Protocol Neutral Fabric Bridge for PCI Integration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Non-PCI compliant IP blocks in modular architectures, such as AXI and OCP, cannot be used with PCI compliant hosts due to lack of features like discovery and enumeration, ordering, and power management, limiting their integration with shrink-wrap PCI compliant operating systems like Linux and Windows, requiring custom drivers for each device.
Innovation Solution
A system that includes a bridge and hardware trap/assist modules to emulate PCI configuration and I/O transactions, allowing non-PCI compliant devices to be integrated with PCI compliant systems by intercepting and managing PCI configuration cycles, and generating appropriate responses to enable seamless operation with PCI compliant operating systems.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If non-PCI compliant IP blocks (AXI, OCP) are used in modular architectures, then rapid proliferation and ease of manufacture are improved, but compatibility with PCI compliant hosts and operating systems deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
A bridge device is introduced as an intermediary between non-PCI compliant IP blocks and PCI compliant hosts/operating systems. The bridge translates PCI configuration cycles and I/O transactions into formats compatible with AXI or OCP protocols, enabling seamless integration without requiring modifications to the IP blocks themselves or custom operating system drivers.
Solution Approach 2:
The bridge device performs multiple functions: it acts as a PCI to non-PCI protocol translator, implements PCI enumeration and discovery mechanisms, provides PCI-style ordering and power management, and maintains compatibility with both PCI compliant hosts and non-PCI IP blocks simultaneously.
2Ease of operation
If PCI compliant devices are integrated with PCI compliant hosts, then automatic device recognition and configuration (PnP) are improved, but device complexity increases due to required PCI features
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of making non-PCI IP blocks compliant with PCI standards (which would increase their complexity), the solution inverts the approach by making the bridge device PCI compliant. The bridge handles all PCI enumeration, discovery, and configuration protocols, while the simple non-PCI IP blocks remain unchanged and operate through the bridge's translation layer.
3Reliability
If custom drivers are written for each non-PCI compliant device, then device-specific functionality is improved, but development time and system complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The bridge device creates a virtual PCI configuration space that copies and emulates standard PCI device behavior. This allows existing PCI compliant operating systems and drivers to operate unchanged with non-PCI IP blocks, as the bridge presents a familiar PCI interface to the host system while translating to the appropriate non-PCI protocol for the actual device.
Data Source
AI summary
An embodiment integrates non-PCI compliant devices with PCI compliant operating systems. A fabric system mimics the behavior of PCI. When non-PCI compliant devices do not know how to respond to PCI enumeration, embodiments provide a PCI enumeration reply and thus emulate a reply that would typically come from a PCI compliant device during emulation. Embodiments allow system designers to incorporate non-standard fabric structures with the benefit of still using robust and mature PCI infrastructure found in modern PCI compliant operating systems. More generally, embodiments allow an operating system compliant with a first standard (but not a second standard) to discover and communicate with a device that is non-compliant with the first standard (but possibly is compliant with the second standard). Other embodiments are described herein.