Method for managing the operation of a system on chip, and corresponding system on chip
View Patent ↗A system including a first port configured to simultaneously couple with a first device and a second device; and a management circuit configured to route a data signal received from a first controller to the first device in response to receiving a first-device direction from the first controller and route the data signal received from the first controller to the second device in response to receiving a second-device direction from the first controller unless an override condition for the management circuit is satisfied.
1. A system on chip (SoC) comprising:
a first external port of the SoC, configured to simultaneously couple with first and second devices external to the SoC; and
a management circuit on the SoC, configured to route a first data signal received from a first controller on the SoC to the first device via first inter-device data bussing in response to receiving a first-device direction from the first controller, and route the first data signal received from the first controller to the second device via second inter-device data bussing in response to receiving a second-device direction from the first controller, in accordance with an override condition for the management circuit not being satisfied, wherein the first inter-device data bussing and the second inter-device data bussing each has at least one individual data pin of the SoC not shared with the other inter-device data bussing.
2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the management circuit is configured to route the first data signal received from the first controller to the second device via the second inter-device data bussing in response to receiving the first-device direction in accordance with the override condition being satisfied.
3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the management circuit is configured to route the first data signal received from the first controller to the first device via the first inter-device data bussing in response to receiving the second-device direction in accordance with the override condition being satisfied.
4. The system of claim 1 , further comprising an elementary verification circuit configured to grant access to a first master piece of equipment to the first controller and a second elementary verification circuit configured to grant access to a second master piece of equipment to a second controller.
5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the management circuit comprises:
a multiplexer comprising a first input configured to receive the first-device direction and a second input configured to receive an override-direction and a selection signal to toggle an output of the multiplexer between the first input and the second input depending on the override condition.
6. The system of claim 1 further comprising a second external port of the SoC configured to simultaneously couple with third and fourth devices external to the SoC, wherein the management circuit is configured to route a second data signal received from a second controller on the SoC to the third device via third-device bussing or the fourth device via fourth-device bussing depending on a direction signal received from the second controller in accordance with the override condition for the management circuit not being satisfied.
7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the management circuit further comprises a control register and wherein the override condition is satisfied when a memory location in the control register is set to an override value.
8. The system of claim 7 , wherein an elementary verification circuit is configured to limit external accessibility to the control register to a chosen master piece of equipment.
9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the management circuit is further configured to route a second data signal received from a second controller to the first device via the first inter-device data bussing in response to receiving another first-device direction from the second controller and route the second data signal received from the second controller to the second device via the second inter-device data bussing in response to receiving another second-device direction from the second controller in accordance with the override condition for the management circuit being satisfied.
10. A system on chip (SoC) comprising:
a first external port of the SoC, configured to couple with a single first device external to the SoC and configured to couple with third and fourth devices external to the SoC;
a second external port of the SoC, configured to couple with a single second device external to the SoC and configured to couple with fifth and sixth devices external to the SoC; and
a management circuit on the SoC, comprising:
a first mode in which the management circuit is configured to route a first data signal received from a first controller on the SoC to the single first device coupled with the first external port and route a second data signal received from a second controller on the SoC to the single second device coupled with the second external port in the first mode,
a second mode in which the management circuit is configured to route the first data signal received from the first controller to the single second device coupled with the second external port and route the second data signal received from the second controller to the single first device coupled with the first external port, and
a third mode in which the management circuit is configured to route the first data signal received from the first controller to one of the third and fourth devices coupled with the first external port, via first inter-device data bussing, in response to receiving a first-device direction from the first controller, and route the first data signal received from the first controller to the other of the third and fourth devices coupled with the first external port, via second inter-device data bussing, in response to receiving a second-device direction from the first controller, in accordance with an override condition for the management circuit not being satisfied, wherein the first inter-device data bussing and the second inter-device data bussing each has at least one individual data pin of the SoC not shared with the other inter-device data bussing.
11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the management circuit comprises a fourth mode in which the management circuit is configured to route the first data signal received from the first controller to one of the fifth and sixth devices coupled with the second external port, via third-device bussing, in response to receiving the first-device direction from the first controller and route the first data signal received from the first controller to the other of the fifth and sixth devices coupled with the second external port, via fourth-device bussing, in response to receiving the second-device direction from the first controller, in accordance with the override condition for the management circuit not being satisfied.
12. The system of claim 10 , wherein the management circuit is further configured to route the first data signal received from the first controller to the other of the third and fourth devices coupled with the first external port, via the second inter-device data bussing, in response to receiving the first-device direction in accordance with the override condition being satisfied in the third mode.
13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the management circuit is configured to route the first data signal received from the first controller to the one of the third and fourth devices coupled with the first external port, via the first inter-device data bussing, in response to receiving the second-device direction in accordance with the override condition being satisfied in the third mode.
14. The system of claim 10 , wherein the management circuit is configured to route the second data signal received from the second controller to the one of the third and fourth devices coupled with the first external port, via the first inter-device data bussing, in response to receiving another first-device direction from the second controller, and route the second data signal received from the second controller to the other device of the third and fourth devices coupled with the first external port, via the second inter-device data bussing, in response to receiving another second-device direction from the second controller, in accordance with the override condition for the management circuit not being satisfied.
15. The system of claim 10 , wherein the management circuit further comprises a control register and wherein the override condition is satisfied when a memory location in the control register is set to an override value.
16. The system of claim 15 , wherein an elementary verification circuit is configured to limit external accessibility to the control register to a chosen master piece of equipment.
17. A method to route data received from a first controller on a system on chip (SoC), the method comprising:
receiving, by a management circuit on the SoC, a data signal from the first controller;
receiving, by the management circuit, a direction from the first controller to deliver the data signal, via first inter-device data bussing, to a first of two devices simultaneously coupled with an external port of the SoC, the two devices being external to the SoC, the first of the two devices being coupled to the SoC by the first inter-device data bussing, and a second of the two devices being coupled to the SoC by second inter-device data bussing, the first inter-device data bussing and the second inter-device data bussing each having at least one individual data pin of the SoC not shared with the other inter-device data bussing;
determining, by the management circuit, that an override condition has been met;
interrupting, by the management circuit, delivery of the data signal to the first of the two devices coupled with the external port; and
routing the data signal, via the second inter-device data bussing to the second of the two devices coupled with the external port by selecting a second input of a multiplexer as an output of the multiplexer.
18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the override condition comprises storing an override value in a control register.
19. The method of claim 17 , further comprising:
receiving, by the management circuit, the direction from the first controller at a first input of the multiplexer; and
receiving an override direction at the second input of the multiplexer.
20. The method of claim 17 , wherein interrupting delivery of the data signal to the first of the two devices coupled with the external port comprises blanking, by the management circuit, the data signal with an OR gate or an AND gate.