Over-the-air hardware update
View Patent ↗Described is an apparatus for supporting Over-The-Air Hardware Updates comprising a first circuitry, a second circuitry, and a third circuitry. The first circuitry may be operable to be fastened and electrically coupled in one or more regions to one or more respectively corresponding semiconductor dies. The second circuitry may be operable to configure the one or more regions of the first circuitry. The third circuitry may be operable to provide a set of wirelessly-received configuration instructions to the second circuitry.
1. An apparatus comprising:
a first circuitry operable to be fastened and electrically coupled in one or more regions to one or more respectively corresponding semiconductor dies;
a second circuitry operable to configure the one or more regions of the first circuitry;
a third circuitry having an interface to an antenna and being operable to provide a set of wirelessly-received configuration instructions to the second circuitry;
a non-volatile memory to store the set of wirelessly-received configuration instructions, wherein the non-volatile memory is configured to store an end indicator;
a self-test circuitry configured to test a circuit, wherein the self-test circuitry is coupled to the one or more regions, wherein the first circuitry, the second circuitry, the third circuitry, and the self-test circuitry are embedded in a programmable silicon interposer;
a fabric controller circuitry, an TO controller circuitry, and a power management circuitry, wherein the fabric controller circuitry, the TO controller circuitry, and the power management circuitry are embedded in the programmable silicon interposer and coupled to the one or more regions; and
a fifth circuitry having a read-only memory configured to store a set of factory-installed configuration instructions, the fifth circuitry being operable to provide the set of factory-installed configuration instructions to the third circuitry.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 , comprising:
one or more semiconductor dies fastened and electrically connected to the one or more regions.
3. The apparatus of claim 2 ,
wherein the one or more semiconductor dies include at least one of: a processor circuitry, a memory circuitry, or a radio circuitry.
4. The apparatus of claim 1 ,
comprising:
a fourth circuitry having the non-volatile memory for storing the set of wirelessly-received configuration instructions, the fourth circuitry being operable to provide the set of wirelessly-received configuration instructions to the third circuitry.
5. The apparatus of claim 4 ,
wherein a semiconductor die fastened and electrically connected to one of the one or more regions comprises the fourth circuitry.
6. The apparatus of claim 1 ,
comprising:
the antenna coupled to the third circuitry and operable to receive the set of wirelessly-received configuration instructions.
7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the one or more respectively corresponding semiconductor dies include a radio circuitry with a Bluetooth Low Energy Channel which is configured to receive instructions for the programmable silicon interposer.
8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the non-volatile memory stores a configuration that pertains to connections that enable to test the circuit.
9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the non-volatile memory is to store configuration instructions that pertain to connections that enable a most recent verified or validated system configuration.
10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the non-volatile memory is encrypted.
11. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
the non-volatile memory is configured to store a last known-good system configuration that contains configuration instructions pertaining to connections enabling a most recent verified and/or validated system configuration; and
the non-volatile memory includes an area configured to store configuration instructions pertaining to connections enabling a configuration still under test, wherein the area is marked valid after an over-the-air update, wherein a subsequent reboot of the apparatus continues a test based on the configuration instructions stored in the area.
12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the set of factory-installed configuration instructions start at a first address, wherein the set of factory-installed configuration instructions are configuration instructions installed at product manufacturing time, wherein the last known-good system configuration starts at a second address, wherein the configuration instructions pertaining to connections enabling the configuration still under test starts at a third address, wherein the first address is hardcoded in a memory controller.
13. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the memory controller is coupled to the non-volatile memory and the fifth circuitry.
14. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein:
the set of factory-installed configuration instructions are configured to provide a first indicator to the memory controller about an end of the set of factory-installed configuration instructions;
the last known-good system configuration is configured to provide a second indicator to the memory controller about an end of the last known-good system configuration; and
the configuration instructions that pertain to connections that enable the configuration still under test are configured to provide a third indicator to them memory controller, wherein the third indicator indicates a size of the configuration instructions followed by a fourth indicator that indicates a size of a test code, followed by the test code.
15. An apparatus comprising:
a first circuitry operable to be mounted against one or more semiconductor dies in one or more respectively corresponding regions;
a second circuitry operable to configure at least one of the one or more respectively corresponding regions of the first circuitry;
a third circuitry operable to provide a set of configuration instructions to the second circuitry;
a fourth circuitry having a non-volatile reprogrammable memory for storing the set of configuration instructions, wherein the non-volatile reprogrammable memory is configured to store an end indicator;
a self-test circuitry configured to test a circuit, wherein the self-test circuitry is coupled to the one or more respectively corresponding regions;
an interface operable to receive the set of configuration instructions from a radio circuitry; and
a fabric controller circuitry, an TO controller circuitry, and a power management circuitry, wherein the fabric controller circuitry, the TO controller circuitry, and the power management circuitry are embedded in a programmable silicon interposer and coupled to the one or more respectively corresponding regions,
wherein the first circuitry, the second circuitry, the third circuitry, the fourth circuitry, the self-test circuitry, and the interface are embedded in the programmable silicon interposer.
16. The apparatus of claim 15 , comprising:
the one or more semiconductor dies mounted against the one or more respectively corresponding regions.
17. The apparatus of claim 16 ,
wherein the one or more semiconductor dies include at least one of: a processor circuitry, a memory circuitry, or the radio circuitry.
18. The apparatus of claim 15 ,
wherein a semiconductor die mounted against one of the one or more respectively corresponding regions comprises the fourth circuitry.
19. The apparatus of claim 15 , comprising:
a fifth circuitry having a read-only memory for storing a set of factory-installed configuration instructions.
20. A system comprising a memory, a processor coupled to the memory, a wireless interface for allowing the system to communicate with another device, and an apparatus including:
a first circuitry operable to be fastened and electrically coupled in one or more regions to one or more respectively corresponding semiconductor dies;
a second circuitry operable to configure the one or more regions of the first circuitry;
a third circuitry operable to provide a set of wirelessly-received configuration instructions to the second circuitry;
a non-volatile memory to store the set of wirelessly-received configuration instructions, wherein the non-volatile memory is configured to store an end indicator;
a self-test circuitry configured to test a circuit, wherein the self-test circuitry is coupled to the one or more regions, wherein the first circuitry, the second circuitry, the third circuitry, and the self-test circuitry are embedded in a programmable silicon interposer; and
a fabric controller circuitry, an IO controller circuitry, and a power management circuitry, wherein the fabric controller circuitry, the IO controller circuitry, and the power management circuitry are embedded in the programmable silicon interposer and coupled to the one or more regions.
21. The system of claim 20 , comprising:
one or more semiconductor dies fastened and electrically connected to the one or more regions,
wherein the one or more semiconductor dies include at least one of: the processor, the memory, or the wireless interface.
22. The system of claim 20 , comprising:
a fourth circuitry having the non-volatile memory for storing the set of wirelessly-received configuration instructions, the fourth circuitry being operable to provide the set of wirelessly-received configuration instructions to the third circuitry.
23. The system of claim 20 , comprising:
a fifth circuitry having a read-only memory for storing a set of factory-installed configuration instructions, the fifth circuitry being operable to provide the set of factory-installed configuration instructions to the third circuitry.