Relative data width indication for read responses routed by an interconnect

A method for providing data access between nodes of an integrated circuit using an interconnect comprising a plurality of ports, each port to exchange data with a corresponding node of the integrated circuit;

• the method comprising:
• in response to a read-triggering request received from a requesting node at a predetermined type of ingress port among the plurality of ports:
• selecting from among the plurality of ports a selected egress port via which signals are to be routed to a destination node to control the destination node to return via the selected egress port at least one read response dependent on data read from a target storage location;
• obtaining a relative data width indication specifying whether read responses received at the selected egress port have a narrower data width than read responses to be provided to the requesting node by the predetermined type of ingress port;
• and
• controlling allocation of resource for handling the read-triggering request or the at least one read response depending on the relative data width indication.

A computer-implemented method of generating an electronic design file representing a design of an interconnect for providing data access between nodes of an integrated circuit;

• the electronic design file defining the interconnect comprising a plurality of ports, each port to exchange data with a corresponding node of the integrated circuit;
• the electronic design file indicating, for each port, a data width of read responses to be exchanged by that port with the corresponding node;
• wherein the ports include at least one ingress port for receiving a read-triggering request from a requesting node and selecting from among the plurality of ports a selected egress port via which signals are to be routed to a destination node to control the destination node to return via the selected egress port at least one read response dependent on data read from a target storage location;
• the method comprising, for a given ingress port:
• identifying a subset of ports which can be selected as the selected egress port for read-triggering requests received at the given ingress port;
• and
• when at least one of the subset of ports is to receive read responses having a narrower data width than read responses to be provided to the requesting node by the given ingress port:
• generating at least one relative data width indication, each relative data width indication specifying, for the given ingress port and a respective one of the subset of ports, whether read responses received at the one of the subset of ports have a narrower data width than read responses to be provided to the requesting node by the given ingress port, and
• generating or updating the electronic design file to indicate that the interconnect comprises storage circuitry to store the at least one relative data width indication.