PCIe Bridge Device for Remote Hot Plug Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing hot plug technologies are limited to short-distance PCIe devices and cannot perform hot plug operations on remotely used PCIe devices, restricting system flexibility and availability.
Innovation Solution
A method involving a host controller and a user equipment controller that communicate over a network to enable hot plug operations on remotely used PCIe devices, using notification packets to manage the insertion and removal of PCIe devices, and detecting link abnormalities to perform corresponding hot plug operations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Length of stationary object
If a PCIe device is used remotely beyond the PCIe signal transmission distance threshold, then the system can achieve remote device usage and expanded physical distance, but the existing hot plug technology cannot function and system availability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a PCIe bridge device as an intermediary component between the host and the remotely located PCIe device. The bridge device extends the PCIe signal transmission beyond the standard distance threshold by acting as a signal regeneration and forwarding node, enabling hot plug functionality to be maintained over extended distances through intermediate signal processing
Solution Approach 2:
The system is segmented into multiple components: host, PCIe bridge device, and remote PCIe device. This segmentation allows the hot plug function to be implemented in stages, with the bridge device handling signal processing and the host maintaining control through coordinated communication, thereby preserving hot plug capability across extended distances
2Length of stationary object
If a PCIe bridge device is used to cascade PCIe devices for remote usage, then the physical distance is extended, but the complexity of the system increases
Solution Approach 1:
The PCIe bridge device is designed to perform multiple functions: signal processing, device cascading, and hot plug coordination. By consolidating these functions into a single multi-functional component, the system achieves remote device usage without proportionally increasing overall system complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the functions of signal extension and hot plug management into the PCIe bridge device. This combination allows the bridge to handle both signal transmission over extended distances and coordination of hot plug operations, reducing the need for separate dedicated components
Data Source
AI summary
A hot plug method, a host controller, a host, and a PCIe bridge device. The method includes: generating, by a host controller, a first notification packet, where the first notification packet includes hot plug interruption information, and the hot plug interruption information indicates that a first PCIe device is to be hot-plugged; sending, by the host controller, the first notification packet to a host, so that the host performs, according to the first notification packet, a hot plug operation corresponding to the PCIe device; and receiving, by the host controller, a second notification packet sent by the host, and sending the second notification packet to a user equipment controller, to facilitate the user equipment controller to instruct a user to insert or remove the PCIe device, where the second notification packet is for indicating that the hot plug operation corresponding to the PCIe device is completed.