Method and apparatus for multi-chip reduced pin cross triggering to enhance debug experience

Abstract

Embodiments include apparatuses, systems, and methods for reduced pin cross triggering to enhance a debug experience. A time-division packetizing (TDP) technique may be employed to facilitate communication of triggers between integrated circuits (ICs) connected in series forming a TDP communication ring. The ICs on the TDP communication ring may each include a cross trigger interconnect structure for interpreting between trigger signals and hardware core instructions. The serial TDP communication across the ICs on the TDP communication ring allows the ICs to be connected in a manner that each cross trigger interconnect structure on each IC may function as if it were part of a single cross trigger interconnect structure across all of the ICs on the TDP communication ring. The individual ICs may operate asynchronously and a trigger clock may be passed along with other trigger data to implement the debugging techniques uniformly on each IC.