Process-in-memory (pim) virtualization with translation layer

A method for operating a memory controller comprising a translation layer, the memory controller operable in an apparatus for virtualizing Process in Memory (PIM) operations, the method comprising:

• providing, by the translation layer, one or more virtual process-in-memory (PIM) interfaces, each virtual PIM interface associated with a respective system-on-chip (SoC) client of the apparatus;
• receiving, by the translation layer, one or more PIM operation requests from one or more SoC clients via the one or more virtual PIM interfaces;
• and
• translating, at the translation layer, the received one or more PIM operation requests into one or more PIM operations, and interleaving, at the translation layer, the one or more PIM operations”.

An apparatus for virtualizing Process In Memory (PIM) operations, comprising:

• a system-on-chip (SoC) including one or more SoC clients;
• a memory controller comprising a translation layer;
• and
• a memory device comprising a process-in-memory (PIM) unit and configured for communication with the SoC via the, wherein the translation layer comprises a context manager configured to:
• store first context information for a first SoC client in response to detecting a switch to a second SoC client, wherein the context information includes at least one of temporary accumulator results or register states associated with PIM operations;
• retrieve second context information for the second SoC client;
• store the second context information to the PIM unit before processing a PIM operation request from the second SoC client;
• and
• translate the PIM operation request into one or more PIM operations for execution by the PIM unit.