Reconfigurable Dataflow Unit P2P Communication Protocol
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing communication systems between reconfigurable dataflow units (RDUs) face challenges in efficiently managing peer-to-peer transactions across intra-die and inter-die networks, leading to bottlenecks and reduced dataflow bandwidth.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a peer-to-peer (P2P) communication protocol that utilizes transactions encapsulated in Transaction Layer Packets (TLPs) of PCIe, allowing for direct communication between RDUs without the need for a host intermediary, and supporting various primitive and complex transactions such as remote read/write, stream write, and barrier operations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If host-mediated transactions are used for communication between RDUs, then system simplicity is maintained, but dataflow bandwidth is reduced and communication efficiency deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a peer-to-peer communication protocol that acts as an intermediary mechanism between RDUs, replacing host-mediated transactions. This enables direct communication paths while maintaining system manageability through standardized protocols, thereby increasing dataflow bandwidth without excessive complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The communication system is segmented into independent RDU units with autonomous peer-to-peer capabilities. Each RDU can initiate and handle transactions independently without requiring host intervention, allowing parallel communication paths that increase overall bandwidth while distributing system complexity across multiple independent units
2Loss of time
If direct peer-to-peer communication is implemented between RDUs, then communication efficiency is improved, but system complexity increases due to protocol management
Solution Approach 1:
A standardized peer-to-peer protocol serves as an intermediary layer that simplifies direct communication between RDUs. The protocol handles complex aspects such as address translation, transaction routing, and data formatting, allowing RDUs to communicate directly with reduced latency while the protocol manages the complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes communication parameters by implementing direct RDU-to-RDU transaction paths instead of host-mediated paths. This parameter change reduces communication latency significantly, while the protocol manages the increased complexity through standardized procedures and automated address resolution mechanisms
3Adaptability or versatility
If remote read/write functionality is added to RDUs, then data processing capability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The RDU design incorporates universal remote read/write functionality that enables units to perform multiple functions including local processing, remote memory access, and inter-RDU communication. This multi-functionality increases adaptability and versatility while the standardized protocol interface prevents exponential growth in internal complexity
Data Source
AI summary
A reconfigurable processing unit is disclosed, comprising a first internal network and a second internal network with different protocols, an interface to an external network with a different protocol, a first configurable unit sending a request to access an external memory over the first internal network, a second configurable unit receiving the request on the first internal network, obtaining a memory address, determining an identifier for the target reconfigurable processing unit, and sending the request, identifier, and memory address over the second internal network, and a third configurable unit receiving the request, identifier, and memory address on the second internal network, determining a routable address on the external network based on the identifier, synthesizing a payload with the request, address, and identifier, and sending the payload to the routable address on the external network.