An enhanced general input/output communication architecture, protocol and related methods are presented.

General input/output architecture, protocol and related methods to implement flow control

A system and method to provide source controlled dynamic power management. An activity detector in a source determines expected future resource usage. Based on that expected usage, the source generates a power management command and sends that command to a destination. The destination then adjusts the power level of the resource based in the command.

Method, system, and apparatus for a core activity detector to facilitate dynamic power management in a distributed system

Method and apparatus for arbitrating prioritized cycle streams in a manner that prevents starvation. High priority and low priority arbitration pools are employed for arbitrating multiple input cycle streams. Each cycle stream contains a stream of requests of a given type and associated priority. Under normal circumstances in which resource buffer availability for a destination device is not an issue, higher priority streams are provided grants over lower priority streams, with all streams receiving grants. However, when a resource buffer is not available for a lower priority stream, arbitration of high priority streams with available buffer resources are redirected to the low priority arbitration pool, resulting in generation of grant counts for both the higher and lower priority streams. When the resource buffer for the low priority stream becomes available and a corresponding request is arbitrated in the high priority arbitration pool, a grant for the request can be immediately made since grant counts for the stream already exist.

Starvation Prevention Scheme for a Fixed Priority PCE-Express Arbiter with Grant Counters using Arbitration Pools

The present invention provides an apparatus for transferring data through an electromagnetic coupler. The apparatus comprises a transmitter to encode a first plurality of bits into a symbol, a receiver to decode a transferred symbol into a second plurality of bits; and a coupling element having a geometry that provides robust electromagnetic transfer of the symbol and the transferred symbol. For one embodiment of the apparatus, the coupling element has a zig-zag geometry.

Symbol-based signaling device for an elctromagnetically-coupled bus system

Systems and methods of managing a link provide for receiving a remote width capability during a link initialization, the remote width capability corresponding to a remote port. A link between a local port and the remote port is operated at a plurality of link widths in accordance with the remote width capability.

Dynamically modulating link width

A physically non-distributed microprocessor-based computer includes a microprocessor, and a random access memory device, a mass storage device, and an input-output port device, all operable from the microprocessor and including an interface for receiving and transmitting data in packet form. A novel packet-based data channel extends between the microprocessor and the interfaces of the devices to provide communication between the microprocessor and the devices. By varying the size of the packets in accordance with actual data transmission requirements improved computer performance is achieved.

Gautam Kavipurapu

Papers

Computer having packet-based interconnect channel