Efficient header generation in packetized protocols for flexible system on chip architectures

A method for generating headers in packetized protocols for a flexible routing network for a Network on a Chip (NoC) architecture, the method comprising:

• generating packets based on transmission traffic received from at least a first initiator or a target and a second initiator or the target, both an at least first initiator or the target and a second initiator or the target are connected to the flexible routing network for the Network on a Chip (NoC) architecture that connects disparate initiators and targets, packetizing the transmission traffic into a first packet from the first initiator or the target and a second packet from the second initiator or target for transmission to an input port of a downstream router element, wherein the first packet comprises a first header portion and a first body portion, and the second packet comprises a second header portion and a second body portion, wherein the first header portion and the second header portion are initially variable in length, and wherein the first header portion initially has a different length than the second header portion wherein packetization logic to generate the packets is in an interface located between the first initiator or the target and the flexible routing network and the second initiator or the target and the flexible routing network, wherein the first packet comprises the first header portion and the first body portion, and the second packet comprises the second header portion and the second body portion, wherein the first header portion and the second header portion are initially variable in length, wherein the first header portion initially has a different length than the second header portion, wherein each of the first and the second header portions include a header payload and header control information which includes routing information and other types of control information, wherein the packetization logic is configured to dynamically customize the lengths of the first and the second header portions by breaking the first header portion and the second header portion into a group of outgoing transmission units that all have a common width suitable for a width of the input port of the downstream router element,
• wherein a size of the group of outgoing transmission units and a width of the header payload are determined by the packetization logic included in the interface, and wherein the width of the header payload is determined based on orthogonal groups, with each of the orthogonal groups being associated with targets sharing an initiator thread, and wherein a maximum width of information accepted by the targets sharing the initiator thread is used as the common width of the header payload for a particular orthogonal group.