Multiple burst protocol device controller
View Patent ↗Multiple burst memory access handling protocols may be implemented at the hardware level or evaluated and selected during design of the hardware. The appropriate burst protocol may be selectable based on burst characteristics such as burst types and the identity of the current bus master. This allows, for example, the ability for a slave to support multiple error protocols in a multi-master system on a chip (SoC), or to design slaves capable of interfacing with a variety of masters which use different burst handling protocols. Inputs such as a programmable control register or configuration pins or variables may be provided to as part of the slave or slave interface block (e.g., a memory controller) to facilitate the implementation of alternate burst protocols. When a burst request is received from a master, a burst characteristic corresponding to the requested burst is determined and one of a plurality of burst error protocols is selected based on the burst characteristic. The burst request is then processed according to the selected burst error protocol.
1. A method comprising:
receiving a burst request from a master;
determining a burst characteristic corresponding to the requested burst;
selecting one of a plurality of burst error protocols based on the burst characteristics, wherein determining the burst characteristic comprises determining a burst type corresponding to the requested burst, and the selected burst error protocol is selected based on the burst type; and
responding to the burst request according to the selected burst error protocol.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the burst type comprises one of a read burst type and a write burst type.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the burst type comprises one of a bounded burst type and an unbounded burst type.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the burst type comprises one of an incrementing burst type and a wrapping burst type.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the burst characteristic comprises determining an identity of the master corresponding to the requested burst, and the selected burst error protocol is selected based on the identity of the master.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein responding to the burst request according to the selected burst error protocol comprises:
initiating a burst transfer;
detecting an error during the burst transfer; and
selectively terminating the burst transfer based on the selected burst error protocol.
7. A memory controller executed at least in part by one or more processors, comprising:
burst protocol selection logic which determines at least one burst characteristic corresponding to a requested burst transfer and selects a burst error protocol based on the at least one burst characteristic, wherein the at least one burst characteristic comprises a burst type of the requested burst transfer;
control logic, coupled to the burst protocol selection logic, which responds to a requested burst according to the selected burst error protocol, wherein the control logic initiates the requested burst transfer in response to the requested burst and further comprises:
error detection logic which detects an error during the requested burst transfer; and
termination control logic which selectively terminates the requested burst transfer based on the selected burst error protocol provided by the burst protocol selection logic; and
a control register, coupled to the burst protocol selection logic, wherein the burst protocol selection logic selects the burst error protocol based on the at least one burst characteristic and information stored in the control register, wherein the information stored in the control register indicates a plurality of burst error protocols, and wherein the burst protocol selection logic selects the burst error protocol from the plurality of burst error protocols, wherein each of the plurality of burst error protocols corresponds to a burst type, the burst type comprising at least one of a read burst type, write burst type, bounded burst type, and unbounded burst type.
8. The memory controller of claim 7 , wherein the memory controller is configurable to communicate with a plurality of masters, and wherein each of the plurality of burst error protocols corresponds to a master of the plurality of masters.
9. The memory controller of claim 8 , wherein the at least one burst characteristic comprises an identifier of a master requesting the requested burst transfer.
10. The memory controller of claim 7 , wherein the burst protocol selection logic selects the burst error protocol based on the at least one burst characteristic and information provided via configuration inputs.
11. The memory controller of claim 10 , wherein the information provided via the configuration inputs indicates a burst error protocol to the burst protocol selection logic.
12. The memory controller of claim 7 , wherein the memory controller is implemented in hardware.
13. The memory controller of claim 7 , wherein the memory controller is implemented in software that is encoded on a computer readable medium.
14. A memory controller executed at least in part by one or more processors, comprising:
means for receiving a burst request from a master;
means for determining a burst characteristic corresponding to the requested burst;
means for selecting one of a plurality of burst error protocols based on the burst characteristic; and
means for responding to the burst request according to the selected burst error protocol, wherein the means for responding to the burst request according to the selected burst error protocol comprises:
means for initiating a burst transfer;
means for detecting an error during the burst transfer; and
means for selectively terminating the burst transfer based on the selected burst error protocol.
15. The memory controller of claim 14 , wherein the means for determining the burst characteristic comprises means for determining a burst type corresponding to the requested burst, and wherein the selected burst error protocol is selected based on the burst type.
16. The memory controller of claim 15 , wherein the burst type comprises at least one of a read burst type, a write burst type, a bounded burst type, an unbounded burst type, an incrementing burst type, and a wrapping burst type.
17. The memory controller of claim 14 , wherein the means for determining the burst characteristic comprises means for determining an identity of the master corresponding to the requested burst, and wherein the selected burst error protocol is selected based on the identity of the master.
18. A memory controller executed at least in part by one or more processors, configurable to communicate with a plurality of masters, comprising:
burst protocol selection logic which determines an identity of one of the plurality of masters corresponding to a requested burst transfer and selects a burst error protocol based on the identity of the one of the plurality of masters;
a control register, coupled to the burst protocol selection logic, wherein the burst protocol selection logic selects the burst protocol based on the identity of the one of the plurality of masters and information stored in the control register; and
control logic, coupled to the burst protocol selection logic, which responds to a requested burst according to the selected burst error protocol.
19. The memory controller of claim 18 , wherein the information stored in the control register indicates a plurality of burst protocols, each corresponding to a master of the plurality of masters, and wherein the burst protocol selection logic selects the burst protocol from the plurality of burst protocols.
20. The memory controller of claim 18 , wherein the memory controller is implemented in hardware.
21. The memory controller of claim 18 , wherein the memory controller is implemented in software that is encoded on a computer readable medium.
22. A memory controller executed at least in part by one or more processors, comprising:
burst protocol selection logic which determines at least one burst characteristic corresponding to a requested burst transfer and selects a burst error protocol from a plurality of burst error protocols based on the at least one burst characteristic, wherein the memory controller is configurable to communicate with a plurality of masters, and wherein each of the plurality of burst error protocols corresponds to a master of the plurality of masters; and
control logic, coupled to the burst protocol selection logic, which responds to a requested burst according to the selected burst error protocol.
23. The memory controller of claim 22 , wherein the control logic initiates the requested burst transfer in response to the requested burst and further comprises:
error detection logic which detects an error during the requested burst transfer; and
termination control logic which selectively terminates the requested burst transfer based on the selected burst error protocol provided by the burst protocol selection logic.
24. The memory controller of claim 22 , further comprising:
a control register, coupled to the burst protocol selection logic, wherein the burst protocol selection logic selects the burst error protocol based on the at least one burst characteristic and information stored in the control register.
25. The memory controller of claim 24 , wherein the information stored in the control register indicates a plurality of burst error protocols, and wherein the burst protocol selection logic selects the burst error protocol from the plurality of burst error protocols.
26. The memory controller of claim 25 , wherein each of the plurality of burst error protocols corresponds to a burst type, the burst type comprising at least one of a read burst type, write burst type, bounded burst type, and unbounded burst type.
27. The memory controller of claim 22 , wherein the at least one burst characteristic comprises a burst type of the requested burst transfer.
28. The memory controller of claim 22 , wherein the at least one burst characteristic comprises an identifier of a master requesting the requested burst transfer.
29. The memory controller of claim 22 , wherein the burst protocol selection logic selects the burst error protocol based on the at least one burst characteristic and information provided via configuration inputs.