Serial Link Lane Negotiation for Abnormal Receiver Paths
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing high-speed serial link training processes, such as in PCIe, often fail due to abnormal physical lanes, preventing normal data transmission as they lack flexibility in establishing associations between logical and physical lanes.
Innovation Solution
A link negotiation system and method that allows devices to determine the status of receivers to flexibly establish associations between logical and physical lanes, enabling devices to send configuration policies and messages to ensure valid lane associations based on receiver status and internal capabilities.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional high-speed serial link training processes are used, then the link can be established, but the training process fails when physical lanes are abnormal, preventing normal data transmission
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic lane association by allowing logical lanes to be flexibly mapped to available physical lanes based on real-time receiver status. Instead of fixed lane associations, the system dynamically adjusts the mapping during link training, enabling the link to adapt when certain physical lanes become abnormal or unavailable.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the lane association parameters during training based on detected receiver status. When receivers are found to be abnormal, the system modifies the logical-to-physical lane mapping parameters to exclude affected lanes, thereby maintaining training success and data transmission capability.
2Productivity
If flexible lane association is implemented, then the utilization of physical lanes is enhanced, but the device complexity increases due to additional status determination and configuration processes
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs self-diagnosis during link training by automatically detecting receiver status and determining which physical lanes are functional. This self-service approach eliminates the need for external configuration or manual intervention, as the system autonomously adapts the lane association based on its own detected state.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent incorporates feedback mechanisms where the training process continuously monitors receiver status and uses this information to adjust lane associations. The system receives feedback about lane health during training and dynamically modifies the logical-to-physical lane mapping based on this feedback, optimizing utilization without requiring complex external control.
Data Source
AI summary
A link negotiation system includes a second device that determines a link configuration policy based on a status of a receiver of an interface of the second device, where the link configuration policy indicates an association relationship between a unidirectional logical lane and a unidirectional physical lane in a high-speed serial link between a first device and the second device, the unidirectional logical lane is a logical lane from the first device to the second device in the high-speed serial link, and the unidirectional physical lane is a physical lane from the first device to the second device in the high-speed serial link; and sends the link configuration policy to the first device.