Bus having a dynamic timing bridge
View Patent ↗A data processing system may comprise an initiator device having an output whose timing is referenced by a clock input alone corresponding to a first delay along a signaling path. The exemplary data processing system further may further comprise a target device having an input whose timing is referenced by a clock input alone corresponding to a second delay along the signaling path and a system bus interconnected between the initiator device and the target device within the signaling path. The exemplary data processing system may further comprise a dynamic timing bridge coupled to the system bus within the signaling path, wherein responsive to a control signal representative of at least one system characteristic, the dynamic timing bridge performs one selected from the group consisting of (i) inserting a cyclic latency within the signaling path and (ii) not inserting the cyclic latency within the signaling path.
1. A system comprising:
an initiator device having an output whose timing is referenced by a clock input alone corresponding to a first delay along a signaling path;
a target device having an input whose timing is referenced by a clock input alone corresponding to a second delay along the signaling path;
a system bus interconnected between the initiator device and the target device within the signaling path; and
a dynamic timing bridge coupled to the system bus within the signaling path, wherein responsive to a control signal representative of at least one system characteristic, the dynamic timing bridge performs one selected from the group consisting of (i) inserting an at least one clock cycle delay within the signaling path and (ii) not inserting the at least one clock cycle delay within the signaling path,
wherein the dynamic timing bridge includes a bus input, a clock input, a control signal input, and an output, and further comprises a sequential logic block and a multiplexer, and wherein (a) the bus input is coupled to (i) an input of the sequential logic block and (ii) an input of the multiplexer, (b) the clock input is coupled to a clock input of the sequential logic block, (c) an output of the sequential logic block is coupled to another input of the multiplexer, (d) the control signal input is coupled to a select input of the multiplexer, and (e) an output of the multiplexer is coupled to the output of the dynamic timing bridge, wherein responsive to the control signal input, the multiplexer multiplexes one of the bus input or the sequential logic block output onto the dynamic timing bridge output.
2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the dynamic timing bridge (i) inserts the at least one clock cycle delay within the signaling path in response to conditions wherein a desired system operating frequency cannot be met in the absence of the at least one clock cycle delay and (ii) does not insert the at least one clock cycle delay within the signaling path in response to the system operating under conditions that allow the desired system operating frequency to be met without the presence of the at least one clock cycle delay.
3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the dynamic timing bridge enables an optimal run-time system performance to be obtained across a range of one or more of process related, temperature, voltage and frequency operating conditions.
4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one system characteristic includes an operating condition based upon one or more selected from the group consisting of process, voltage, temperature, and frequency.
5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the dynamic timing bridge control signal includes at least one selected from the group consisting of (i) a programmable register bit control signal, (ii) a process, voltage, temperature or frequency (PVTF) sensing circuit control signal, and (iii) other hardware control signal.
6. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a controller for providing the dynamic timing bridge control signal.
7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the dynamic timing bridge control signal is generated by a hardware component, a software component, or a combination thereof.
8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the initiator device comprises a plurality of initiator devices, the target device comprises a plurality of target devices, and the system bus comprises a plurality of system buses, the system further comprising:
a system level interconnect for interconnecting any one of the plurality of initiator devices with any one of the plurality of target devices via a corresponding one or more of the plurality of system buses including the signaling path.
9. The system of claim 8 , further comprising one or more dynamic timing bridges coupled to one or more of the plurality of system buses.
10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the one or more dynamic timing bridges coupled to the one or more of the plurality of system buses are disposed in one selected from the group consisting of (i) internal to the system level interconnect and (ii) external to the system level interconnect.
11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the system bus comprises a distributed bus implementation.
12. A system comprising:
an initiator device having an output whose timing is referenced by a clock input alone corresponding to a first delay along a signaling path;
a target device having an input whose timing is referenced by a clock input alone corresponding to a second delay along the signaling path;
a system bus interconnected between the initiator device and the target device within the signaling path; and
a dynamic timing bridge coupled to the system bus within the signaling path, wherein responsive to a control signal representative of at least one system characteristic, the dynamic timing bridge performs one selected from the group consisting of (i) inserting an at least one clock cycle delay within the signaling path and (ii) not inserting the at least one clock cycle delay within the signaling path, wherein the dynamic timing bridge (i) inserts the at least one clock cycle delay within the signaling path in response to conditions wherein a desired system operating frequency cannot be met in the absence of the at least one clock cycle delay and (ii) does not insert the at least one clock cycle delay within the signaling path in response to the system operating under conditions that allow the desired system operating frequency to be met without the presence of the at least one clock cycle delay, and wherein the at least one system characteristic includes an operating condition based upon one or more selected from the group consisting of process, voltage, temperature, and frequency,
wherein the dynamic timing bridge includes a bus input, a clock input, a control signal input, and an output, and further comprises a sequential logic block and a multiplexer, and wherein (a) the bus input is coupled to (i) an input of the sequential logic block and (ii) an input of the multiplexer, (b) the clock input is coupled to a clock input of the sequential logic block, (c) an output of the sequential logic block is coupled to another input of the multiplexer, (d) the control signal input is coupled to a select input of the multiplexer, and (e) an output of the multiplexer is coupled to the output of the dynamic timing bridge, wherein responsive to the control signal input, the multiplexer multiplexes one of the bus input or the sequential logic block output onto the dynamic timing bridge output.
13. The system of claim 12 , further comprising:
a controller for providing the dynamic timing bridge control signal.
14. The system of claim 12 , wherein the initiator device comprises a plurality of initiator devices, the target device comprises a plurality of target devices, and the system bus comprises a plurality of system buses, the system further comprising:
a system level interconnect for interconnecting any one of the plurality of initiator devices with any one of the plurality of target devices via a corresponding one or more of the plurality of system buses including the signaling path.
15. A method of dynamic bypass control comprising:
providing an initiator device having an output whose timing is referenced by a clock input alone corresponding to a first delay along a signaling path;
providing a target device having an input whose timing is referenced by a clock input alone corresponding to a second delay along the signaling path;
interconnecting a system bus between the initiator device and the target device within the signaling path; and
coupling a dynamic timing bridge to the system bus within the signaling path, wherein responsive to a control signal representative of at least one system characteristic, the dynamic timing bridge performs one selected from the group consisting of (i) inserting at least one clock cycle delay within the signaling path and (ii) not inserting the at least one clock cycle delay within the signaling path, wherein the dynamic timing bridge includes a bus input, a clock input, a control signal input, and an output, and further comprises a sequential logic block and a multiplexer, and wherein (a) the bus input is coupled to (i) an input of the sequential logic block and (ii) an input of the multiplexer, (b) the clock input is coupled to a clock input of the sequential logic block, (c) an output of the sequential logic block is coupled to another input of the multiplexer, (d) the control signal input is coupled to a select input of the multiplexer, and (e) an output of the multiplexer is coupled to the output of the dynamic timing bridge, wherein responsive to the control signal input, the multiplexer multiplexes one of the bus input or the sequential logic block output onto the dynamic timing bridge output.
16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the dynamic timing bridge (i) inserts the at least one clock cycle delay within the signaling path in response to conditions wherein a desired system operating frequency cannot be met in the absence of the at least one clock cycle delay and (ii) does not insert the at least one clock cycle delay within the signaling path in response to the system operating under conditions that allow the desired system operating frequency to be met without the presence of the at least one clock cycle delay.
17. The method of claim 15 , wherein the dynamic timing bridge enables an optimal run-time system performance to be obtained across a range of one or more of process related, temperature, voltage and frequency operating conditions.
18. The method of claim 15 , wherein the at least one system characteristic includes an operating condition based upon one or more selected from the group consisting of process, voltage, temperature, and frequency.