Data processing system, method and interconnect fabric for selective link information allocation in a data processing system

Abstract

A data processing system includes a plurality of processing units coupled for communication by a communication link and a configuration register. The configuration register has a plurality of different settings each corresponding to a respective one of a plurality of different link information allocations. Information is communicated over the communication link in accordance with a particular link information allocation among the plurality of link information allocations determined by a respective setting of the configuration register.

1 . A data processing system, comprising:
 a plurality of processing units coupled for communication by a communication link;   a configuration register having a plurality of different settings each corresponding to a respective one of a plurality of different link information allocations, wherein information is communicated over said communication link in accordance with a particular link information allocation among said plurality of link information allocations determined by a respective setting of said configuration register.   
   
   
       2 . The data processing system of  claim 1 , wherein said selected link information allocation allocates bandwidth of said communication link in a repeating sequence of fixed-length, multi-cycle frames. 
   
   
       3 . The data processing system of  claim 2 , wherein a frame of a first link information allocation among said plurality of link information allocations includes multiple address tenures per data tenure. 
   
   
       4 . The data processing system of  claim 2 , wherein a frame of a first link information allocation among said plurality of link information allocations includes payload data and a data tag identifying a destination of said payload data, wherein said data tag precedes said payload data by more than one cycle. 
   
   
       5 . The data processing system of  claim 2 , wherein a frame of a first link information allocation includes a transaction type field for indicating a type of a request, a master tag field for identifying a master of said request, an address field for identifying a request address for said request, and a response field for providing a response to a previous request. 
   
   
       6 . The data processing system of  claim 1 , and further comprising:
 means for automatically setting said configuration register in response to detecting a type of workload.   
   
   
       7 . A processing unit, comprising:
 a processor core;   interconnect logic coupled to a communication link coupling the processing unit to another processing unit for communication; and   a configuration register having a plurality of different settings each corresponding to a respective one of a plurality of different link information allocations, wherein information is communicated over said communication link in accordance with a particular link information allocation among said plurality of link information allocations determined by a respective setting of said configuration register.   
   
   
       8 . The processing unit of  claim 7 , wherein said selected link information allocation allocates bandwidth of said communication link in a repeating sequence of fixed-length, multi-cycle frames. 
   
   
       9 . The processing unit of  claim 8 , wherein a frame of a first link information allocation among said plurality of link information allocations includes multiple address tenures per data tenure. 
   
   
       10 . The processing unit of  claim 8 , wherein a frame of a first link information allocation among said plurality of link information allocations includes payload data and a data tag identifying a destination of said payload data, wherein said data tag precedes said payload data by more than one cycle. 
   
   
       11 . The processing unit of  claim 8 , wherein a frame of a first link information allocation includes a transaction type field for indicating a type of a request, a master tag field for identifying a master of said request, an address field for identifying a request address for said request, and a response field for providing a response to a previous request. 
   
   
       12 . The processing unit of  claim 7 , and further comprising:
 means for automatically setting said configuration register in response to detecting a type of workload.   
   
   
       13 . A method of data processing, comprising:
 in a configuration register having a plurality of different settings each corresponding to a respective one of a plurality of different link information allocations for a communication link coupling processing units of a data processing system, setting said configuration register to a particular setting among said plurality of settings; and   communicating information over said communication link in accordance with a selected link information allocation among said plurality of link information allocations determined by said particular setting of said configuration register.   
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein said selected link information allocation allocates bandwidth of said communication link in a repeating sequence of fixed-length, multi-cycle frames. 
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein a frame of a first link information allocation among said plurality of link information allocations includes multiple address tenures per data tenure. 
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein a frame of a first link information allocation among said plurality of link information allocations includes payload data and a data tag identifying a destination of said payload data, wherein said data tag precedes said payload data by more than one cycle. 
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein a frame of a first link information allocation includes a transaction type field for indicating a type of a request, a master tag field for identifying a master of said request, an address field for identifying a request address for said request, and a response field for providing a response to a previous request. 
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 13 , and further comprising:
 said data processing system automatically setting said configuration register in response to detecting a type of workload.