Peripheral Control Module Reduces Host Wake-ups
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional data communication between host devices and peripheral devices often result in high latency and suboptimal processing bandwidth due to the host control module waking up for each interrupt, leading to inefficiencies and potential errors in command and response exchanges.
Innovation Solution
A system with a peripheral control module that pre-programs and manages command and response sequences in hardware, allowing data transfer between host and peripheral devices without waking up the host control module until exchanges are completed or errors occur, using a comparator to verify responses and control the transfer process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the host control module wakes up for each interrupt to handle command and response exchanges, then communication reliability is improved, but latency increases and processing bandwidth decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the communication handling function into two parts: the host control module generates initial commands and enters sleep mode, while a separate peripheral control module (PCM) handles subsequent command-response exchanges independently. This segmentation allows the host to remain in low-power state while the PCM manages routine communication protocols, reducing wake-up frequency and latency without compromising reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The peripheral control module acts as an intermediary between the host control module and peripheral devices. The PCM receives commands from the host, manages the complete command-response sequence with the peripheral device, and only interrupts the host when the exchange is complete or an error occurs. This intermediary approach eliminates the need for the host to wake up for each individual interrupt, reducing latency while maintaining communication reliability.
2Measurement precision
If the host control module handles each interrupt individually, then communication accuracy is improved, but processing bandwidth decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The host control module performs preliminary actions by generating the initial command and then enters sleep mode. The peripheral control module is pre-configured with the command sequence and automatically executes the complete command-response exchange without needing to wake up the host. This preliminary action approach allows multiple commands to be processed in parallel by the PCM, significantly increasing processing bandwidth while maintaining accuracy through pre-configured validation rules.
Solution Approach 2:
The peripheral control module provides self-service by autonomously managing command-response exchanges with peripheral devices. It independently validates responses against expected values, handles protocol sequencing, and manages error conditions without host intervention. This self-service capability enables the PCM to process multiple communication streams simultaneously, boosting processing bandwidth while ensuring communication accuracy through built-in validation mechanisms.
3Speed
If the host control module remains active for continuous monitoring, then response time is improved, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically transitions the host control module between active and sleep states based on communication needs. The host remains active only briefly to initiate commands, then enters sleep mode during routine exchanges. The peripheral control module dynamically manages the actual communication timing, waking the host only when necessary for command initiation or error handling. This dynamic state management maintains fast response times for critical operations while dramatically reducing overall power consumption during sustained communication periods.
Data Source
AI summary
A system including a processing core configured to generate a request signal to transfer data between a host device and a peripheral device. The processing core is in a low power state subsequent to generating the request signal. An interface module, separate from the processing core, is configured to transmit a sequence of commands from the host device to the peripheral device based on the request signal. The sequence of commands is transmitted to initiate the transfer of the data between the host device and the peripheral device. A comparator configured to compare expected responses of the peripheral device to the sequence of commands against responses received from the peripheral device to control the transfer of the data between the host device and the peripheral device without waking up the processing core from the low power state.