I/O Agent Memory Bank Subdomain Assignment for Bandwidth

Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional I/O agent circuits face challenges in providing sufficient bandwidth to support peripherals that consume higher bandwidths without increasing the size of separate memory banks, which leads to higher die space cost and power consumption.

Innovation Solution

Implementing a single memory bank with subdomains within the I/O agent circuit, allowing it to store transactions from multiple peripherals and execute them independently, thereby supporting higher bandwidth peripherals without the need for larger memory banks.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If separate memory banks are increased in size to support higher bandwidth peripherals, then bandwidth capability is improved, but die space cost and power consumption increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvebandwidth capabilityVSAvoiddie space

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSArea of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The memory bank is segmented into multiple subdomains, where each subdomain can independently handle transactions from different peripherals. This segmentation allows the same physical memory resources to be shared among multiple peripherals simultaneously, supporting higher bandwidth requirements without increasing overall memory bank size.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

A single memory bank structure is designed to serve multiple peripherals through subdomain assignment. The memory bank acts as a universal resource that can be dynamically allocated to different peripherals based on their bandwidth needs, eliminating the requirement for separate dedicated memory banks for each peripheral.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Productivity

If separate memory banks are increased in size to support higher bandwidth peripherals, then bandwidth capability is improved, but power consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvebandwidth capabilityVSAvoidpower consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSUse of energy by stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The memory bank is segmented into multiple subdomains, where each subdomain can independently handle transactions from different peripherals. This segmentation allows the same physical memory resources to be shared among multiple peripherals simultaneously, supporting higher bandwidth requirements without increasing overall memory bank size.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

A single memory bank structure is designed to serve multiple peripherals through subdomain assignment. The memory bank acts as a universal resource that can be dynamically allocated to different peripherals based on their bandwidth needs, eliminating the requirement for separate dedicated memory banks for each peripheral.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Area of stationary object

If a single memory bank is used to store transactions from multiple peripherals, then die space is reduced, but transaction execution may be blocked by other transactions

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedie spaceVSAvoidtransaction execution efficiency

Core Design Contradiction:

Area of stationary objectVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The memory bank is segmented into multiple subdomains, where each subdomain can independently handle transactions from different peripherals. This segmentation allows the same physical memory resources to be shared among multiple peripherals simultaneously, supporting higher bandwidth requirements without increasing overall memory bank size.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system dynamically assigns peripherals to subdomains and manages transaction execution based on current system state. The subdomain assignment and transaction scheduling are flexible and adaptive, allowing the system to optimize performance for different operational scenarios and prevent blocking through dynamic resource allocation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentUS12067275B1Memory bank with subdomains

Publication Date: 2024.08.20 APPLE INC

AI summary

Techniques are disclosed relating to an I/O agent circuit. The I/O agent circuit may include a memory bank and be coupled to a set of devices. The I/O agent circuit may assign a device of the set of devices to a subdomain of a plurality of subdomains implemented for the memory bank. The I/O agent circuit may store, in that memory bank, a set of transactions of the device in association with the subdomain assigned to the device. The I/O agent circuit may execute the set of transactions such that transactions stored in the memory bank in association with other ones of the plurality of subdomains than the subdomain assigned to the device do not block execution of the set of transactions.