Memory Controller Interrupt Generation for Multi-Processor Systems
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing memory controller systems experience delays due to interrupt signal processing, which affects system performance, especially in multi-processor environments where user operations and API calls complicate interrupt handling.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a Modified Memory Protection Unit (MMPU) within the memory controller to determine access rights and selectively generate interrupt signals, reducing the need for pre-processing delays by automating interrupt signal generation and transfer between processors.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If interrupt signal processing is performed using traditional ISR methods in multi-processor systems, then interrupt handling is achieved, but system performance deteriorates due to delays of about 10 μs to 50 μs caused by context switching and API calls
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the interrupt signal generation function from the traditional software-based ISR processing and relocates it to hardware-level memory controllers. The memory controller directly generates interrupt signals without requiring OS API calls or context switching, thereby eliminating the 10-50 μs delay while maintaining reliable interrupt handling.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary mechanism where the memory controller acts as a mediator between memory access events and processor interrupt generation. This intermediary hardware component directly generates interrupt signals based on memory access patterns, bypassing the traditional software interrupt handling chain and reducing delays.
2Reliability
If all interrupt signals are processed inside ISR with OS API calls, then complete interrupt handling is achieved, but system performance is negatively affected due to unavoidable delays and additional processing overhead
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the software-based mechanical processing system (ISR with API calls) with a hardware-based automatic generation system in the memory controller. This substitution eliminates the overhead of software context switching and API calls, significantly improving system performance while maintaining complete interrupt handling through hardware-level event detection and signal generation.
3Device complexity
If traditional memory controller designs are used without selective interrupt generation, then simple hardware architecture is maintained, but flexibility in interrupt signal generation is insufficient for multi-processor communication
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the memory controller into functional units including access determination modules and selective interrupt generation modules. This segmentation allows the controller to differentially generate interrupt signals based on memory access patterns and processor states, providing flexibility for multi-processor communication while maintaining a structured and manageable hardware architecture.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements dynamic interrupt generation capability where the memory controller can selectively generate interrupt signals based on real-time memory access conditions and processor states. This dynamic behavior enables flexible adaptation to different multi-processor communication scenarios without requiring complex reconfiguration, balancing architectural simplicity with operational versatility.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for generating an interrupt signal in a memory controller and supporting a multi-processor is provided. Whether an access for a determined memory region occurs is determined. When the access for the determined memory region occurs, whether the access for the determined memory region has a right is determined. When the access for the determined memory region has the right, a core that will generate an interrupt signal is determined. The determined core is requested to generate the interrupt signal.