Integrated Circuit Chip Communication Terminal Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
In complex apparatuses with multiple integrated circuit chips, the increase in the number of terminals between chips leads to higher costs and longer program transfer times due to the need for extensive interface settings, particularly for signal quality settings like signal amplitude and de-emphasis, which complicates the reduction of constituent parts and increases development costs.
Innovation Solution
An information processing system where each integrated circuit chip has a processing execution unit and a communication unit, with a mode setting unit allowing initialization of communication units through common setting terminals, enabling proper communication before actual communication starts, thus reducing the number of terminals and interface settings required.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If interface settings terminals are provided for each communication unit to enable proper communication, then communication quality is improved, but the number of terminals increases leading to higher cost
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple communication units that would normally require separate setting terminals are merged into a single communication unit with a single setting terminal. The setting terminal configures multiple communication units simultaneously, reducing the total number of terminals while maintaining proper communication quality across all units.
Solution Approach 2:
The single setting terminal is designed with universal functionality to configure multiple communication units. It can set interface conditions for any communication unit in the system, making it a multi-functional component that replaces what would traditionally require multiple dedicated terminals.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple interfaces are provided between chips in other routes to enable communication, then communication capability is improved, but the number of terminals increases leading to higher cost
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple communication interfaces are merged into a single communication unit. This unified approach maintains the ability to communicate with other chips while reducing the number of separate interfaces and their associated terminals, thereby lowering cost without sacrificing communication capability.
3Reliability
If program transfer is performed at low speed to avoid signal quality issues, then communication reliability is improved, but program transfer time increases
Solution Approach 1:
Interface settings are configured in advance through the setting terminal before program transfer begins. This preliminary configuration ensures that communication units are properly initialized with correct signal quality parameters, allowing the system to operate at optimal speeds without signal issues, thereby reducing transfer time while maintaining reliability.
Data Source
AI summary
Information processing systems including a plurality of integrated circuit chips have had problems such as an increased cost due to an increase in the number of terminals related to settings of an interface between the chips and delayed program transfer. An information processing system is provided in which a plurality of integrated circuit chips each include a plurality of communication units to be initialized by a common setting terminal. A processing execution unit of a first integrated circuit chip set to a first mode starts establishing a communication connection through one of the initialized communication units to one of the communication units of a second integrated circuit chip set to a second mode.