PE Architecture State Routing Hardware for Low-Latency Save Restore
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current software and retention flop-based solutions for saving and restoring PE architecture state information are inefficient and costly, leading to high latency and circuit area consumption.
Innovation Solution
Implement hardware-based architecture state save and restore procedures, using a sequencing element and routing interface to directly manage the saving and restoration of PE architecture state information without lengthy software-based reads and writes, allowing parallel DRAM access.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If software-based saving and restoring of PE architecture state information is used, then the system can maintain state information, but latency increases and processing efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces software-based state saving and restoring with a hardware-based system using sequencing elements, routing interfaces, and dedicated memory. This mechanical/electrical substitution eliminates software execution overhead, dramatically reducing latency while maintaining state information preservation reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces intermediary hardware components including sequencing elements that coordinate save/restore operations, routing interfaces that direct data flow, and dedicated memory structures that store state information. These intermediaries enable rapid hardware-based state management without software intervention.
2Reliability
If retention flop-based solutions are used for saving PE architecture state, then state information can be preserved, but circuit area consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the state saving function from complex retention flop circuits and implements it using a streamlined hardware system with sequencing elements and dedicated memory. This extraction removes unnecessary circuit complexity while preserving the essential state information preservation capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the state management function into distinct hardware components: sequencing elements for operation coordination, routing interfaces for data direction, and memory structures for storage. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently, reducing overall circuit area compared to monolithic retention flop implementations.
3Productivity
If hardware-based save and restore procedures are implemented, then latency and power consumption are reduced, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple functions into integrated hardware blocks: sequencing elements that coordinate both save and restore operations, routing interfaces that handle multiple data paths, and memory structures that store state information. This merging reduces the number of discrete components needed, managing device complexity while maintaining high productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent designs universal hardware components that perform multiple functions: sequencing elements that manage both save and restore operations, routing interfaces that direct various data flows, and memory structures that serve different state storage needs. This multi-functionality reduces overall device complexity by eliminating the need for separate dedicated circuits for each function.
Data Source
AI summary
Certain aspects of the present disclosure provide techniques for hardware-based saving and restoring of architecture state information for processing elements (PEs). According to certain aspects, the techniques involve triggering, via at least a first circuit element, saving of architecture state information of at least one processing element (PE) to at least one memory prior to the at least one PE transitioning from a first state to a second state; re-routing, via at least a second circuit element, requests to access the state registers to the architecture state RAM, while the at least one PE is in the second state; and triggering, via the first circuit element, restoration of the architecture state information from the at least one memory to the at least one PE prior to the at least one PE transitioning from the second state to the first state.