Method and apparatuses for respectively transferring information within and between system-on-chips (SOCS) via an internal bus and an external bus according to the same communication protocol

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9535869-B2
Application number	US-201514711103-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 13, 2015
Priority date	Dec 12, 2013
Publication date	Jan 3, 2017
Grant date	Jan 3, 2017

Abstract

A system including a first system-on-chip (SoC) and a second SoC. The first SoC includes a first module and a second module. The second module is separate from the first module. The second module is in communication with the first module via a first bus. The first bus is internal to the first SoC. The second SoC is separate from the first SoC. The second SoC is in communication with the first SoC via a second bus. The second bus is external to both the first SoC and the second SoC. The first bus and the second bus are configured to use a same communication protocol to respectively transfer information (i) between the first module and the second module via the first bus and internally within the first SoC and (ii) between the first SoC and the second SoC via the second bus.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system comprising:
a first system-on-chip (SoC), wherein the first system-on-chip (SoC) includes
(i) a first module, and
(ii) a second module that is separate from the first module, wherein the second module is in communication with the first module via a first bus, and wherein the first bus is internal to the first system-on-chip (SoC); and

a second system-on-chip (SoC) that is separate from the first system-on-chip (SoC), wherein the second system-on-chip (SoC) is in communication with the first system-on-chip (SoC) via a second bus, and wherein the second bus is external to both the first system-on-chip (SoC) and the second system-on-chip (SoC),
wherein
the first bus and the second bus are configured to use a same communication protocol to respectively transfer information (i) between the first module and the second module via the first bus and internally within the first system-on-chip (SoC), (ii) between the first module and the second bus, and (iii) between the first system-on-chip (SoC) and the second system-on-chip (SoC) via the second bus,
the transferring of the information using the same communication protocol includes (i) transferring the information at a same data rate, or (ii) transferring the information based on a same clock frequency,
the first module is connected in series between the first bus and the second bus and isolates the second module from the second bus, and
the second module is configured to convert the information into a predetermined format for transmission over the first bus including packetizing the information to generate one or more packets.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first module is configured to map a first plurality of addresses of the one or more packets to a second plurality of addresses to allow for the transfer of the information between the first system-on-chip (SoC) and the second system-on-chip (SoC).

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein:
the first system-on-chip (SoC) comprises a third module;
the third module is configured to (i) receive a local address for the one or more packets from the second module, (ii) generate a unique identifier, and (iii) based on the unique identifier, convert the local address to a global address prior to transmitting the one or more packets to the second system-on-chip (SoC);
the first plurality of addresses include the local address; and
the second plurality of addresses include the global address.

4. The system of claim 2 , wherein:
the first system-on-chip (SoC) comprises a third module;
the third module is configured to (i) receive a first address for the one or more packets from the second module, (ii) compare a predetermined portion of the first address to corresponding predetermined portions of the second plurality of addresses until a match is found, and (iii) if a match is found between the predetermined portion of the first address and the corresponding predetermined portion of one of the second plurality of addresses, remap the first address to the one of the second plurality of addresses prior to transmitting the one or more packets (a) to the second system-on-chip (SoC), or (b) between the second module and the third module; and
the first plurality of addresses include the first address.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein:
the first system-on-chip (SOC) is configured to implement intra-chip communication;
the first system-on-chip (SOC) and the second system-on-chip (SOC) are configured to implement inter-chip communication;
the first system-on-chip (SOC) comprises a serializer and deserializer module configured to convert the information between being in a serial format and being in a parallel format;
during the intra-chip communication, the information is in the serial format while being transferred (i) on the first bus, (ii) within the first system-on-chip (SOC), and (iii) between the first module and the second module; and
during inter-chip communication, the information is in the parallel format while being transferred (i) on the second bus, (ii) external to the first system-on-chip (SOC) and the second system-on-chip (SOC), and (iii) between the first system-on-chip (SOC) and the second system-on-chip (SOC).

6. A device comprising the system of claim 1 , wherein:
the device comprises one or more interfaces connected respectively to one or more peripheral devices; and
the one or more interfaces are configured to transfer the information between the one or more peripheral devices and the second system-on-chip (SOC) via the first module, the second module, the first bus, and the second bus.

7. The device of claim 6 , wherein:
the one or more interfaces comprise a first interface and a second interface;
the first interface is connected to a peripheral device of the one or more peripheral devices;
the first interface is configured to transfer the information to the first module;
the first module is configured to transfer the information to the second module;
the first system-on-chip (SOC) comprises a third module;
the second module is configured to transfer the information to the third module via the second interface; and
the third module is configured to transfer the information to the second system-on-chip (SOC).

8. A method of operating a first system-on-chip (SoC) and a second system-on-chip (SoC), wherein the second system-on-chip (SoC) is separate from the first system-on-chip (SoC), wherein the first system-on-chip (SoC) comprises a first module and a second module, and wherein the second module is separate from the first module, the method comprising:
transferring information between the first module and the second module via a first bus, wherein the first bus is internal to the first system-on-chip (SoC);
transferring the information between the first system-on-chip (SoC) and the second system-on-chip (SoC) via a second bus, wherein the second bus is external to both the first system-on-chip (SoC) and the second system-on-chip (SoC),
wherein
the first bus and the second bus are configured to use a same communication protocol to respectively transfer the information (i) between the first module and the second module internally within the first system-on-chip (SoC), (ii) between the first module and the second bus, and (iii) between the first system-on-chip (SoC) and the second system-on-chip (SoC), and
the first module is connected in series between the first bus and the second bus and isolates the second module from the second bus;

converting, via the second module, the information into a predetermined format for transmission over the first bus including packetizing the information to generate one or more packets;
receiving, at a third module, a local address for the one or more packets from the second module, wherein the first system-on-chip (SoC) comprises the third module;
generating a unique identifier at the third module; and
based on the unique identifier, converting the local address to a global address prior to transmitting the one or more packets to the second system-on-chip (SoC).

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising mapping a first plurality of addresses of the one or more packets to a second plurality of addresses to allow for the transfer of the information between the first system-on-chip (SoC) and the second system-on-chip (SoC), wherein:
the first plurality of addresses include the local address; and
the second plurality of addresses include the global address.

10. A system comprising:
a first system-on-chip (SoC) comprising a first module, a second module, and a first bus, wherein the first bus is internal to the first system-on-chip (SoC);
a second system-on-chip (SoC) that is separate from the firs

Assignees

• Marvell World Trade Ltd

Inventors

• Zheng Hongming

Classifications

• G06F13/4221 Primary

  being an input/output bus, e.g. ISA bus, EISA bus, PCI bus, SCSI bus · CPC title

• G06F15/7807

  System on chip, i.e. computer system on a single chip; System in package, i.e. computer system on one or more chips in a single package · CPC title

• H04L45/52

  Multiprotocol routers · CPC title

• G06F13/387

  for adaptation of different data processing systems to different peripheral devices, e.g. protocol converters for incompatible systems, open system · CPC title

• G06F15/7867 Primary

  with reconfigurable architecture · CPC title