Link width adjustment method and apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12524362-B2
Application number	US-202318358217-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 25, 2023
Priority date	Jan 25, 2021
Publication date	Jan 13, 2026
Grant date	Jan 13, 2026

Abstract

This application relates to a link width adjustment method and apparatus. The method includes: sending, to a second-end apparatus through a first channel, a first packet indicating to perform link width switching; receiving a second packet that is returned by the second-end apparatus and that indicates that the link width switching is agreed on; sending, to the second-end apparatus through a second channel, a first bit stream to test the second channel for data communication; and sending a data stream to the second-end apparatus through the first channel and the second channel.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A link width adjustment method, comprising:
sending a first packet to a second-end apparatus through a first data link layer (DL) of a first-end apparatus and a first channel, wherein the first packet comprises a first data link flit (DLF) that carries first indication information indicating to perform link width switching, wherein the first indication information comprises a first identifier and a first link width, the first identifier indicates that the first DLF is a request packet for adjusting a link width in a sending direction, and the first link width indicates a target link width; receiving a second packet returned by the second-end apparatus, wherein the second packet carries second indication information indicating that the link width switching is agreed on; sending a first bit stream to the second-end apparatus through a second channel, wherein the first bit stream is used to train the second channel for a data communication; and sending a data stream to the second-end apparatus through the first channel and the second channel.

2 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein before the sending a data stream to the second-end apparatus through the first channel and the second channel, the method further comprises:
sending a second bit stream to the second-end apparatus through the first channel and the second channel, wherein the second bit stream indicates a link width for sending the data stream.

3 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the data stream comprises a second bit stream, and the second bit stream indicates a link width for sending the data stream.

4 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein after the sending a first bit stream to the second-end apparatus through a second channel, the method further comprises:
receiving a third packet sent by the second-end apparatus, wherein the third packet carries third indication information indicating that data communication can be performed on the second channel.

5 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the receiving a second packet returned by the second-end apparatus comprises:
receiving, through the first DL, a second DLF sent through the second DL, wherein the second DLF comprises the second indication information, the second indication information comprises a second identifier and the first link width, and the second identifier indicates that the second DLF is a response indicating an agreement on the request for adjusting the link width in the sending direction.

6 . The method according to claim 5 , wherein the first-end apparatus further comprises a first media access control (MAC) layer, and after the receiving a second DLF through the first DL, the method further comprises:
sending a first indication to the first MAC layer through the first DL, to cause the first MAC layer to enable the second channel.

7 . The method according to claim 6 , wherein the second-end apparatus further comprises a second MAC layer, and the sending a first bit stream to the second-end apparatus through a second channel comprises:
sending the first bit stream to the second MAC layer through the first MAC layer and the second channel.

8 . The method according to claim 4 , wherein the first-end apparatus comprises a first DL, and the second-end apparatus comprises a second DL; and the receiving a third packet sent by the second-end apparatus comprises:
receive, through the first DL, a third DLF sent through the second DL, wherein the third DLF comprises the third indication information, the third indication information comprises a third identifier, and the third identifier indicates that data communication can be performed on the second channel.

9 . A first-end apparatus, comprising at least one memory and at least one processor, wherein the at least one memory stores a computer program for execution by the at least one processor to cause the first-end apparatus to perform the following operations:
sending a first packet to a second-end apparatus through a first data link layer (DL) of a first-end apparatus and a first channel, wherein the first packet comprises a first data link flit (DLF) that carries first indication information indicating to perform link width switching, wherein the first indication information comprises a first identifier and a first link width, the first identifier indicates that the first DLF is a request packet for adjusting a link width in a sending direction, and the first link width indicates a target link width; receiving a second packet returned by the second-end apparatus, wherein the second packet carries second indication information indicating that the link width switching is agreed on; sending a first bit stream to the second-end apparatus through a second channel, wherein the first bit stream is used to train the second channel for a data communication; and sending a data stream to the second-end apparatus through the first channel and the second channel.

10 . The first-end apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein before the sending a data stream to the second-end apparatus through the first channel and the second channel, the operations further comprise:
sending a second bit stream to the second-end apparatus through the first channel and the second channel, wherein the second bit stream indicates a link width for sending the data stream.

11 . The first-end apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the data stream comprises a second bit stream, and the second bit stream indicates a link width for sending the data stream.

12 . The first-end apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein after the sending a first bit stream to the second-end apparatus through a second channel, the operations further comprise:
receiving a third packet sent by the second-end apparatus, wherein the third packet carries third indication information indicating that data communication can be performed on the second channel.

13 . The first-end apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the receiving a second packet returned by the second-end apparatus comprises:
receiving, through the first DL, a second DLF sent through the second DL, wherein the second DLF comprises the second indication information, the second indication information comprises a second identifier and the first link width, and the second identifier indicates that the second DLF is a response indicating an agreement on the request for adjusting the link width in the sending direction.

14 . The first-end apparatus according to claim 13 ,
wherein the first-end apparatus further comprises a first media access control (MAC) layer, and after the receiving a second DLF through the first DL, the operations further comprise: sending a first indication to the first MAC layer through the first DL, to cause the first MAC layer to enable the second channel.

15 . The first-end apparatus according to claim 14 ,
wherein the second-end apparatus further comprises a second MAC layer, and the sending a first bit stream to the second-end apparatus through a second channel comprises: sending the first bit stream to the second MAC layer through the first MAC layer and the second channel.

16 . The first-end apparatus according to claim 12 ,
wherein the first-end apparatus comprises a first DL, and the second-end apparatus comprises a second DL; and the receiving a third packet sent by the second-end apparatus comprises: receive, through the first DL, a third DLF sent through the second DL, wherein the third DLF comprises the third indication information, the third indication information comprises a third identifie

Assignees

• Huawei Tech Co Ltd

Inventors

• Nie Er
• Wang Kun
• Li Pan

Classifications

• G06F13/4022

  using switching circuits, e.g. switching matrix, connection or expansion network (G06F13/4009 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G06F13/102

  where the program performs an interfacing function, e.g. device driver (G06F13/105 takes precedence; contention policies within device drivers G06F9/4881; scheduling within device drivers G06F9/52) · CPC title

• G06F13/4018 Primary

  with data-width conversion · CPC title

• G06F13/4265 Primary

  on a point to point bus (G06F13/4247, G06F13/4282 take precedence) · CPC title