Shared Redundant Lane Allocation in Multi-Module IC Links
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
In advanced package multi-module implementations, failures in mainband lanes lead to inefficient degradation of link bandwidth, as existing systems fail to effectively utilize redundant lanes across modules, resulting in reduced throughput and inefficient bandwidth management.
Innovation Solution
Implement a multi-module logic that enables a global view of redundant lanes across all modules, allowing unused redundant lanes from other modules to be shared and configured to repair faulty lanes, thereby maintaining maximum link bandwidth.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If redundant lanes are dedicated to each module individually, then each module has guaranteed redundancy, but the overall system bandwidth utilization decreases when some modules have fewer faults than others
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes redundant lanes universal across modules by allowing any redundant lane from any module to be dynamically allocated to any module experiencing faults. The multi-module logic monitors fault conditions across all modules and redirects unused redundant lanes from healthy modules to modules with faults, making the redundancy resource serve multiple purposes and multiple modules rather than being dedicated to a single module.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts the allocation of redundant lanes based on real-time fault conditions. The multi-module logic continuously monitors lane status and reconfigures the redundancy allocation accordingly. When a module experiences faults, redundant lanes are dynamically redirected from other modules; when faults are resolved, the allocation is adjusted again, creating a dynamic rather than static redundancy scheme.
2Productivity
If redundant lanes are shared across modules, then overall bandwidth utilization improves, but the complexity of managing lane allocation increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces multi-module logic as an intermediary component that manages the complex task of allocating redundant lanes across modules. This intermediary entity monitors fault conditions, determines allocation needs, and executes the reconfiguration of lane assignments. By centralizing the management function in a dedicated logic unit, the complexity is contained and managed rather than distributed across all modules, making the system more tractable.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback mechanisms where the multi-module logic continuously monitors the status of data lanes and redundant lanes across all modules. Based on this feedback information about fault conditions and lane availability, the system automatically adjusts the allocation of redundant lanes. This closed-loop feedback control simplifies management by using real-time information to drive allocation decisions without requiring complex manual or predetermined configurations.
3Productivity
If unused redundant lanes from other modules are configured to repair faulty lanes, then throughput is maintained, but the detection and configuration complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the detection, monitoring, and configuration functions into a unified multi-module logic system. Rather than having separate detection mechanisms and configuration procedures distributed across modules, the system merges these functions into a single coordinated entity that handles the entire process of detecting faults, identifying available redundant lanes, and configuring the repair mappings. This consolidation simplifies the overall detection and configuration task.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements self-service capabilities where the multi-module logic automatically detects faults, identifies suitable redundant lanes from other modules, and configures the necessary mappings without external intervention. The system monitors its own state, makes autonomous decisions about lane allocation, and executes reconfiguration automatically, reducing the need for external detection and configuration complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
Various aspects of the present disclosure generally relate to integrated circuits. In some aspects, a device may include a plurality of modules. A first module of the plurality of modules may include a plurality of lanes for data and a plurality of redundant lanes. The device may detect that a number of faulty lanes for data in the first module, of the plurality of lanes for data, satisfies a threshold. The device may determine that one or more unused redundant lanes, in one or more of the first module or other modules of the plurality of modules, are available. The device may configure the one or more unused redundant lanes to be used as redundant lanes for the first module, wherein the one or more unused redundant lanes are configured to be shared between modules of the plurality of modules. Numerous other aspects are described.