Two modes of a configuration interface of a network ASIC
Embodiments of the present invention are directed to a configuration interface of a network ASIC. The configuration interface allows for two modes of traversal of nodes. The nodes form one or more chains. Each chain is in a ring or a list topology. A master receives external access transactions. Once received by the master, an external access transaction traverses the chains to reach a target node. A target node either is an access to a memory space or is a module. A chain can include at least one decoder. A decoder includes logic that determines which of its leaves to send an external access transaction to. In contrast, if a module is not the target node, then the module passes an external access transaction to the next node coupled thereto; otherwise, if the module is the target node, the transmission of the external access transaction stops at the module.
1. A network device comprising:
a memory;
a controller receiving an external access transaction from a source;
a plurality of nodes comprising one or more memory access blocks, one or more decoders and a plurality of slaves, the plurality of nodes forming a plurality of rings and a plurality of chains that are each coupled to the controller, wherein a first decoder of the decoders is coupled with two or more first rings of the rings and two or more of first chains of the chains and, upon receiving the external access transaction, determines whether to forward the external access transaction onto one of the first rings or the first chains, wherein each of the plurality of slaves includes a set of registers; and
a network ASIC including a configuration interface that allows for two modes of traversal of the nodes for propagation of the external access transaction to a target node.
2. The network device of claim 1 , further comprising a CPU, wherein the source is the CPU.
3. The network device of claim 1 , wherein a second decoder of the decoders is coupled to the first decoder as a part of one of the first chains.
4. The network device of claim 3 , wherein the second decoder is coupled to one or more second chains extending from the one of the first chains and, upon receiving the external access transaction, determines which of the first chains to forward the external access transaction onto.
5. The network device of claim 1 , wherein the target node is an access to the memory.
6. The network device of claim 1 , wherein the target node is one of the plurality of slaves.
7. The network device of claim 1 , wherein the propagation of the external access transmission stops at one of the at least one slave when the one of the at least one slave is the target node.
8. The network device of claim 1 , wherein the propagation of the external access transmission is passed from one of the at least one slave when the one of the at least one slave is not the target node.
9. The network device of claim 1 , wherein the nodes are arranged in a tree structure.
10. The network device of claim 1 , wherein the nodes include the controller and the plurality of slaves.
11. A network device comprising:
a controller receiving an external access transaction from a source;
a plurality of nodes forming a plurality of rings and a plurality of chains that are each coupled to the controller, wherein the plurality of nodes includes:
one or more memory access blocks;
a plurality of modules, wherein each module includes a set of registers; and
one or more decoders, wherein each of the decoders includes logic that determines which of the plurality of nodes to send the external access transaction to, wherein a first decoder of the decoders is coupled with two or more first rings of the rings and two or more of first chains of the chains and, upon receiving the external access transaction, determines whether to forward the external access transaction onto one of the first rings or the first chains; and
a network ASIC including a configuration interface that allows for two modes of traversal of the nodes for transmission of the external access transaction to a target node.
12. The network device of claim 11 , wherein a second decoder of the decoders is coupled to one or more second chains extending from the one of the first chains and, upon receiving the external access transaction, determines which of the first chains to forward the external access transaction onto.
13. The network device of claim 11 , wherein a second decoder of the decoders is coupled to the first decoder as a part of one of the first chains.
14. The network device of claim 11 , wherein the transmission of the external access transaction to one of the plurality of modules either stops at the one of the plurality of modules or is passed by the one of the plurality of module to the next node coupling therewith.
15. The network device of claim 14 , wherein the transmission is dependent on whether the one of the plurality of modules is the target node.
16. The network device of claim 11 , wherein the external access transaction includes a read instruction, a write instruction or a combination thereof.
17. The network device of claim 11 , wherein the set of registers is implemented as flip-flops.
18. The network device of claim 11 , further comprising memory.
19. The network device of claim 18 , wherein the plurality of nodes includes at least one access to the memory.