Network Interface Circuitry Flexible Memory Addressing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional memory addressing schemes in integrated circuits are inefficient for high-speed data communications, as they require reading entire rows to retrieve data spanning multiple rows, leading to unacceptably inefficient data handling in modern networks.
Innovation Solution
The integration of network interface circuitry with memory and control circuitry, including read and write data reordering circuits and addressing circuitry, allows for individual addressing of memory blocks, enabling efficient loading and retrieval of data across multiple rows by using arithmetic operations and control logic to manage address signals and rotate data as needed.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If conventional row-by-row memory addressing is used, then the memory structure is simple, but data retrieval efficiency deteriorates when data spans multiple rows
Solution Approach 1:
The memory array is divided into multiple independently addressable banks, where each bank can be accessed separately. This segmentation allows the system to access only the specific bank containing the required data, rather than reading entire rows across all banks, thereby improving data retrieval efficiency while maintaining manageable addressing complexity through localized access patterns.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a bank dimension to the traditional row-column memory addressing scheme. Instead of only row-by-row addressing, the system now addresses memory in three dimensions: bank number, row number, and column number. This additional dimension enables selective access to specific banks, allowing efficient retrieval of data that spans multiple rows by accessing only the relevant bank portions.
2Productivity
If entire rows are read to retrieve data spanning multiple rows, then data can be retrieved, but data transfer efficiency deteriorates due to reading unnecessary data
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and isolates only the necessary data portions from memory by implementing fine-grained addressing at the word level within each bank. Instead of extracting entire rows, the system can extract specific words or groups of words from specific banks, eliminating the waste of reading and transferring unnecessary data while maintaining the capability to retrieve data spanning multiple rows through coordinated bank accesses.
3Productivity
If conventional memory addressing is used, then the addressing circuitry is simple, but handling of data bursts deteriorates in high-speed networks
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic bank selection and addressing mechanisms that can adapt to different data burst patterns and access requirements. The addressing circuitry dynamically determines which banks to access based on the data burst characteristics, allowing flexible handling of various data transfer scenarios. This dynamic approach enables efficient data burst processing while managing circuitry complexity through adaptive control logic rather than static rigid addressing.
Data Source
AI summary
An integrated circuit that includes network interface circuitry is provided. The network interface circuitry may include memory for buffering incoming data and associated control circuitry for loading the incoming data into and retrieving data from memory. The memory may be organized into multiple individually addressable memory blocks. The control circuitry may include read and write barrel shifters, a controller for providing read and write address signals, write address circuitry for controlling the write barrel shifter and for generating write address bits, and read address circuitry for controlling the read barrel shifter and for generating read address bits. The read and write circuitry may each include division and modulus arithmetic circuits for processing the address signals received from the controller and may include control logic for generating the read and write address bits that are used to address each of the multiple memory blocks.