Local event ring in an island-based network flow processor

摘要

An island-based network flow processor (IB-NFP) integrated circuit includes islands organized in rows. A configurable mesh event bus extends through the islands and is configured to form a local event ring. The configurable mesh event bus is configured with configuration information received via a configurable mesh control bus. The local event ring provides a communication path along which an event packet is communicated to each rectangular island along the local event ring. The local event ring involves event ring circuits and event ring segments. Upon each transition of a clock signal, an event packet moves through the ring from event ring segment to event ring segment. Event information and not packet data travels through the ring. The local event ring functions as a source-release ring in that only the event ring circuit that inserted the event packet onto the ring can delete the event packet from the ring.

主权项

1. An integrated circuit, comprising:
a plurality of rectangular islands disposed in rows, wherein there are at least three rows of the rectangular islands, and wherein each rectangular island comprises:
a Run Time Configurable Switch (RTCS); anda plurality of radiating half links, wherein the rectangular islands are coupled together such that the half links and the RTCSs together form a configurable mesh event bus, wherein the configurable mesh event bus is configured to form a local event ring, wherein the local event ring provides a communication path along which an event packet is communicated to each rectangular island along the local event ring, wherein the local event ring comprises a plurality of event ring circuits and a plurality of event ring sediments, wherein the event ring circuits are clocked by a clock signal, wherein a transitioning of the clock signal causes an event packet being output by first event ring circuit onto a first ring sediment to be latched into a second event ring circuit such that the second event ring circuit begins outputting the event packet onto a second event ring sediment and such that the first event ring circuit stops outputting the event packet onto the first event ring segment.