Data transfer circuitry given multiple source elements
AssigneeWave Computing, Inc.
InventorChristopher John Nicol
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An interface circuit is disclosed for the transfer of data from a synchronous circuit, with multiple source elements, to an asynchronous circuit. Data from the synchronous circuit is received into a memory in the interface circuit. The data in the memory is then sent to the asynchronous circuit based on an instruction in a circular buffer that is part of the interface circuit. Processing elements within the interface circuit execute instructions contained within the circular buffer. The circular buffer rotates to provide new instructions to the processing elements. Flow control paces the data from the synchronous circuit to the asynchronous circuit.
Claims18
An apparatus for computation comprising:
- a synchronous circuit comprised of a plurality of source elements, wherein the synchronous circuit operates at a hum frequency;
- an asynchronous circuit;
- and
- an interface circuit, interposed between the synchronous circuit and the asynchronous circuit, where the interface circuit comprises:
- a memory coupled to the synchronous circuit wherein:
- the memory receives an output from the synchronous circuit,
- wherein the receiving is performed at a multiple of the hum frequency;
- the asynchronous circuit receives an output from the memory;
- and
- a circular buffer, containing instructions, with switching components coupled to the synchronous circuit and the memory, wherein, based on the instructions in the circular buffer, data is captured into the memory from the synchronous circuit wherein the data comes from the plurality of source elements.
A processor-implemented method for computation comprising:
- coupling an asynchronous circuit, comprised of a plurality of source elements, to a synchronous circuit, wherein the synchronous circuit operates at a hum frequency;
- receiving data from a source element from the plurality of source elements, of the synchronous circuit, into a memory based on an instruction from a circular buffer that is part of an interface, between the asynchronous circuit and the synchronous circuit wherein receiving data from the synchronous circuit into the memory is performed at a multiple of the hum frequency;
- and
- sending data from the memory to the asynchronous circuit based on a request by the asynchronous circuit.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.