Network Packet Processing Circuit With Automated Hardware Generation
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Solution Overview
Problem
The development of network packet processors requires expertise from both protocol and hardware design fields, leading to time-consuming and costly hardware implementation processes, hindering rapid iteration and improvement.
Innovation Solution
A circuit and method for processing network packets that includes input and output ports, parallel units with concurrent architectures, and a flow controller to generate a hardware description language specification, allowing for quicker generation and iteration of network packet processor implementations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If hardware implementation is created by manual design requiring both protocol and hardware expertise, then implementation correctness is improved, but development time and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an automated code generation system as an intermediary between protocol specifications and hardware implementation. The system automatically translates protocol layer specifications into hardware description language (Verilog/VHDL) code, eliminating the need for manual hardware design while maintaining correctness through structured generation processes.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual mechanical design processes with automated computational generation. Instead of requiring hardware designers to manually create circuit code from protocol specifications, the system uses automated algorithms to generate the hardware description language code, significantly reducing development time while preserving implementation correctness.
2Adaptability or versatility
If manual hardware design is used, then design flexibility is maintained, but development efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary action by establishing a structured code generation framework that prepares templates, converters, and configuration systems in advance. This framework includes pre-defined protocols for specification parsing, hardware abstraction layers, and code synthesis, enabling rapid generation of hardware implementations without manual redesign for each project.
Solution Approach 2:
The system achieves design flexibility through parameter changes in the code generation process. By modifying specification parameters, protocol configurations, and generation options, the same automated system can generate different hardware implementations for varying requirements, maintaining adaptability while improving efficiency through automation.
3Adaptability or versatility
If iterative improvements are made to protocol specifications, then protocol optimization is improved, but implementation update time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary action by maintaining a structured specification format and generation framework that can be rapidly updated. When protocol optimizations are needed, the specification files are modified and the automated generator reprocesses them, quickly producing updated hardware code without manual redesign, thus enabling rapid iterative improvements.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements feedback mechanisms where protocol specifications serve as the source of truth, and the code generator automatically updates hardware implementations based on specification changes. This feedback loop ensures that protocol optimizations are immediately reflected in the hardware code, reducing update time while maintaining optimization benefits.
Data Source
AI summary
A circuit is provided for processing network packets. The circuit includes ports identified in a specification of the processing of the network packets. The specification specifies handlers that each include at least one collection of actions. The specification specifies a dependency between each pair of handlers for which the actions of one handler include a handle action for invoking the other handler. The circuit also includes one or more parallel units coupled to the ports. The parallel units process input network packets and generate output network packets. Each parallel unit corresponds to a respective independent set of the handlers and has a corresponding architecture that is either a pipeline or a cluster of threads. Each parallel unit includes a concurrent unit for each collection of the actions of each handler in the respective independent set. Each concurrent unit is another pipeline for implementing the actions of the collection.