Multiple Independent On-chip Interconnect

    公开(公告)号:US20220334997A1

    公开(公告)日:2022-10-20

    申请号:US17337805

    申请日:2021-06-03

    Applicant: Apple Inc.

    Abstract: In an embodiment, a system on a chip (SOC) comprises a semiconductor die on which circuitry is formed, wherein the circuitry comprises a plurality of agents and a plurality of network switches coupled to the plurality of agents. The plurality of network switches are interconnected to form a plurality of physical and logically independent networks. A first network of the plurality of physically and logically independent networks is constructed according to a first topology and a second network of the plurality of physically and logically independent networks is constructed according to a second topology that is different from the first topology. For example, the first topology may a ring topology and the second topology may be a mesh topology. In an embodiment, coherency may be enforced on the first network and the second network may be a relaxed order network.

    Communication Fabric Structures for Increased Bandwidth

    公开(公告)号:US20250097166A1

    公开(公告)日:2025-03-20

    申请号:US18433184

    申请日:2024-02-05

    Applicant: Apple Inc.

    Abstract: An apparatus includes first agents configured to transfer transactions using an ordered protocol, as well as second agents configured to transfer transactions using a protocol with no enforced ordering. The apparatus may also include input/output (I/O) interfaces coupled to respective ones of the first agents and configured to enforce the ordered protocol. The apparatus may further include a communication network including a plurality of network switches. A particular one of the network switches may be coupled to at least one other network switch of the plurality. The apparatus may also include a network interface coupled to the second agents, to the I/O interfaces, and to the particular network switch. This network interface may be configured to transfer data transactions between the second agents and the particular network switch, and to transfer data transactions between the I/O interfaces and the particular network switch.

    Programmed Input/Output Message Control Circuit

    公开(公告)号:US20220365900A1

    公开(公告)日:2022-11-17

    申请号:US17320082

    申请日:2021-05-13

    Applicant: Apple Inc.

    Abstract: In an embodiment, a system on a chip (SOC) comprises a semiconductor die on which circuitry is formed, wherein the circuitry comprises a memory controller circuit and a plurality of networks formed from a plurality of individual network component circuits. The memory controller includes a PIO message control circuit that is configured to receive PIO messages addressed to individual network component circuits and determine whether to send the PIO messages to the individual network component circuits based on determine whether previous PIO messages are pending for the individual network component circuits. The PIO message control circuit is configured to delay a first PIO message at the PIO message control circuit in response to determining that previous PIO message is pending for the addressee of the first PIO message.

    Centralized Non-System-Memory Gateway Circuit

    公开(公告)号:US20250094330A1

    公开(公告)日:2025-03-20

    申请号:US18404822

    申请日:2024-01-04

    Applicant: Apple Inc.

    Abstract: A computer system with a central, non-system memory (NSM) gateway circuit for routing non-DRAM transactions between agent circuits coupled to a plurality of networks of the computer system, which may include packet-switching capabilities. Such non-DRAM transactions may be routed via a virtual channel in some implementations. To facilitate handling of such transactions, the NSM gateway circuit may include dedicated routing storage (e.g., an input buffer for each source agent circuit on each of the plurality of networks and an output buffer for each destination agent circuit on each of the plurality of networks). The NSM gateway circuit may serve as a termination point for non-DRAM transactions within the computer system, allowing network credit for a message included in a non-DRAM transaction to be returned to a source agent circuit prior to delivery to one or more destination agent circuits.

    Data encoding and packet sharing in a parallel communication interface

    公开(公告)号:US12047302B2

    公开(公告)日:2024-07-23

    申请号:US18326246

    申请日:2023-05-31

    Applicant: Apple Inc.

    CPC classification number: H04L47/35 H04L47/32 H04L69/22

    Abstract: An apparatus includes an interface circuit and an encoder circuit. The interface circuit is configured to send a data packet via a plurality of segments, and to send an idle value via the plurality of segments when no data packet is available. The idle value is configured to cause a segment in a receiving apparatus to idle. The encoder circuit is configured to receive a particular data packet, and, if a portion of the particular data packet has a same value as the idle value for a subset of the plurality of segments, to replace at least a portion of the data packet with a mask value to generate a modified data packet. The mask value indicates how to recreate the particular data packet. The encoder circuit is further configured to send the modified data packet to the receiving apparatus via the plurality of segments of the interface circuit.

    Complementary Die-to-Die Interface

    公开(公告)号:US20220284163A1

    公开(公告)日:2022-09-08

    申请号:US17194003

    申请日:2021-03-05

    Applicant: Apple Inc.

    Abstract: A system includes a first instance and a second instance of an integrated circuit. The integrated circuits include respective external interfaces with a physical pin layout having transmit and receive pins for a particular bus located in complementary positions relative to an axis of symmetry. The external interfaces of the first and second instances of the integrated circuit are positioned such that the transmit and receive pins for the given I/O signal on the first instance are aligned, respectively, with the receive and transmit pins for the given I/O signal on the second instance.

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