System, device, and method for initializing a plurality of electronic devices using a single packet

Abstract

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a semiconductor system may be disclosed. The semiconductor system according to the one embodiment may include, for example, a plurality of electronic devices and a host apparatus. The host apparatus may simultaneously initialize the plurality of electronic devices in units of group.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A semiconductor system comprising:
 a host apparatus programmed to initialize a plurality of electronic devices in units of a group using one packet, wherein the host apparatus is further programmed to transmit a packet for initialization of the electronic devices, the packet including a first group number and a first number of power units available for the initialization,   wherein each of the electronic devices includes a processor and a register,   the register storing a second group number and a second number of power units,   the second number of power units being a number of required power units during initialization of each of the electronic devices,   the plurality of electronic devices sequentially receiving the packet,   wherein for each of the plurality of electronic devices, the processor is programmed to determine that the first group number is matched with the second group number, and the first number of power units is not lower than the second number of power units, and based on that determination the processor which has not been initialized performs the initialization, the processor updates the first number of power units to a differential value obtained when the second number of power units is subtracted from the first number of power units, and the processor transmits the packet to a next electronic device, and   wherein the processor is programmed to determine that an electronic device has been already initialized, and based on that determination the processor transmits the packet to the next electronic device without performing the initialization.   
     
     
       2. The system according to  claim 1 , wherein the processor is programmed to determine that the electronic device is currently being initialized, and based on that determination the processor transmits the packet to the next electronic device after waiting for initialization completion. 
     
     
       3. The system according to  claim 1 , wherein the packet further includes an initialization completion flag, and
 the processor is programmed to determine that the electronic device has not been initialized or is not currently being initialized, and based on that determination the processor updates the initialization completion flag to information indicating that the initialization is not completed yet and the processor transmits the packet to the next electronic device.   
     
     
       4. The system according to  claim 3 , wherein the host apparatus is programmed to set the initialization completion flag as an initial value and transmit the packet to a first electronic device,
 in receiving the packet whose initialization completion flag indicates that the initialization is completed, the host apparatus determines that the initialization is completed for all the electronic devices, and   in returning the packet whose initialization completion flag indicates that the initialization is not completed, the host apparatus determines that there is at least an electronic device that has not completed the initialization.   
     
     
       5. The system according to  claim 3 , wherein when the host apparatus determines that the initialization completion flag indicates that the initialization is not completed,
 the host apparatus is programmed to retransmit the packet without updating the first group number, when receiving, from an electronic device, the packet including the first number of power units different from that in transmission, and   the host apparatus updates the first group number to retransmit the packet, when receiving, from an electronic device, the packet including the first number of power units identical to that in the transmission.   
     
     
       6. A semiconductor device comprising:
 a first electronic device including a first processor and a first register; and   a second electronic device including a second processor and a second register;   wherein the first electronic device receives a packet transmitted from a host apparatus, the packet including a first group number and a first number of power units available for initialization; and   the second electronic device receives the packet from the first electronic device,   the first processor is programmed to initialize the first electronic device with the packet,   the second processor is programmed to initialize the second electronic device with the packet,   each of the first and second registers stores a second group number and a second number of power units,   in a case the first electronic device which has not been initialized receives the packet,   the first processor is programmed to determine that the first group number is matched with the second group number, and the first number of power units is not lower than the second number of power units required for the initialization of the first electronic device, and based on that determination the first processor performs the initialization of the first electronic device, the first processor updates the first number of power units to a differential value obtained when the second number of power units is subtracted from the first number of power units, and the first processor transmits the packet to the second electronic device, and   in a case the first electronic device which is initializing receives the packet,   the first processor is programmed to wait until end of initialization and then transmits the packet without performing the initialization to the second electronic device, and   in a case the first electronic device which has been already initialized receives the packet,   the first processor is programmed to immediately transmit the packet without performing the initialization to the second electronic device.   
     
     
       7. The device according to  claim 6 , wherein the first processor is programmed to transmit the packet after the initialization completion when receiving the packet during initialization. 
     
     
       8. A method for initializing an electronic device, comprising:
 receiving, by the electronic device, a transmitted packet from a host apparatus, the packet including a first group number and a first number of power units available for the initialization;   transferring the packet sequentially among a plurality of electronic devices, a second group number being set to each of the electronic devices, a second number of power units being required for initialization of each of the electronic devices; and   performing the initialization for an electronic device which has not been initialized, updating the first number of power units to a differential value obtained when the second number of power units is subtracted from the first number of power units, and transmitting the packet to a next electronic device, when the first group number is matched with the second group number of the electronic device, and the first number of power units is not lower than the second number of power units for the electronic device;   waiting until completion of the initialization and transmitting the packet to the next electronic device without performing the initialization by an electronic device which is initializing; and   transmitting the packet immediately to the next electronic device without performing the initialization by an electronic device which has been already initialized.   
     
     
       9. The method according to  claim 8 , wherein the electronic device which is currently being initialized transmits the packet to the next electronic device after waiting for initialization completion. 
     
     
       10. A semiconductor device comprising one or more electronic devices, each of the one or more electronic devices comprising:
 an input part configured to receive a packet;   a function circuit configured to update the packet; and   an output part configured to output the packet,   wherein the one or more electronic devices are connected such that the packet transmitted from a host controller is sequentially transferred through the one or more electronic devices and returned to the host controller,   when the packet is a broadcast packet used for initialization of the one or more electronic devices, the packet includes a first group number for identifying a group of each of the one or more electronic devices and a first number of power units indicating electric power available by the group for the initialization,   a second group number and a second number of power units are stored in each of the one or more electronic devices, the second number of power units is a number of required power units during initialization of each of the one or more electronic devices, the second group number indicates to which group each of the one or more electronic devices belongs,   when the first group number is matched with the second group number, and the first number of power units is not lower than the second number of power units, one of the one or more electronic devices which has not been initialized performs the initialization, and updates, by the function circuit, the first number of power units to a differential value obtained by subtracting the second number of power units from the first number of power units and output the packet through the output part, and   one of the one or more electronic devices which does not perform initialization by the received packet outputs the packet through the input part without updating the first number of power units.   
     
     
       11. The semiconductor device according to claim 10, wherein when the one or more electronic devices which are currently being initialized receive the packet for the initialization of the one or more electronic devices, the one or more electronic devices output the packet without updating the packet after waiting for initialization completion. 
     
     
       12. The semiconductor device according to claim 10, wherein the packet further includes an initialization completion flag, and
 the one or more electronic devices which have not been initialized or which are not currently being initialized update the initialization completion flag to information indicating that the initialization is not completed yet and output the packet.   
     
     
       13. The semiconductor device according to claim 10, wherein one or more electronic devices that receive the packet to start the initialization output the packet without waiting for the initialization completion.