Transceiver Bandwidth Optimization via Packet Header Compression
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing communication protocols in multi-chip systems, such as PCIe and NVLink, face challenges in efficiently transferring data due to the significant space and power consumption of chip-to-chip (C2C) IO links, which are exacerbated by the need to transmit redundant information fields.
Innovation Solution
The proposed solution optimizes the bandwidth of C2C IO links by eliminating redundant or low-entropy fields from data packets. This is achieved by storing information fields such as addresses and sizes in content addressable memory (CAM) or cache memory, allowing subsequent packets to transmit only the necessary information, thereby reducing the overall data transfer size.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If traditional communication protocols (PCIe, NVLink) are used for chip-to-chip communication, then data transfer functionality is maintained, but bandwidth utilization is inefficient and power consumption is high due to transmitting redundant information fields
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates redundant information fields from data packets transmitted over C2C IO links. By identifying and removing unnecessary fields (such as repeated addresses, sizes, and other metadata that can be inferred from context), the system reduces the total data transfer volume, thereby lowering power consumption while maintaining effective communication functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameter of packet structure by modifying the format of data packets to include only essential information fields. This involves altering the packet header and payload structure to eliminate redundancy, thereby improving bandwidth utilization efficiency and reducing the energy required for data transmission.
2Reliability
If redundant information fields are transmitted in data packets, then data transfer reliability is maintained, but bandwidth is wasted and power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback mechanisms where receiving devices provide acknowledgment signals and context information back to transmitting devices. This feedback enables the transmitter to send only the necessary fields, as the receiver can infer redundant information from previous transactions and feedback context, thereby maintaining reliability while reducing energy consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary actions by establishing context and state information before data transfer begins. By pre-establishing the operational context through initialization and state synchronization, the system eliminates the need to transmit redundant fields during actual data transfer, maintaining reliability through context-aware communication while reducing power consumption.
3Loss of information
If full information fields are transmitted in every packet, then data completeness is ensured, but latency increases due to larger packet sizes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the data transmission process into two phases: an initialization phase where complete information fields are transmitted to establish context, and subsequent data transfer phases where only essential fields are transmitted. This segmentation ensures data completeness during setup while reducing latency during ongoing transfers by minimizing packet sizes.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent makes the packet structure dynamic by adjusting the amount of information transmitted based on the transaction context. During initial transfers, full fields are sent to establish completeness; during subsequent transfers, the system dynamically reduces to only essential fields based on inferred context, thereby reducing latency while maintaining data completeness through adaptive packet formatting.
Data Source
AI summary
A transceiver for sending and receiving data packets on a communication channel. The transceiver receives a first request packet including a plurality of information fields having a first type of operation to be performed on a memory device and a first address. The transceiver stores the first type of operation and the first address in a memory associated with the transceiver, and sends to a target device, the first request packet with the first address. The transceiver then receives a second request packet, including a second address in the memory device, and determines, based on the first type of operation, the first address, and the second address, that the second request packet is part of a sequence of request packets to the target device. The transceiver then eliminates, in a header of the second request packet, a portion of the second address to form a third request packet and sends the third request packet to the target device.