Providing a sideband message interface for system on a chip (SoC)

摘要

According to one embodiment, a system on a chip includes multiple agents each corresponding to an intellectual property (IP) logic and a fabric to couple the agents. The fabric can include a primary message interface and a sideband message interface. The fabric further includes one or more routers to provide out-of-band communications between the agents via this sideband message interface. To effect such communication, the router can perform a subset of ordering rules of a personal computer (PC)-based specification for sideband messages. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

主权项

1. An apparatus comprising:
a semiconductor die including but not limited to:
a plurality of agents including an endpoint; anda fabric to couple the plurality of agents, the fabric including at least one router to provide sideband communication between at least some of the plurality of agents, the sideband communication to include transmission of one or more of on-chip power management control information, shadow configuration register information, test mode information or device configuration space information, the at least one router to couple to the endpoint of corresponding ones of the plurality of agents via a sideband message interface, the sideband message interface to communicate at least one put signal, an end of message signal, at least one credit signal, and a message payload between the endpoint and the at least one router, wherein at least one of the plurality of agents is to maintain transaction level ordering rules with respect to the sideband communication in which a posted message and a completion message are to be treated as a common message type, and wherein a subsequently issued posted message or a subsequently issued completion message is to be allowed to pass a previously issued non-posted message.