Input-output module, processing platform and method for extending a memory interface for input-output operations
AssigneeCisco Technology, Inc.
InventorsSatyanarayana Nishtala, Thomas Lee Lyon, Daniel Edward Lenoski
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Abstract
Embodiments of an I/O module, processing platform, and method for extending a memory interface are generally described herein. In some embodiments, the I/O module may be configured to operate in a memory module socket, such as a DIMM socket, to provide increased I/O functionality in a host system. Some system management bus address lines and some unused system clock signal lines may be reconfigured as serial data lines for serial data communications between the I/O module and a PCIe switch of the host system.
Claims20
An input-output (I/O) module configured to operate in a memory module socket, the I/O module comprising:
- a serial-presence detection (SPD) device to indicate that the I/O module is an I/O device and to indicate one or more functions associated with the I/O module;
- a serial data controller to communicate serial data with a configurable switch of a host system over preselected system management (SM) bus address lines and unused system clock signal lines of the memory module socket;
- a clock generator to provide a clock signal to the serial data controller for use in communicating the serial data;
- and
- an SM bus I/O device to interface with an SM bus channel of the host system to configure the clock generator for serial data communication.
A processing platform comprising:
- a plurality of memory module sockets to accept either memory modules or I/O modules;
- one or more system management (SM) bus controllers to read a serial presence detection (SPD) of each module present in the memory module sockets to determine whether each module is a memory module or an input-output (I/O) module;
- and
- a configurable switch, wherein for each I/O module detected by the SM bus controllers, the configurable switch is configured to use some SM bus address lines and some unused system clock signal lines as serial data lines for serial data communications with the each detected I/O module.
A method comprising:
- providing a host system having a plurality of memory module sockets that accept either memory modules or I/O modules;
- reading a serial presence detection (SPD) of each module present in the memory module sockets to determine whether each detected module is a memory module or an I/O module;
- configuring clock generators on detected I/O modules to generate a reference clock for a serial communication;
- and
- configuring a configurable switch to use some system management (SM) bus address lines and some unused system clock signal lines as serial data lines for serial data communications with the each detected I/O module in one of the memory module sockets.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.