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Inter-core Interrupter (Doorbell/Mailbox)

A commonly-requried component for basic synchronisation between separate cores.

Offers a target (slave interface) for one ore more cores. Generates interrupts for the other cores (and self in symmetric situations).

One core write a register that assers and interrupt wire to another core.

Mailbox variant allows small data items to be written to a queue in the interrupter. These are read out by the (or any) core that is (or wants to) handle the interrupt.


(C) 2008-10, DJ Greaves, University of Cambridge, Computer Laboratory.