Scaleable interconnect structure utilizing quality-of-service handling

Abstract

An interconnect structure and method of communicating messages on the interconnect structure assists high priority messages to travel through the interconnect structure at a faster rate than normal or low priority messages. An interconnect structure includes a plurality of nodes with a plurality of interconnect lines selectively coupling the nodes in a hierarchical multiple-level structure. Data moves from an uppermost source level to a lowermost destination level. Nodes in the structure are arranged in columns and levels. Data wormholes through the structure and, in a given time-step, data always moves from one column to an adjacent column and while remaining on the same level or moving down to a lower level. When data moves down a level, an additional bit of the target output is fixed so data exiting from the bottom of the structure arrives at the proper target output port.