Communication transaction control between independent domains of an integrated circuit
AssigneeArm Limited
InventorsDaryl Bradley, Richard Grisenthwaite, Sheldon Woodhouse
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Within an integrated circuit 2 independently controllable domains 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14 may be unable to complete pending transactions taking place between domains. Each domain is provided with a transaction level state machine 20, 22 which is responsive to the state of the state machine within the other domain and when this indicates that the other domain is not capable of communicating triggers default behaviour ensuring that the predetermined transaction protocol is not broken.
Claims24
An integrated circuit comprising:
- a first domain including a first communication circuit;
- a second domain including a second communication circuit operable to communicate with said first communication circuit via a transaction interface using communication transactions in accordance with a transaction protocol;
- a first state machine operable to move between states indicative of transaction level communication status of said first communication circuit;
- and
- a second state machine operable to move between states indicative of transaction level communication status of said second communication circuit;
- wherein
- said first domain and said second domain are separately controllable such that at least said second communication circuit may independently move to a state in which it cannot communicate via said transaction interface;
- and
- movement between states of said first state machine is at least partly controlled by a current state of said second state machine such if said second communication circuit changes to a state in which it cannot communicate via said transaction interface part way through a pending communication transaction between said first communication circuit and said second communication circuit, then said first state machine makes an associated move between states and said first communication circuit continues processing of said pending communication transaction in accordance with a predetermined default behaviour and in a manner compliant with said transaction protocol.
A method of operating an integrated circuit having a first domain including a first communication circuit and a second domain including a second communication circuit, said method comprising the steps of:
- communicating between said first communication circuit and said second communication circuit via a transaction interface using communication transactions in accordance with a transaction protocol;
- moving a first state machine between states indicative of transaction level communication status of said first communication circuit;
- and
- moving a second state machine between states indicative of transaction level communication status of said second communication circuit;
- wherein
- said first domain and said second domain are separately controllable such that at least said second communication circuit may independently move to a state in which it cannot communicate via said transaction interface;
- and
- movement between states of said first state machine is at least partly controlled by a current state of said second state machine such if said second communication circuit changes to a state in which it cannot communicate via said transaction interface part way through a pending communication transaction between said first communication circuit and said second communication circuit, then said first state machine makes an associated move between states and said first communication circuit continues processing of said pending communication transaction in accordance with a predetermined default behaviour and in a manner compliant with said transaction protocol.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.