Systems on chips having interrupt proxy functions and interrupt processing methods thereof
Provided is a system on chip (SoC) capable of rapidly processing interrupts generated in various modules without causing an error. The SoC includes a processor configured to process a task, a plurality of modules on the SoC and operationally coupled to the processor through a system bus, and an interrupt proxy processing unit operationally coupled to the processor and the plurality of modules and configured to solely process an interrupt-related task from a first module of the plurality of modules.
1. A system on chip (SoC) comprising:
a processor configured to process a task;
a system bus;
a plurality of modules operationally coupled to the processor through the system bus;
an interrupt proxy processing unit operationally coupled to the processor and the plurality of modules, and the interrupt proxy processing unit configured to solely process an interrupt-related task associated with a first module of the plurality of modules, wherein
the interrupt proxy processing unit is configured to release an interrupt from the first module as part of the interrupt-related task and the interrupt proxy processing unit includes,
a status register configured to store interrupt status information regarding the interrupt received from the first module and store an interrupt release signal received from the processor if the processor releases the interrupt, the status register including,
a first storage region configured to store the interrupt status information,
a second storage region configured to store the interrupt release signal, and
a third storage region configured to store transmission execution information based on the interrupt status information;
a bus interface configured to supply the interrupt release signal to the first module; and
a priority determination unit between the status register and the processor, and the priority determination unit configured to select information having a highest interrupt priority among the interrupt status information and supply the selected information to the processor.
2. The SoC of claim 1 , wherein the processor is not configured to directly supply the interrupt release signal to the first module.
3. The SoC of claim 1 , wherein the bus interface is a bus slave interface with respect to the processor and is a bus master interface with respect to the plurality of modules.
4. A system on chip (SoC) comprising:
a processor configured to process a task;
a system bus;
a plurality of modules operationally coupled to the processor through the system bus; and
an interrupt proxy processing unit operationally coupled to the processor and the plurality of modules, and the interrupt proxy processing unit configured to receive an interrupt from a first module of the plurality of modules, store interrupt status information, and solely process an interrupt release task with respect to the first module, the interrupt proxy processing unit including,
a status register configured to store the interrupt status information and store an interrupt release signal received from the processor, the status register including,
a first storage region configured to store the interrupt status information,
a second storage region configured to store the interrupt release signal, and
a third storage region configured to store transmission execution information based on the interrupt status information;
a bus interface configured to supply the interrupt release signal to the first module; and
a priority determination unit between the status register and the processor, and the priority determination unit configured to select information having a highest interrupt priority among the interrupt status information and supply the selected information to the processor.
5. The SoC of claim 4 , wherein the plurality of modules comprise at least one selected from the group consisting of a memory, a logic circuit, an analog circuit, and a digital signal processor (DSP).
6. The SoC of claim 4 , wherein the processor is not configured to directly supply the interrupt release signal to the first module.
7. A method for processing interrupts in a system on chip (SoC), the SoC including a plurality of modules installed in the form of a module and operationally associated with a processor through a system bus, the method comprising:
storing interrupt status information generated from the plurality of modules in an interrupt proxy processing unit that operates as a slave interface with respect to the processor; and
releasing an interrupt through the interrupt proxy processing unit so that, when the processor escapes an interrupt processing operation mode, an operation of checking release of the interrupt is skipped, wherein
the interrupt proxy processing unit receives from the processor an interrupt clear command with respect to a corresponding module among the plurality of modules before the releasing of the interrupt,
the interrupt status information and the interrupt clear command are stored in a status register of the interrupt proxy processing unit,
the interrupt status information is stored in a first storage region of the status register,
the interrupt clear command is stored in a second storage region of the status register, and
the status register further includes a third storage region to store transmission execution information regarding the interrupt status information.
8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the transmission execution information is stored when selected as information having a highest interrupt priority among the interrupt status information.
9. A system on chip (SoC) comprising:
a processor configured to process a task;
a system bus;
a plurality of modules including hardware, peripheral devices, and interfaces, and the plurality of modules operationally coupled to the processor through the system bus; and
an interrupt proxy processing unit operationally coupled to the plurality of modules, the interrupt proxy processing unit configured to operate as another module with respect to the processor, receive an interrupt from a first module of the plurality of modules, store interrupt status information, and solely release the interrupt with respect to the first module upon receiving an interrupt clear command from the processor, wherein the interrupt proxy processing unit includes,
a status register configured to store the interrupt status information regarding the interrupt and store the interrupt clear command, the interrupt clear command associated with the first module, the status register including,
a first storage region configured to store the interrupt status information,
a second storage region configured to store the interrupt release signal, and
a third storage region configured to store transmission execution information based on the interrupt status information;
a bus interface configured to supply the interrupt clear command to the first module; and
a priority determination unit located between the status register and the processor, and the priority determination unit configured to select information having a highest interrupt priority among the interrupt status information and supply the selected information to the processor.
10. The SoC of claim 9 , wherein the processor is not configured to directly supply the interrupt clear command to the first module.
11. The SoC of claim 9 , wherein the plurality of modules includes at least one selected from the group consisting of a memory, a logic circuit, an analog circuit, and a digital signal processor (DSP).
12. The SoC of claim 9 , wherein the bus interface is a bus slave interface with respect to the processor and is a bus master interface with respect to the plurality of modules.
13. The SoC of claim 9 , wherein the processor is configured to operate faster than the plurality of modules.