# US 11,308,018 B2 · Virtualized link states of multiple protocol layer package interconnects

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- Number: US 11,308,018 B2
- Document ID: US11308018B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/015,963
- Filed: 2020-09-09
- Published: 2020-12-31
- Granted: 2022-04-19
- Earliest claimed: 2019-04-02
- Assignees: Intel Corporation
- Applicants: Intel Corporation
- Inventors: Joon Teik Hor; Ting Lok Song; Mahesh Wagh; Su Wei Lim
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11308018B2

## CPC

- G06F 13/4031: {with arbitration}
- G06F 13/1652: {in a multiprocessor architecture (interprocessor communication using common memory G06F15/167)}
- G06F 13/387: {for adaptation of different data processing systems to different peripheral devices, e.g. protocol converters for incompatible systems, open system}
- G06F 13/4208: {being a system bus, e.g. VME bus, Futurebus, Multibus}
- G06F 13/4265: {on a point to point bus (G06F13/4247, G06F13/4282 take precedence)}
- Y02D 10/00: Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)
- Y02D: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES [ICT], I.E. INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES AIMING AT THE REDUCTION OF THEIR OWN ENERGY USE

## Abstract

Systems, methods, and devices can include a first die comprising a first arbitration and multiplexing logic, a first protocol stack associated with a first interconnect protocol, and a second protocol stack associated with a second interconnect protocol. A second die comprising a second arbitration and multiplexing logic. A multilane link connects the first die to the second die. The second arbitration and multiplexing logic can send a request to the first arbitration and multiplexing logic to change a first virtual link state associated with the first protocol stack. The first arbitration and multiplexing logic can receive, from across the multilane link, the request from the first die indicating a request to change the first virtual link state; determine that the first interconnect protocol is ready to change a physical link state; and change the first virtual link state according to the received request while maintaining a second virtual link state.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An apparatus comprising:
physical layer circuitry (PHY) to:
receive, from across a link, a physical layer packet indicating a request to change a state of a first virtual link state associated with a first interconnect protocol;
determine that the first interconnect protocol is ready to change a physical link state;
change the first virtual link state according to the physical layer packet; and
transmit a physical layer packet across the link to indicate the change in the first virtual link state.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, the PHY to send across the link a physical layer packet indicating that the first protocol has changed the first virtual link state.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, the PHY to:
maintain the first virtual link state associated with the first interconnect protocol; and
maintain a second virtual link state associated with a second interconnect protocol.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The apparatus of claim 3, the PHY to:
receive, from across the link, a physical layer packet indicating a request to change a state of the second virtual link state;
determine that the second interconnect protocol is ready to change the second virtual link state; and
change the second virtual link state according to the physical layer packet while maintaining a third virtual link state.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The apparatus of claim 4, the PHY to send across the link a physical layer packet indicating that the second protocol has changed the second virtual link state.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The apparatus of claim 5, the arbitration logic to transmit across the link a physical layer packet indicating that the arbitration logic has changed the third virtual link state.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, the PHY comprising arbitration logic, the PHY to:
maintain a second virtual link state associated with arbitration logic;
receive, from across the link, a physical layer packet indicating a request to change a state of the second virtual link state;
determine that the arbitration logic is ready to change the second virtual link state; and
change the second virtual link state according to the physical layer packet.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first interconnect protocol is based on a Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (PCIe) protocol.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the link comprises a link based on a Rosetta Link interconnect.

### Claim 10

A method performed by physical layer circuitry (PHY), the method comprising:
receiving an indication to change a first virtual link state for a multilane link, the first virtual link state associated with a first interconnect protocol;
determining that the first interconnect protocol is ready to change a physical link state associated with the first virtual link state;
changing the first virtual link state while maintaining a second virtual link state associated with a second interconnect protocol; and
sending a message across the multilane link to indicate the change to the first virtual link state.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, further comprising:
receiving an indication on a first physical layer packet to change the second virtual link state;
determining that the second interconnect protocol is ready to change a physical link state associated with the second virtual link state;
changing the second virtual link state; and
transmitting a second physical layer packet across the multilane link indicating a change to the second link state.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, further comprising:
receiving an indication on a third physical layer packet to change a third virtual link state, the third virtual link state associated with an arbitration logic;
determining that the arbitration logic is ready to change a physical link state associated with the third virtual link state;
changing the third virtual link state;
transmitting a physical layer packet across the multilane link indicating a change to the third link state; and
changing a physical link state associated with the multilane link.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The method of claim 12, further comprising changing a physical link state of the multilane link based on changes to the first, second, and third virtual link states.

### Claim 14 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, wherein one of the first or second interconnect protocols comprises a protocol based on a Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (PCIe) protocol.

### Claim 15 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, wherein the multilane link comprises a link that connects two dies of a multichip device.

### Claim 16

A system comprising:
a first die comprising:
first physical layer circuitry (PHY),
a first protocol stack associated with a first interconnect protocol, and
a second protocol stack associated with a second interconnect protocol;
a second die comprising a second PHY; and
a multilane link connecting the first die to the second die;
the second PHY to send to the first PHY a request to change a first virtual link state associated with the first protocol stack;
the first PHY to:
receive, from across the multilane link, the request from the second die to change the first virtual link state;
determine that the first interconnect protocol is ready to change a physical link state; and
change the first virtual link state according to the received request while maintaining a second virtual link state.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The system of claim 16, the first PHY to transmit across the multilane link a physical layer packet to indicate a change in the first virtual link state.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The system of claim 17, the second PHY to receive the physical layer packet that indicates the change in the first virtual link state, and to:
determine that a first virtual link state associated with a first protocol stack at the second die is ready to change a physical link state; and
change a first virtual link state for the first protocol stack at the second die.

### Claim 19 (depends on 16)

The system of claim 16, the first PHY to:
receive, from across the multilane link, a physical layer packet comprising a request to change a state of the second virtual link state;
determine that the second interconnect protocol is ready to change a physical link state; and
change the second virtual link state according to the physical layer packet while maintaining a third virtual link state.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The system of claim 19, the first PHY to send across the multilane link a physical layer packet to indicate that the second virtual link state has changed.

### Claim 21 (depends on 16)

The system of claim 16, the first PHY comprising arbitration logic, the first PHY to:
receive, from across the multilane link, a physical layer packet comprising a request to change a state of a second virtual link state, the second virtual link state associated with the arbitration logic;
determine that the arbitration logic is ready to change a physical link state; and
change a third virtual link state according to the physical layer packet.

### Claim 22 (depends on 21)

The system of claim 21, the first PHY to transmit across the multilane link a physical layer packet indicating that the first PHY has changed the second virtual link state.

### Claim 23 (depends on 16)

The system of claim 16, wherein the first protocol stack comprises transaction layer and link layer protocols for a Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (PCIe)-based protocol; and
wherein the multilane link comprising a link based on an R-link interconnect protocol.