Adaptive Service Controller for SOC Request Flow Arbitration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current System on Chip (SOC) technologies face challenges in enhancing operational speed and quality of service (QOS) due to insufficient integration of additional components, leading to inadequate adaptation to changing operational environments.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a system on chip (SOC) with a service controller and interconnect device that generates adaptive control signals based on operational environment changes, including temperature, service availability, and data buffer rates, to manage request flows from master devices to slave devices, utilizing a global control signal and credit value system to prioritize and adjust request flows.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If additional components are integrated into one chip to increase SOC integration degree, then the integration degree is improved, but the operational speed does not increase sufficiently
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the SOC into multiple functional blocks (master devices, slave devices, interconnect devices, service controllers) that can operate independently and concurrently. Each block processes requests autonomously, allowing parallel execution of multiple operations across different functional units, thereby maintaining high operational speed despite increased integration.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements dynamic request flow control through service controllers that adaptively adjust credit values and arbitration priorities based on real-time operational conditions. This dynamic adjustment allows the system to optimize performance metrics such as latency and throughput adaptively, ensuring high operational speed is maintained even as integration complexity increases.
2Adaptability or versatility
If service controllers dynamically adjust request flows based on operational environment, then the adaptability is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback mechanisms where service controllers continuously monitor operational conditions (temperature, service availability, buffer rates) and adjust credit values accordingly. This closed-loop control enables adaptive request flow management without requiring complex centralized control, as each service controller independently responds to local conditions based on feedback signals.
Solution Approach 2:
Each service controller autonomously manages its associated master devices by independently adjusting credit values and arbitration priorities based on operational conditions. This self-service approach eliminates the need for complex external control mechanisms, allowing each controller to adaptively manage its own request flows without increasing overall system complexity.
3Reliability
If credit value system is used to prioritize request flows, then the quality of service is improved, but the control mechanism complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses credit values as adjustable parameters that service controllers modify based on operational conditions to prioritize request flows. By changing this single numerical parameter, the system can dynamically adjust arbitration priorities, latency constraints, and throughput allocation without reconfiguring complex control logic. This parameter-based control simplifies the management of QoS while maintaining flexibility.
Data Source
AI summary
A system on chip (SOC) includes a slave device, a plurality of master devices, an interconnect device and a plurality of service controllers. The master devices generate requests to demand services from the slave device. The interconnect device is coupled to the slave device and the master devices through respective channels, and the interconnect device performs an arbitrating operation on the requests. The service controllers control request flows from the master devices adaptively depending on an operational environment change of the SOC.