US 2026/0299670 A1Published application

Subsystem for Power Management with Multiple Central Transponders

AssigneeApple Inc.

InventorsRoey Grinvald, Shhadi Naamneh, Tzach Zemer, Jason C. Wei, Shawn M. Fukami

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Abstract

A computer system that includes a plurality of agent circuits and a network circuit configured to convey information between the agent circuits. The network circuit includes a plurality of network circuit elements coupled via a plurality of links to define a network topology having respective network paths between pairs of the plurality of agent circuits and a transponder subsystem, which has multiple central transponder circuits. A given central transponder circuit is configured to deactivate links of the plurality of links based on determinations of network inactivity for network paths that utilize those links, and activate deactivated links in a particular network path based on an indication of network activity for a first pair of agent circuits that utilize the particular network path. The multiple central transponder circuits include central transponder circuits configured to manage activation and deactivation of links in different portions of the network circuit, including on multiple dies.

Claims20

Dependent claims

An apparatus, comprising:

a computer system formed on one or more co-packaged integrated circuits, the computer system including:
a plurality of agent circuits;
a network circuit configured to convey information between various ones of the plurality of agent circuits, wherein the network circuit includes:
a plurality of network circuit elements coupled via a plurality of links to define a network topology having respective network paths between pairs of the plurality of agent circuits;
and
a transponder subsystem including multiple central transponder circuits configured to:
deactivate links of the plurality of links based on determinations of network inactivity for agent circuits that utilize those links;
and
activate deactivated links in a particular network path based on an indication of network activity for a first pair of agent circuits that utilize the particular network path;
wherein the multiple central transponder circuits include a first central transponder circuit configured to manage activation and deactivation of links in a first portion of the network circuit, and a second central transponder circuit configured to manage activation and deactivation of links in a second, different portion of the network circuit;
and
wherein the computer system is configured to reduce power to links that have been deactivated.

9 more elements

A method, comprising:

receiving, by a first central transponder circuit of a computer system having a plurality of agent circuits and a network circuit configured to convey information over a plurality of links between various pairs of the plurality of agent circuits via respective network paths, a first indication of network inactivity for a set of network paths that includes a first link of the plurality of links, the first central transponder circuit being configured to manage link activation and deactivation for a first portion of the network circuit;
sending, by the first central transponder circuit to a second central transponder circuit of the computer system based on the first indication, a first lock export request for the set of network paths, the second central transponder circuit being configured to manage link activation and deactivation for a second, different portion of the network circuit;
receiving, by the first central transponder circuit from the second central transponder circuit, a first lock import request indicating network inactivity for portions of the set of network paths located in the second portion of the network circuit;
and
initiating locking, by the first central transponder circuit based on sending the first lock export request and receiving the first lock import request, the set of network paths, thereby preventing the set of network paths from accepting traffic until unlocked.

2 more elements

An apparatus, comprising:

a computer system formed on one or more co-packaged integrated circuits that includes:
a plurality of agent circuits;
a network circuit configured to convey information between various ones of the plurality of agent circuits, wherein the network circuit includes:
a plurality of network circuit elements coupled via a plurality of links to define a network topology having respective network paths between pairs of the plurality of agent circuits, including a particular network path that includes a first link located in a first portion of the network circuit and a second link located in a second, different portion of the network circuit;
and
a transponder subsystem including a first central transponder circuit corresponding to the first portion of the network circuit and a second central transponder circuit corresponding to the second portion of the network circuit;
wherein the first central transponder circuit is configured to send, to the second central transponder circuit, a first indication of network inactivity for a first set of network paths that include the first link, and wherein the second central transponder circuit is configured to send, to the first central transponder circuit, a second indication of network inactivity for a second set of network paths that include the second link;
and
wherein, based on a handshake protocol that includes receipt of the first indication by the second central transponder circuit and receipt of the second indication by the first central transponder circuit, the transponder subsystem is configured to deactivate the first link and the second link.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.