Patent · US Active

Communication infrastructure for a data processing apparatus and a method of operation of such a communication infrastructure

US8285912B2 · kind B2 · utility

6Cited by
8References
21Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateAug 7, 2009
Grant dateOct 9, 2012
Priority date
Expiry dateJan 22, 2031

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG06F2213/0038
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A communication infrastructure for a data processing apparatus, and a method of operation of such a communication infrastructure are provided. The communication infrastructure provides first and second switching circuits interconnected via a bidirectional link. Both of the switching circuits employ a multi-channel communication protocol, such that for each transaction a communication path is established from an initiating master interface to a target slave interface, with that communication path comprising m channels. The m channels comprise one or more forward channels from the initiating master interface to the target slave interface and one or more reverse channels from the target slave interface to the initiating master interface, and handshaking signals are associated with each of the m channels. The bidirectional link comprises n connection lines, where n is less than m, the bidirectional link supporting a first communication path from the first switching circuit to the second switching circuit and a second communication path in an opposite direction from the second switching circuit to the first switching circuit. Control circuitry is used to multiplex at least one forward c…

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.