Dynamic Hybrid Timestamp Suppression for SoC Debugging
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Solution Overview
Problem
Debugging and testing of System on Chip (SoC) devices are complex due to their hardware and software interactions, requiring sophisticated high-speed tools, and existing timestamp methods either consume excessive bandwidth or require increased storage, especially when dealing with varying event transmission rates.
Innovation Solution
A dynamic hybrid approach that combines relative and explicit time stamps, suppressing unnecessary wrap-around events and using high-precision time stamps only when required, allowing for efficient event tracking and profiling in SoC devices.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If high precision time stamps are used for all events, then measurement precision is improved, but bandwidth consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by using different time stamping strategies for different event types: high precision time stamps (HPTS) are used for asynchronous events while wrap around events use relative time stamps or suppression. This localized differentiation optimizes bandwidth usage while maintaining necessary precision for debugging.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically selects between HPTS and wrap around events based on the event flow characteristics. When events occur frequently, wrap around events are suppressed; when events are sparse, HPTS are used. This dynamic adaptation resolves the contradiction between precision and bandwidth consumption.
2Loss of information
If wrap around events are transmitted frequently, then event tracking completeness is improved, but storage requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements discarding and recovering by suppressing wrap around events when no asynchronous events occur between them, then recovering the time reference information when needed. This reduces storage requirements while maintaining event tracking completeness through selective event recording.
Solution Approach 2:
The system extracts only the necessary time stamp information (HPTS) when wrap around events are suppressed, rather than transmitting all wrap around events. This extraction approach maintains event tracking completeness while minimizing storage requirements.
3Quantity of substance
If shorter time stamps are used, then bandwidth consumption is reduced, but measurement precision deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by using different time stamp formats for different event types: HPTS for asynchronous events and relative time stamps for wrap around events. This localized differentiation reduces overall bandwidth consumption while maintaining sufficient precision for each event type's debugging needs.
4Loss of information
If event transmission rate is increased, then debugging information availability is improved, but system performance degradation increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies partial action by selectively transmitting events based on their type and timing: HPTS are transmitted for asynchronous events while wrap around events are suppressed when not necessary. This partial transmission approach provides sufficient debugging information while minimizing performance degradation from excessive event processing.
Data Source
AI summary
A system on a chip or storage device has a dynamic process for handling system events that are transmitted at varying transmission rates. This dynamic process is a hybrid mode of operation that tailors the use of time stamp information according to the dynamic flow of events that are submitted in the system. Relative time stamps can be used along with explicit time stamps. Periodic wrap around events which use relative time stamps based on the periodic wrap events may be suppressed when there were no events between consecutive wrap around events. When an asynchronous event occurs during the suppression, the event is identified with a high precision time stamp (HPTS) rather than a relative time stamp. The periodic wrap around events can be re-initiated after the HPTS event is stamped.