US 2013/0252543 A1Published application

Low-latency interface-based networking

AssigneeTexas Instruments Incorporated

InventorsEric Louis Pierre Badi, Yves Michel Marie Massé, Philippe Gentric

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Abstract

A network of processing devices includes a medium for low-latency interfaces for providing point-to-point connections between each of the processing devices. A switch within each processing device is arranged to facilitate communications in any combination between the processing resources and the local point-to-point interfaces within each processing device. A networking layer is provided above the low-latency interface stack, which facilitates re-use of software and exploits existing protocols for providing the point-to-point connections. Higher speeds are achieved for switching between the relatively low numbers of processor resources within each processing device, while low-latency point-to-point communications are achieved using the low-latency interfaces for accessing processor resources that are external to a processing device.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A processing device, comprising

an initiating processor that is arranged in a first substrate and is arranged to initiate a first communication that includes a target processor identifier that identifies a target resource being requested of a target processor;
a first inter-device interface arranged in the first substrate to provide a point-to-point connection with a corresponding inter-device interface that is arranged in a second substrate;
a second inter-device interface arranged in the first substrate to provide a point-to-point connection with a corresponding inter-device interface that is arranged in a third substrate;
and
an intra-device switch is arranged in the first substrate to receive the first communication, to determine from the target processor identifier of the received first communication whether the target resource is arranged in the first substrate, to forward the received first communication to the target resource when the target resource is arranged in the first substrate, and to forward the received first communication to a selected inter-device interface of the first and second inter-device interfaces, wherein the selected interface is selected in response to routing information that is received from a routing map in response to the target resource identifier of the received first communication.

2 more elements

A networked system, comprising:

a first processing device that is arranged in a first substrate, wherein the first processing device includes an initiating processor, a first and a second inter-device interface each of which is arranged to provide a point-to-point connection with a corresponding inter-device interface, and a first intra-device switch that is arranged to receive from the initiating processor a request communication that includes a target processor identifier that identifies a target resource being requested of a target processor, that is arranged to determine from the target processor identifier of the received request communication whether the target resource is arranged in a processing device other than the first processing device, and that is arranged to forward the received request communication to a selected inter-device interface of the first and second inter-device interfaces when the target resource is arranged in a processing device other than the first processing device;
a first physical medium that is coupled between the first inter-device interface and a third inter-device interface that is arranged to provide a point-to-point connection with the first inter-device interface;
and
a second processing device that is arranged in a second substrate, wherein the second processing device includes a second processing device processor, the third inter-device interface, and a second intra-device switch that is arranged to receive the forwarded request communication from the third inter-device interface, to determine from the target processor identifier of the forwarded request communication whether a target resource of the second processing device processor is identified by the target processor identifier, and to forward the forwarded request communication to the second processing device processor when a target resource of the second processing device processor is identified by the target processor identifier.

1 more element

A method for routing communications across a network of devices, comprising:

receiving from an initiating processor arranged in a first processing device a request communication that includes a target processor identifier that identifies a target resource being requested of a target processor;
determining from the target processor identifier of the received request communication whether the target resource is arranged in a processing device other than the first processing device;
forwarding the received request communication to a selected inter-device interface when the target resource is arranged in a processing device other than the first processing device;
physically coupling the selected inter-device interface to a corresponding inter-device interface of a second processing device to route the forwarded request communication across a point-to-point connection established between the selected inter-device interface and the corresponding inter-device interface;
receiving the routed request communication across the point-to-point connection;
determining from the target processor identifier of the routed request communication whether a target resource of a second processing device processor is identified by the target processor identifier;
and
forwarding the routed request communication to the second processing device processor when a target resource of the second processing device processor is identified by the target processor identifier.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.