Controllable transaction synchronization for merging peripheral devices

US8601198B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Intel Corporation · US

Inventors

• Chee Hak Teh · Kampung Bukit Kechil, MY
• Chai Huat Gan · Bukit Mertajam, MY
• Poh Thiam Teoh · Bandar Baru Sungai Buloh, MY
• Mary Siaw See Yeoh · Georgetown, US
• Su Wei Lim · Klang, MY

Key dates

• Filing date: Jun 30, 2011
• Grant date: Dec 3, 2013
• Expiry date: Dec 13, 2031

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G06F13/4022
• WIPO field: Computer technology
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention describe a host system capable of associating a PCIe device and another separate device to the same device identifier (e.g., device number). A cycle routing module or logic will identify an I/O transaction involving the device identifier, and route the transaction to one or both of the devices (or, in some instances, identify the I/O transaction as a configuration transaction, and simply update the cycle routing module/logic only). In one embodiment of the invention, a root port of the host system is configured to operate as the above described cycle router.Embodiments of the invention allow for devices to be “merged” into a single device for the host OS. For example, a peripheral devices coupled to the host system via a PCIe link may be “merged” with a peripheral devices coupled to the host system via another PCIe link or a SATA link.