NoC Request Aggregators for Reducing Redundant Transactions
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing network-on-chip (NoC) systems inefficiently handle multiple identical requests from initiators to a target, leading to serialized responses that occupy interconnect links multiple times, increasing operation time.
Innovation Solution
Implementing request aggregators (RAs) in the NoC to aggregate identical requests into a single request, which is sent to the target, and duplicate the response back to all initiators, reducing redundant transactions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If multiple identical requests are serialized and sent individually to the target, then each request can be processed independently, but the operation time and interconnect link occupancy increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple identical requests into a single aggregated request before transmission to the target. The aggregator detects identical requests from multiple initiators and combines them into one request with multiple initiator identifiers, reducing the number of transmissions while maintaining the ability to deliver responses to all original initiators.
2Ease of operation
If multiple identical requests are sent through the NoC, then each initiator can receive its own response, but the same response occupies the interconnect link multiple times
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple identical responses into a single response transmission by aggregating requests before they reach the target. The aggregator collects responses and redistributes them to all relevant initiators in one consolidated operation, eliminating redundant interconnect link usage.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates copies of the aggregated response and distributes them to multiple initiators through the aggregator, which acts as a distribution point. This allows one response to serve multiple initiators without requiring multiple separate response transmissions through the NoC.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the target receives multiple identical requests, then all initiators can access the same data, but the target processes the same data multiple times
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges identical requests at the aggregator before they reach the target, so the target receives only one request per unique data access pattern. This eliminates redundant processing at the target while still allowing multiple initiators to access the same data through the aggregated request mechanism.
Data Source
AI summary
System and methods are disclosed for aggregating identical requests sent to a target from multiple initiators through a network-on-chip (NoC). The requests are marked for aggregation. The NoC uses request aggregators (RA) as an aggregation point to aggregate the identical requests that are marked for aggregation. At the aggregation point, the identical requests are reduced to a single request. The single request is sent to the target. The process is repeated in a cascaded fashion through the NoC, possibly involving multiple request aggregators. When a response transaction is received back from the target, which is at the aggregation point closest to the target, the response transaction is duplicated and sent to every original requester, either directly or through other request aggregators, which further duplicate the already duplicated response transaction.