-matching blocks over the communication link, along with encoding fields to reconstruct the original data, dynamically adjusting pattern detection schemes based on software applications and frequently occurring patterns.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If data is transmitted over narrow links between separate dies, then bandwidth is limited by physical distance and electrical characteristics, but increasing signal frequency or count to improve bandwidth comes with significant cost and technology implications
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments data transmission by identifying and separating frequently occurring patterns from variable data portions. Only the variable portions are transmitted over the narrow link, while pattern information is stored locally in pattern storage elements. This segmentation reduces the amount of data transmitted without requiring increased bandwidth infrastructure.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary pattern detection and classification before data transmission. Frequently occurring patterns are identified in advance and stored in pattern storage elements, so that when data arrives, only the variable portions need to be transmitted. This preliminary action prepares the system to efficiently handle data without requiring high bandwidth during actual transmission.
2Reliability
If all data blocks are transmitted over the communication link, then complete data is delivered, but transmission volume and power consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts frequently occurring patterns from the data stream and stores them locally in pattern storage elements. Only the variable portions of data that do not match stored patterns are transmitted over the communication link. This extraction eliminates redundant data transmission while ensuring complete data reconstruction at the receiving end by combining transmitted variable portions with stored pattern information.
Solution Approach 2:
The system discards transmission of data blocks that match frequently occurring patterns, relying on the receiver to recover the complete data by combining the transmitted variable portions with the stored pattern information. This discarding of redundant transmissions significantly reduces power consumption while maintaining data completeness through the recovery process at the receiving end.
3Productivity
If pattern detection is implemented for all data, then transmission efficiency improves, but processing complexity and overhead increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies pattern detection selectively rather than to all data uniformly. The system detects patterns for frequently occurring data blocks and stores them, while variable portions are transmitted as-is. This partial application of pattern detection to only the beneficial cases improves transmission efficiency without the full overhead of processing every single data block through complex pattern matching algorithms.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems, apparatuses, and methods for compression of frequent data values across narrow links are disclosed. In one embodiment, a system includes a processor, a link interface unit, and a communication link. The link interface unit is configured to receive a data stream for transmission over the communication link, wherein the data stream is generated by the processor. The link interface unit determines if blocks of data of a first size from the data stream match one or more first data patterns and the link interface unit determines if blocks of data of a second size from the data stream match one or more second data patterns. The link interface unit sends, over the communication link, only blocks of data which do not match the first or second data patterns.