Service Request Interrupt Router Arbitration

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing service request Interrupt Routers (IRs) face challenges in efficiently arbitrating among multiple Interrupt Service Providers (ISPs) and virtual ISPs, particularly in managing priority and reducing routing complexity and power consumption within a System-on-Chip (SoC) environment.

Innovation Solution

A service request Interrupt Router (IR) with an interrupt controller, Service Request Nodes (SRNs), and an arbitrator that converts interrupt signals into service requests and arbitrates among virtual ISPs in a time-sliced manner, using shared or dedicated arbitrators to determine the highest priority service requests, and implementing pipeline stages for efficient management of pending requests.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If multiple dedicated arbitrators are used for each ISP and virtual ISP, then arbitration precision and service quality are improved, but device complexity and area increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvearbitration precisionVSAvoidarbitrator quantity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

Multiple arbitrators are merged into a single shared arbitrator that services multiple ISPs and virtual ISPs. The arbitrator receives service requests from multiple sources and performs arbitration sequentially or based on priority, consolidating what would otherwise require multiple separate arbitration units.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

A single arbitrator is designed to perform multiple arbitration functions for different ISPs and virtual ISPs. The arbitrator can be configured to handle different priority schemes and arbitration policies for different target entities, making one arbitrator serve multiple purposes that would traditionally require dedicated arbitrators.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Reliability

If multiple dedicated arbitrators are used for each ISP and virtual ISP, then service quality is improved, but power consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveservice qualityVSAvoidpower consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSUse of energy by stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

Multiple arbitrators are merged into a single shared arbitrator that services multiple ISPs and virtual ISPs. The arbitrator receives service requests from multiple sources and performs arbitration sequentially or based on priority, consolidating what would otherwise require multiple separate arbitration units.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

A single arbitrator is designed to perform multiple arbitration functions for different ISPs and virtual ISPs. The arbitrator can be configured to handle different priority schemes and arbitration policies for different target entities, making one arbitrator serve multiple purposes that would traditionally require dedicated arbitrators.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Productivity

If priority-based arbitration is implemented for virtual ISPs, then service request handling efficiency is improved, but routing complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveservice request handling efficiencyVSAvoidrouting complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

Different arbitration policies are applied to different virtual ISPs based on their specific requirements. Each virtual ISP can be assigned a priority level or arbitration policy that is locally optimized for its workload characteristics, allowing high-priority virtual machines to receive faster service while lower-priority ones use standard arbitration.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The arbitrator acts as an intermediary between service requests and virtual ISPs, implementing priority-based routing logic. The arbitrator receives requests, determines priority based on configured policies, and directs requests to appropriate virtual ISPs or queues, simplifying the routing complexity by centralizing the decision-making logic.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentUS10992750B2Service request interrupt router for virtual interrupt service providers

Publication Date: 2021.04.27 INFINEON TECHNOLOGIES AG

AI summary

A service request interrupt router having an interrupt controller mapped to an Interrupt Service Provider (ISP) having virtual ISPs; Service Request Nodes (SRNs) configured to convert respective interrupt signals to corresponding service requests, wherein each of the SRNs is configured to direct its service request to one of the virtual ISPs; and an arbitrator configured to arbitrate among the virtual ISPs in a time-sliced manner, and for each of the virtual ISPs, to arbitrate which of the service requests directed thereto has a highest priority.