DYNAMICALLY CHANGING DATA ACCESS BANDWIDTH BY SELECTIVELY ENABLING AND DISABLING DATA LINKS

摘要

Bandwidth for information transfers between devices is dynamically changed to accommodate transitions between power modes employed in a system. The bandwidth is changed by selectively enabling and disabling individual control links and data links that carry the information. During a highest bandwidth mode for the system, all of the data and control links are enabled to provide maximum information throughout. During one or more lower bandwidth modes for the system, at least one data link and/or at least one control link is disabled to reduce the power consumption of the devices. At least one data link and at least one control link remain enabled during each low bandwidth mode. For these links, the same signaling rate is used for both bandwidth modes to reduce latency that would otherwise be caused by changing signaling rates. Also, calibration information is generated for disabled links so that these links may be quickly brought back into service.

主权项

1. A method of switching between a first mode of operation and a second mode of operation of an integrated circuit device, the method comprising:
transferring data during the first mode via each link of a plurality of links; disabling each link of a first subset of the plurality of links during the second mode; transferring data during the second mode via each link of a second subset of the plurality of links that is not disabled, wherein a common signaling rate is employed for the data transfers via the second subset of the plurality of links during the first mode and the second mode; and updating at least one timing adjustment value for the disabled first subset of the plurality of links during the second mode while the second subset of the plurality of links is enabled.